The basis of this upcoming project is to create an alternative reality, in either the form of a game or a fictional narrative.... or maybe both?
Getting your head around the concept of a ARG is not an easy task. To just understand the backstory some times takes hours and hours of playing these so called games. For some, these games control their lives, as they seek to ultimately find the answers to all the questions that the puppet master is providing.

I thought I would give you a rundown on what is a ARG and some basic examples that have existed out there in the real world.

So, what is a ARG?

An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions.

The form is typified by intense player involvement with a story that takes place in real-time and evolves according to participants' responses, and characters that are actively controlled by the game's designers, as opposed to being controlled by artificial intelligence as in a computer or console video game. Players interact directly with characters in the game, solve plot-based challenges and puzzles, and often work together with a community to analyze the story and coordinate real-life and online activities. ARGs generally use multimedia, such as telephones, email and mail but rely on the Internet as the central binding medium.

ARGs are growing in popularity, with new games appearing regularly and an increasing amount of experimentation with new models and subgenres. They tend to be free to play, with costs absorbed either through supporting products (e.g. collectible puzzle cards fund Perplex City) or through promotional relationships with existing products (e.g. I love bees was a promotion for Halo 2, Iris promoted the release of Halo 3 and the Lost Experience promoted the television show Lost). However, pay-to-play models are not unheard of.

ARGs are now being recognized by the mainstream entertainment world: The Fallen Alternate Reality game was recently awarded a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for an Interactive Television Program.

Some great Xbox Examples:





The most famous ARG's of our time:

• sfgate.com
• Cross promotion of 'The Blair Witch Project'
• Nokia Game
• I Love Bees
• The Beast
• Fat Cow Motel
• Cloudmakers
• Perplex City
• Cathy's Book
• World without Oil
• Tomorrow Calling
• Lonleygirl15
• Vanishing Point

and the list can go on... and on.... and on.... and on.....

About 42 Entertainment

42 Entertainment is a Pasadena-based creator of alternate reality games (ARGs) founded by Jordan Weisman in 1993. It is known for running some of the highest-expose ARGs for big name companies, such as Microsoft.

Their most famous ARGs are "The Beast", to promote the Steven Spielberg film A.I., I Love Bees to promote the Xbox game Halo 2, and Year Zero, to promote the Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero. They are currently involved with the alternate reality game and viral marketing campaign for the upcoming film The Dark Knight.

Click Here to Visit Their Website

Posted in Labels: Concept Posted by Aaron at 1:55 PM