5 replies to this topic

[Anthus]

Does anyone here like, or follow any ARGs? For those who don't know, an Alternate Reality Game is a game that takes place "in the real world" usually through various media outlets (Though it is is different from LARP Games). "Players" find clues, and ciphers on websites, in media, or in the physical world. It's a pretty general field, with lots of different styles, and ways of giving clues, recruiting players, and moving along the story. Some examples loosely include, Kanye's Quest, Unedited Footage of a Bear, This House has People in It (which is terrifying), and one of the most famous, Marble Hornets to name a few. There is also the ill-fated CL44, which looked really cool, but sadly, got cancelled cause the guys behind it had a falling out (This is not part of the game, these were the Marble Hornets guys, and two of the IRL writers quit cause of creative differences with a new staffer, among other things.)

 

Anyway, ARGs can also be used by big companies to market stuff as part of a viral marketing campaign. For example, The Dark Knight had an ARG that went on for about a year before the film came out called "Why so serious?". Microsoft also launched one for Halo 2 called "I love Bees". ARG elements can also seep into media-art projects, not unlike the horrific things that happen to Alantutorial, or the uncanny, and off-putting robotic tone of Poppy (Only look up Alan, or Poppy if you don't plan on sleeping for a few days-- You have been warned).

 

I really like the idea of ARGs. I've always been into weird stuff like that, and a lot of them do incorporate horror elements to some degree. I have to admit though, I have not actually participated in an ARG myself. All of the ones I've seen, or followed have been post-end, and I watched videos on YouTube about it, from one user in particular, Night Mind. He makes good content. It's long, but usually really interesting. I recommend checking him out if you are into this stuff. He's one of the better sources out there, and is very matter-of-fact, and informative.

 

 

So, does anyone here get into this stuff? I think the reason I'm drawn to this form of interactive story telling is because of how it can make you feel, and how it can mess with your perception. It is a type of immersion that other games can't offer, and it is a budding "industry" only really coming into prominence in the last decade. Now, I know there are older ones, like Ong's Hat, and stuff, but they are only getting better, and more intertwined with the world as technology, and media consumption advances.

 

Tl;dr, it's a really cool form of interactive story telling.

[Dark Ice Dragon]

is the first time i see this kind of game.

i think i will pass, i know myself and i think i will not be able to stop

[Sheik]

Are we talking Pokemon Go?

[Anthus]

Funny you should mention that, PoGO falls under another similar style called "Augmented Reality Games". They differ from ARGs as these are still presented primarily as a video game first (i.e. a mobile game that is referred to as a game) but can interact with the real world via the phone's camera, visiting real world locations, etc. Ingress, Niantic's PoGO predecessor is also an A(ugmented)RG. This also differs from VR, in which the user still moves in a real physical space, but is shown something completely different than what they are actually experiencing on a screen that covers one's entire field of vision/ hearing.

 

The thing about ARGs is you don't always know it is an ARG right away. It might seem like a prank, a social experiment, viral marketing, or something really creepy, off, or just plain odd. It could also be something hidden in another piece of media, like the hidden room in Kanye Quest, or the fake site that the ad in Unedited Footage takes you to. ARGs by nature, are very meta, in every sense. They are self aware, while being posed as "real". They still have designers, writers, and players, but not in the traditional sense. One of the coolest things about these are, these rolls can overlap, and sometimes, reactions from players will have an effect on the story's progression in a way that may not have been foreseen, or intended by the makers. It's weird lol.

[Naru]

I think this kind of game could be fun with friends. For a single person I see the same risks Dark Ice Dragon mentioned. I also wonder how safe such games are regarding criminals misusing the circumstances or just how such games could create inconveniences for others.

[Anthus]

I also wonder how safe such games are regarding criminals misusing the circumstances or just how such games could create inconveniences for others.

 

I don't think these types of games are widespread, or well known enough to have that happen. It's not like there are hundreds of thousands of people playing. It's usually just a small forum, or group of people following some sort of story that tries to be real through multi-media (videos, websites, twitter accounts, etc). But I guess a criminal will find a way to try to do bad things, regardless of the platform. I don't think people getting involved in these types of games are any more at risk then people who play MMOs, or, well, go on the internet in general.

 

The average person who follows these isn't going out into the world to try and solve these mysteries. The "alternate reality" aspect comes from the characters you are seeing through real world media. 'Players' typically work together to solve the encoded mysteries in these media posts to reveal more of the fictional story (usually from a computer). This can serve to deliver more lore about the world, or it can directly effect how the story plays out with "characters" within the story. These characters are people who are in on the game, and may make social media accounts to portray their side of the 'story'. These fictional characters go through what any fictional character can go through. This medium is unique because there really hasn't been anything quite like it.

 

I think what makes it compelling is that low budget, natural approach to the story telling really makes it feel believable, cause it feels like it could happen to anyone. Like, "this is just some guy or girl making videos about weird stuff, what happens to them?" Couple that with good writing, and good editing, and you have an immersive, compelling story told in a cool way. In my opinion.