Alternate Reality Gaming

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

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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?