Cyberpunk
Friday, February 15th, 2041
Scope
The motivation behind building Cyberpunk
- Critique of Corporate Power and Capitalism: Pondsmith created a universe where corporations hold unchecked power, effectively becoming sovereign entities. By positioning corporations as central antagonists, he highlighted the dangers of profit-driven agendas and the human cost of capitalism. Megacorporations like Arasaka and Militech operate without accountability, illustrating how corporate greed can reshape society and devastate individual lives  .
- Exploring Humanity’s Relationship with Technology: Cyberpunk’s setting lets Pondsmith examine how technology can be both liberating and corrupting. Characters in his world embrace cyberware and digital interfaces to enhance themselves but often risk their humanity in doing so. This duality reflects Pondsmith’s interest in the ethical gray zones of technological advancement and its potential to erode personal autonomy  
- Focus on Individual Agency and Identity : Pondsmith’s world celebrates the underdog—the street-level characters who, despite limited resources, fight back against an oppressive system. By emphasizing roles like Solos, Netrunners, and Rockerboys, he encourages players to explore themes of rebellion, resilience, and identity. Characters often seek meaning and agency in a world that seeks to strip them of both, highlighting a punk ethos of resistance 
- Warning of a Dystopian Future: Cyberpunk’s dystopia serves as both a thrilling narrative setting and a cautionary tale. Pondsmith’s world underscores the potential for societal collapse when technology, politics, and human nature intertwine without ethical checks. It’s a warning about the erosion of privacy, the corporatization of public spaces, and the gradual degradation of societal values in the face of profit-driven interests  .
- Inspiration from Real-World Social Issues and 1980s Media: Pondsmith drew from the anxieties of the 1980s, including fears of technological surveillance, economic disparity, and environmental degradation. His work combines influences from punk rock culture, noir cinema, and early hacker culture, creating a world where style, attitude, and survival are paramount, capturing the essence of anti-establishment movements and expressing a kind of rebellion against cultural conformity  .
The goal of the project
This was created to establish a setting for a Cyberpunk RED campaign.