Introduction – (Mrunal Patel) Game or not a Game??? – (Priyanka Patel) Types of ARGs –...

Alternate Reality GamingDhaval PatelMrunal Patel

Priyanka Patel

Overview

Introduction – (Mrunal Patel)

Game or not a Game??? – (Priyanka Patel)

Types of ARGs – (Dhaval Patel)

References

www.reperio.ca http://www.argn.com/ http://whysoserious.com/ http://www.mirlandano.com/arg-quickst

art.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/76385

81.stm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pd

74It-yVo

IntroductionMrunal Patel

What is Alternate Reality Gaming?

Telling and producing a story while the audience interacts with ARG› May converse with fictional characters› Ideas produced by players might be

incorporated into plot Direct interaction is not required to

affect the narrative

What is Alternate Reality Gaming?

In simpler words› New genre of games that encourages

players to interact with fictional world using the real world to do it

Example of ARG

You are spending some time exploring the internet

Someone points you to couple of sites Tells you it’s a crazy mystery about

some missing monkeys So, you visit a site

everyonelovesmonkeys.com

Example of ARG

Everyonelovesmonkeys.com› Pictures of monkeys

Example of ARG

Everyonelovesmonkeys.com› List of monkey zookeeper’s email

addresses bob@everyonelovesmonkeys.com john@everyonelovesmonkeys.com evan@everyonelovesmonkeys.com crazymonkey@crazymonkeyman.com

Example of ARG

Intrigued, you visit crazymonkeyman.com› Concern that monkeys have been replaced

by robomonkeys!

Example of ARG

What you have done?› Used your real world computer to explore a

bit of fictional world› You have also solved your first ARG puzzle

You decide to send a little email to crazymonkey@crazymonkeyman.com to inquire more about his concerns

Example of ARG

You receive a reply What you have done?

Example of ARG

You communicated with the fictional world using your real world email

You notice a contact number and decide to give a call› Someone answers your call

What you have done?

Example of ARG

Now you are interacting with a fictional world using your real world phone and your real world i.e., “you”

Example of ARG

Conclusion› You were playing ARG when you were

Exploring the websites Sending the email Calling the phone number

Game Or Not A Game???? Priyanka Patel

TINAG Philosophy

What is a game?› ….an activity which is essentially: Free

(voluntary), separate [in time and space], uncertain, unproductive, goverened by rules, make-believe.”

- Roger Caillois (1961)

4 Paradigms of a Game› Defined rules› Defined playing space› Set of components/game pieces› Win/Loss scenarios

So What makes ARG??

Rabbit Holes Puppet masters Interactions Real World Events

Build Successful ARG

Compelling Storyline Collaborative Gameplay

Delivery tools› Web pages› email messages› phone calls› print-based mailings

Early Examples

Dreadnot (1996)› http://web.archive.org/web/

20000229151210/www.sfgate.com/dreadnot/index.html

Blair Witch project (1999) Go Games and Nokia Games The Beast I love Bees

The Beast

Promotional Campaign developed by Microsoft and Dreamworks for Steven Spielberg's movie "Artificial Intelligence”

Clues planted in the postersDiscussion group - "Cloudmakers“ www.cloudmakers.org

3 million unique visitors by July

I Love Bees

http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=VeyskiiWRdI&feature=related

•Launched in July 2004 to promote Halo2

I Love Bees (ILB)

Aim: To attract gamer and media interest in the Halo2 release.

Ilovebees.com seemed to be infected Gamers help AI program (“the

Operator”) Operator’s Goal

› Fix the spacecraft› Gather the crew members› Deactivate strange artifact (“The Artifact”)› Return to Halo time and fight (“The

Covenant”) army

Design Team of ILB

Successful experience with the ARG “The Beast”

3 storywriters› Storyteller› Community Lead› Technology and Sound effects

Story Construction and Delivery

Assemble the story of the Operator 3 primary channels

› Hidden HTML code, email exchanges, sound files, and images

› Voice clips sent to payphones› A blog maintained by an imaginary

character in the game

Types of ARGsDhaval Patel

Traditional Marketing

The main goal is to create a buzz for the new product

Traditional marketing› Traditional ads are expensive› Time consuming› Often highly ineffective› Printed ads and commercials lacks power

to create necessary buzz

Marketing with ARG

Advertisement with ARG› Highly effective› Fairly inexpensive› Draws target audience into the story› Treasure hunting

Dark Knight

One of the successful ARG of recent times

ARG was one of the major reason for the success of the film

Played across 75 different countries More than 10 million participants Used internet, mobile phones, real

world events, videos etc

2010 Mazda3 campaign

Known as 33 keys ARG Mazda’s most successful marketing

campaign More than expected people took part in the

ARG Events occurred over four weeks Took place across multiple platforms (Radio,

online, etc.) Game took place in Quebec (Canada) Main Goal: Solve puzzles to find 33 keys

hidden in different parts of Quebec

Self Supporting ARGs

People win prizes by solving this ARG Funded through participation fees, in

game advertisement of other products Example

› Perplex City 200K prize money Finding Receda Cube

Serious ARGs Using ARG to solve real world problems Introduce plausibility as a narrative

feature to pull players into the game Serious subject matter distinguish

Serious ARGs from mainstream ARGs in design

Examples› World Without Oil› Traces Of Hope› The Black Cloud

ARG vs. Video Games Binding medium

› ARG uses multiple media › Video games uses special software

Non player characters› ARG – Real time by puppet master› Computer AI

RPG vs. LARPG› ARG don’t have fixed rules› Players discover rules through trial and

error

Open Questions

How secured it is for a real person to play in a real world?

Do alternate reality game damage children's social skills?

If ARG's can spark players to solve very hard fictional problems, could the games be used to solve real world problems?