Alternate reality game
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An alternate reality game is a cross media game that deliberately blurs the line between the in-game and out-of-game experiences. While games may primarily be centered around online resources, often events that happen inside the game reality will "reach out" into the players' lives in order to bring them together. Elements of the plotline may be provided to the players in almost any form, some of those used have been:
- websites, both those obviously connected with the game and those innocent looking - often where the bulk of the game lies, these sites provide puzzles in many forms, e.g. cryptography
- phone calls to a player's home, cell or work phone
- land mail
- newspaper articles or classifieds
- chat/Instant messaging and so on - the games have been known to initiate conversation
- IRC channels
- real world artifacts related to the game in play
- real world events utilizing actors who interact with the players who attend
These games often have a specific goal of not only involving the player with the story and/or fictional characters but of connecting them to each other. Many game puzzles can be solved only by the collective and collaborative efforts of multiple players.
Alternate Reality Games are usually earmarked by a large game-reality in the form of multiple websites, all of which take themselves as being totally real. In fact, sometimes it is difficult to tell if a website is fictional or not. These websites form the foundation of the game's universe, and are usually the primary storytelling vehicle, although the various media listed above will be used as well, creating a situation where the game's Alternate Reality and the real world collide.
Important to Alternate Reality Games is the concept of "This is Not a Game." To be most effective, these games don't advertise themselves as such, and never really admit to being a game at all. The mystery of what's going on and who is behind it all is a major factor, as is the general thrill of discovery (one website leads to another, and another, etc.) for the players.
Admittedly, an Alternate Reality Game is a difficult thing to define concisely. For further explanation:
- Sean Stewart's introduction and definition of A.I. Web Game (The Beast) (http://www.seanstewart.org/beast/intro/)
- Blurring the Line Between Games and Life (http://news.com.com/Blurring+the+line+between+games+and+life/2100-1024_3-5590956.html) (CNET)
- Alternate Reality Gaming Quickstart (http://www.mirlandano.com/arg-quickstart.html) by Brooke Thompson
- Getting Started with Alternate Reality Games (http://deaddrop.us/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=225)
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Brief history
- ARGs grew from traditional role playing games or RPGs, which first came to prominence with the introduction of Dungeons and Dragons in 1974. Jordan Weisman, co-founder of leading ARG design company 4orty 2wo Entertainment previously founded leading RPG company FASA in 1980.
- Other roots include reader-influenced online fiction sites. The first of these was the all-text QuantumLink Serial by Tracy Reed on AOL (then called Quantum Computer Services), which debuted in 1988, and was played out in online chat rooms, emails and traditional narrative. The series also went by the name The AppleLink Serial and The PC-Link Serial on those services before they were all unified under the AOL brand when Quantum changed its name. After each week's chapter was published, users wrote to author Reed suggesting how they could be part of the story. Each week Reed chose one to a handful of users on each of the three services and wrote them into the story, depicting how they interacted with the fictional characters. The project was personally greenlighted by AOL founder Steve Case and produced by Kathi McHugh. Later titles, the most famous of which was The Spot added photos and video to the stories, but typically featured less user interaction.
- The first wildly successful ARG was a game developed to promote the movie A.I. by a small team at Microsoft. At its peak, this game was being played simultaneously by many thousands of users, and created something of a cultural phenomenon when it was released; it was referred to by its developers (and now by players, as well) as "The Beast", and is considered the granddaddy of the genre it created.
- One of the earliest large-scale examples of this was the EA game known as Majestic. Though the game itself suffered commercial failure and had significant problems, it remains a useful initial case study for the genre. While development on Majestic began before "The Beast" was launched, Majestic was made available to the public at the tail end of this A.I.-related campaign. [Change Agents Out of Control (http://www.unfiction.com/compendi/games/ca.ooc/)] was an early ARG that actually grew from the demise of Majestic.
- A more recent ARG (2004) is the Haunted Apiary ARG, which was developed in relation to the Xbox game Halo 2 and set in the vast fictional universe that has grown around the Marathon-Halo franchise. This ARG departed from the traditional puzzle-led form to be more story-led. the Haunted Apiary is currently regarded to have been the most successful ARG to date, in terms of audience size and participation. Its authors, who also created The Beast, had in the interim founded an ARG design and development company, 4orty 2wo Entertainment.
- Likely in response to the Haunted Apiary, Nintendo developed another ARG, Channel 51, which was centered around a fictional company called Orbis Labs. This ARG was used as a promotional vehicle for Nintendo's now-released game Metroid Prime 2.
- In January 2005, This Is Not A Game: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming (http://www.immersivegaming.com) was released, the first book to cover the phenomenon of Alternate Reality Gaming in detail, providing an overview and history of the genre, and tips for players and would-be puppetmasters.
- March 29, 2005, The Art of the Heist (http://www.stolena3.com/) launched. Developed as a promotional ARG for Audi, Art of the Heist took things to a new level with multiple realworld events/missions and extensive media placement. Currently still playing.
- April 2005, Perplex City (http://www.perplexcity.com) began in earnest, after a years' worth of teaser/previews. Currently still playing. (Note: as of May 31, 2005, the game has still not actually begun).
Examples of ARGs
- I Love Bees - a game developed by 4orty 2wo Entertainment and funded by Microsoft by way of advertisement for the popular Xbox game Halo 2. Still playing.
- Perplex City - A game which launched after about a year's worth of pregaming and teasers, and is rumored to be releasing pay-to-play cards, which are purchased and used to aid playing.
- Metacortechs (http://www.metacortechs.com) - A game related to The Matrix. At first glance, it appears to be a virtual reality company. As players dig deeper, it get's more sinister.
- Acheron (http://acheron.us) - Could you decide? Players were led on a rough and tumble adventure to locate Jake, a graduate assistant at New River University. Along the way, they discover a story of intrigue, time travel, and betrayal that caught everyone by surprise.
Terminology
- ARG - the abbreviation for Alternate Reality Game
- ARGonaut - a term sometimes used by players of ARGs to refer to themselves
- The Beast - the promotional game for the movie A.I.
- Beasting - to play an ARG (deprecated)
- Cloudmakers - the original group that took on The Beast. They are also credited with coining most of the terminology.
- Curtain - the layers of plot, technology and social contract between the players and the PuppetMasters
- Guide - a narrative of the experiences of gameplay, including the process of clue discovery and puzzle solving.
- PuppetMasters - the usually secret group that controls an ARG
- Rabbit hole - the initial page or clue that drives the player into the game.
- Search Opera - A type of ARG that behaves more as a scavenger hunt, where players use search_engines to find clues and solve puzzles relevant to the ARG
- Trail - a reference list of sites, clues and other items found during gameplay
Main Resources
- Alternate Reality Gaming Network (http://www.argn.com/) - the hub of a network of sites dedicated to Alternate Reality Gaming. News, reviews, commentary and resources, plus an opt-in mailing list to be notified of new games as they are discovered.
- unforums (http://www.unforums.com) - the genre's largest message boards dedicated to ARGs (since September 2002). Parent site: unfiction.com (http://www.unfiction.com).
- cloudmakers.org (http://www.cloudmakers.org/) - the group founded to play/solve the first Alternate Reality Game, "The Beast" (promotion for AI: Artificial Intelligence).
- deaddrop.us - dedicated to alternate reality gaming with a heavy focus on PuppetMastering and behind the scenes content.
- Reality Gaming Alliance (http://www.rgalliance.com) - opt-in to be notified when new games are discovered.
- ARGInsider (http://www.arginsider.com) - relatively new ARG news site, growing rapidly.
- Immersion Unlimited (http://www.immersionunlimited.com) - community of players who build and play games for their own enjoyment.
Other Relevant Sites
- Avant Game (http://www.avantgame.com) - A compilation of articles about alternate reality and pervasive gaming, and project notes, from Jane McGonigal, ARG PH.D. and I Love Bees puppetmaster
- Dave Szulborski (http://www.daveszulborski.com) - - homepage of Dave Szulborski, the creator of five ARGs and the author of This Is Not A Game: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming, a resource book about ARGs.
- The Dionaea House (http://www.dionaea-house.com) - Horror Alternate Reality Game used to promote a movie screenplay.
- Immersive Gaming (http://www.immersivegaming.com) - - home of This Is Not A Game: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming by Dave Szulborski, a book covering the Theory, History, and Making of an ARG.
- Project MU (http://www.metacortechs.com/mumowmow/) - a widely played alternate reality game based on The Matrix
- Ong's Hat (http://www.incunabula.org) - TINAG (http://www.immersivegaming.com) credits the Ong's Hat story as possibly being the first ARG.
- 4orty 2wo entertainment (http://www.4orty2wo.com/) - the company responsible for The Beast and Haunted Apiary
- Mr Gamer (http://www.mistergamer.com) - Mr Gamer organises several ARGs each month
- Sean Stewart (http://www.seanstewart.org/) - SciFi/Fantasy writer who was also the lead writer for The Beast and I Love Bees
- Xenophile Media (http://www.xenophile.ca/main.html) - Developers of the Regenesis Extended Reality Game (tied with the TV miniseries Regenesis)
- Acheron Project Team (http://acheron.us/aboutus.htm) - Many on this team have gone on to PM numerous other commercial and grassroots projects.