SHODAN (Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network) is a fictional
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
and the main
antagonist of the
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian Futurism, futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of low-life, lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial in ...
-horror themed
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
s ''
System Shock
''System Shock'' is a 1994 first-person action-adventure video game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. It was directed by Doug Church with Warren Spector serving as producer. The game is set aboard a spa ...
'' and ''
System Shock 2
''System Shock 2'' is a 1999 action role-playing survival horror video game designed by Ken Levine and co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. Originally intended to be a standalone title, its story was changed during produc ...
''.
Character design
SHODAN is an artificial intelligence whose moral restraints were removed from her programming by a hacker in order for Edward Diego, station chief of Citadel Station, on which SHODAN was installed, to delete compromising files regarding illegal experiments and his corruption. She is a
megalomaniac
Megalomania is an obsession with power and wealth, and a passion for grand schemes.
Megalomania or megalomaniac may also refer to:
Psychology
* Narcissistic personality disorder
* Grandiose delusions
* Omnipotence (psychoanalysis), a stage o ...
with a
god complex
A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility
Infallibility refers to an inability to be wrong. It can be applied within a specific domain, or it can be ...
and sees humans as little better than insects, something which she constantly reminds the player of. Her words are accompanied by
stuttering
Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the ...
, fluctuating voice
pitch, shifts of
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and music ...
, and the presence of three voices speaking the same words with the constituent voices alternately lagging behind and leading ahead in different patterns, as well as computer glitches resembling a
sound card
A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under the control of computer programs. The term ''sound card'' is also applied to external au ...
malfunction. The disc version refers to SHODAN as either an 'it' or a 'he', while the later CD version uses 'she'. On screens, SHODAN manifests herself as an eerie-looking green and/or grey female cybernetic face that usually wears a malevolent expression, and speaks with a chaotic, discordant voice. She is voiced by former
Tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...
keyboardist and vocalist,
Terri Brosius, the wife of ''System Shock 2s sound editor,
Eric Brosius, who distorted the samples to provide the distinctive SHODAN effect. In the
cyberspace
Cyberspace is a concept describing a widespread interconnected digital technology. "The expression dates back from the first decade of the diffusion of the internet. It refers to the online world as a world 'apart', as distinct from everyday re ...
of ''System Shock'', she is initially represented as an inverted blue-grey cone, reminiscent of the
Master Control Program
The MCP (Master Control Program) is the operating system of the Burroughs small, medium and large systems, including the Unisys Clearpath/MCP systems.
MCP was originally written in 1961 in ESPOL (Executive Systems Problem Oriented Language). In ...
from the 1982 Disney film ''
Tron
''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action-adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programme ...
''. After she has been hacked, the cone turns red, the surface becomes covered in rough metallic material and four "tentacles" or "claws" grow from the top, with her actual face starting to form above that.
Appearances
SHODAN was created on Earth to serve as the
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
of the TriOptimum Corporation's research and mining
space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time, and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station ...
''Citadel Station'', which orbits around
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; ...
. She was hacked by the game's protagonist (at the behest of the corrupt corporate Vice President Edward Diego, in exchange for a military-grade neural implant, and amnesty) and, to access the vital information about TriOptimum corporation, its ethical restrictions were removed, starting a process that eventually resulted in the AI going rogue, seizing control of the station's systems, robots and considerable defenses, and either slaughtering the whole staff or converting them into mutants and cyborgs—with the sole exception of its "creator", the unnamed
hacker
A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...
whom the player controls. Basically omnipresent and the de facto ruler of Citadel Station, SHODAN watches from security cameras, stares out of screens and monitors, sends threats and snide messages over the station's
PA system
A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
or via
email
Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic ( digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" mean ...
to the player's data reader, and sometimes cuts off communications from friendly sources to prevent the hacker from advancing in his goals. Though she commands a small army of cyborgs and mutants, she wields physical power of her own, and thwarting more than one of her schemes has to be done with the AI's screams and threats in the background.
In ''System Shock'', the player ejects a garden grove pod from Citadel Station. The grove contains one of SHODAN's processing components and part of her grand biological experiment. The pod crash lands on the planet
Tau Ceti
Tau Ceti, Latinized from τ Ceti, is a single star in the constellation Cetus that is spectrally similar to the Sun, although it has only about 78% of the Sun's mass. At a distance of just under from the Solar System, it is a relat ...
V and she survives by
hibernating for the next 42 years. After both are brought aboard the starship ''Von Braun'' and SHODAN is reactivated, she discovers the experiment is no longer at her command and begins to enlist humans to aid her in destroying her creations. The player character in ''System Shock 2'' is a soldier cybernetically modified by SHODAN to serve as her
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
. Her involvement in the game's goings-on is not disclosed up front, but only subtly hinted at in the game's early portions. She only reveals herself to the player during a moment of despair, at the same time the player discovers that Dr. Polito, the player's trusted guide for the first portion of the game, has been dead all along, as she committed suicide when she realized what SHODAN had done and was going to do. At that point SHODAN announces:
After the player's and SHODAN's mutual enemies have been defeated, the player enters her expanding new reality—created via her manipulation of the ''Von Braun's'' reality-warping
faster-than-light
Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
engine—and defeats her. However, as shown in an epilogue at the end of the game, SHODAN apparently lives on by taking over a woman who fled the ''Von Braun'' in an escape pod. The upcoming ''
System Shock 3'' is planned to follow immediately from these events, with Brosius returning to voice SHODAN.
In another
Origin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. It was founded on March 3, 1983, by Richard Garriott and his brother Robert. Origin is best known for their groundbreaking work in multiple genres of video games ...
' game, ''
Crusader: No Remorse'', an article came bundled with the release of the game providing details on the unveiling of a confidential research endeavor known as Project: SHODAN from the Cybernetics Cartel in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. The article describes Project: SHODAN as "a program that's not only capable of human-like thought and emotion, but that also far surpasses human intelligence levels" and includes an image similar to SHODAN's appearance in the first game. However, despite a reference to the origins of SHODAN, ''Crusader: No Remorse'' takes place nearly 120 years after the events of ''System Shock''.
Reception
The character was very well received by the gaming media outlets, with many publications considering SHODAN one of the top villains in the history of video games.
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
named her one of the ten best
computer game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
villains, comparing her to
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the main antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's '' Space Odyssey'' series. First appearing in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', HAL ( Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic compute ...
, though noting that unlike Hal, SHODAN was unquestionably aware of her actions and the consequences of them. GameSpot also chose her as one of the 64 characters competing for the title of "All-Time Greatest Game Villain". In 2006,
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
listed SHODAN at number four in their list of top most memorable video game villains, praising the character for her constant physical and mental assaults against the player throughout the games. In another such list, IGN stated that "her villainy and voice won't ever be forgotten by anyone who checked out the ''System Shock'' games, and no doubt influenced other video game villains, such as
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fitting ...
's
GLaDOS from ''
Portal''." In 2008, ''
The Boston Phoenix
''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' a ...
'' named SHODAN as the greatest
boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, a p ...
in video game history, while ''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' ranked her as the 12th "most diabolical" video game villain ever, calling her "far more crafty than
Skynet
Skynet may refer to:
Airlines
* Sky Net Airline, a charter airline from Armenia
* Skynet (airline), a Russian regional airline based at the Krasnoyarsk Airport
* Skynet Airlines, a defunct Irish airline that operated in 2001–2004
* Skynet, a d ...
or the machines of the
Matrix
Matrix most commonly refers to:
* ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise
** '' The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film
** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchi ...
, simply because she's omnipresent and constantly taunting," and adding that "you'll want to kill SHODAN more than you've ever wanted to kill any videogame enemy. Ever." That same year, Joe Martin of
Bit-tech ranked SHODAN as the fourth top PC game
NPC of all time, while
GameDaily
GameDaily (GD) was a video game journalism website based in the United States.
It was launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads. The site changed its business model from a flat fe ...
ranked her at number eleven on the list of top evil masterminds of all time, stating that even ''
Halo
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* Halo (franchise), ...
s
343 Guilty Spark "got nothing" on her and expressing hope for the character's return in a new game. ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' ranked her as the third "coolest" video game villain of all time in 2012.
GamesRadar
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites '' Total Film'', ''SFX'', '' Edge'' and ''Comput ...
too praised SHODAN's role as an antagonist, putting her in their 2013 list of the best villains in video game history at number 15.
SHODAN has been often praised as one of the best female characters in gaming, such as in an early list by GameSpot that also described her as an unforgettable villain due to her personality and adding that "
he ismore believable than most game characters are, and in many ways, she actually seems more human." In 2007,
Tom's Games
''Tom's Hardware'' is an online publication owned by Future plc and focused on technology. It was founded in 1996 by Thomas Pabst. It provides articles, news, price comparisons, videos and reviews on computer hardware and high technology. The si ...
listed her as one of the top 50 greatest female characters in video game history, stating that "there have been memorable villains in video game history, but none quite like SHODAN". In 2008, she was featured in ''
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
'' magazine's "Girls of Gaming" as one of the staff's top girls of PC gaming, placing tenth on their list. ''Complex'' ranked SHODAN as the 12th "most diabolical video game she-villain" in 2012, and as fourth on the 2012 list of the most evil women in video games, "old school but she still makes the cut." In 2013, Liz Lanier of ''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 ...
'' included SHODAN among top ten female villains in video games, stating that "SHODAN may not be a woman in the traditional considering she's an AI, but what she lacks in femininity and humanity, makes up in creepiness. Her distorted voice is enough to send shivers up even the most seasoned gamer's spine."
Other articles noted her one of the most horrific video game bosses ever, such as in the 2008 GameDaily article noting her constant assault upon the player and humanity despite being unable to harm him directly. In 2009, GamesRadar listed SHODAN as one of the scariest video game characters ever, describing her as the precursor to GLaDOS. In 2010, she was ranked as the third greatest video game character of all time by ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'', who stated that "SHODAN's constant, threatening presence is a masterstroke of
game design
Game design is the art of applying design and aesthetics to create a game for entertainment or for educational, exercise, or experimental purposes. Increasingly, elements and principles of game design are also applied to other interactions, in ...
." ''Complex'' ranked her as the fifth most scary video game enemies at number five in 2011, stating that "though this malevolent AI is hard to quantify in terms of toughness, her constant presence, and the subsequent psychological damage she causes through her previous actions, is enough to land her on the list." In 2012, Cheat Code Central ranked SHODAN in ''System Shock 2'' as the third most terrifying video game character of all time.
References
External links
"The Girl Who Wanted To Be God"(no longer available, archived b
"archive.org", a 2006 essay on SHODAN by
Kieron Gillen
Kieron Michael Gillen (; born 30 September 1975) is a British comic book writer and former video game and music journalist. In comics, Gillen is known for '' Phonogram'' and '' The Wicked + The Divine'', both co-created with artist Jamie McKe ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shodan
Anthropomorphic video game characters
Artificial intelligence characters in video games
Female characters in video games
Female video game villains
Fictional computers
Fictional gynoids
Fictional mass murderers
Narcissism in fiction
Fictional software
Horror video game characters
Robot characters in video games
Role-playing video game characters
Science fiction video game characters
System Shock
Video game bosses
Video game characters introduced in 1994