Alternate Reality Games Chad Haefele Reference Librarian for Emerging Technologies, Davis Library [email_address] Slides online:

The Beast 2001, A.I. Movie poster:

2001, A.I. Movie poster:

What is an ARG? An immersive storytelling experience Multimedia The real world is the publishing medium Collaborative “ No one knows everything, everyone knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity” Pierre Levy, Collective Intelligence

An immersive storytelling experience

Multimedia

The real world is the publishing medium

Collaborative

“ No one knows everything, everyone knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity”

Pierre Levy, Collective Intelligence

Example: I Love Bees 2004, promoted Halo 2

2004, promoted Halo 2

Example: Last Call Poker 2005, promoted Gun

2005, promoted Gun

Example: The Dark Knight 2008, http ://www.firstshowing.net/2009/02/26/viral-recap-the-dark-knights-why-so-serious-campaign/

2008, http ://www.firstshowing.net/2009/02/26/viral-recap-the-dark-knights-why-so-serious-campaign/

Grassroots/Self Sustaining ARGs Metacortechs – 2003 Perplex City – 2005

Metacortechs – 2003

Perplex City – 2005

Vocabulary “ Rabbit Hole”: The method of an ARG’s launch “ Puppet Master” (PM): A person running an ARG “ This is not a game”: Many ARGs don’t explicitly admit they are games.

“ Rabbit Hole”: The method of an ARG’s launch

“ Puppet Master” (PM): A person running an ARG

“ This is not a game”: Many ARGs don’t explicitly admit they are games.

Tiers of play Source: http://42entertainment.com/see.html

Real-world crossover

Anatomy of a puzzle Mysterious audio file:

Mysterious audio file:

One spectrograph later…

Anatomy of a live event

Synchronous vs. Asychronous Players can come together Players can collaborate apart OR

Players can come together

Players can collaborate apart

‘ Viral’ vs. ‘Experience’ vs. ‘Game’ Same tools used in all three ‘ Viral’ is often a one-time event or production ‘ Experience’ is a trail of puzzles & interactions, linear, repeatable ‘ Game’ is more collaborative, longer term

Same tools used in all three

‘ Viral’ is often a one-time event or production

‘ Experience’ is a trail of puzzles & interactions, linear, repeatable

‘ Game’ is more collaborative, longer term

Why participate? Swag! Recognition Immersion ‘Wow’ factor Interesting stories

Swag!

Recognition

Immersion

‘Wow’ factor

Interesting stories

Community

Serious Game: Year Zero 2007, Nine Inch Nails Civil Resistance

2007, Nine Inch Nails

Civil Resistance

Serious Game: World Without Oil 2007, non-promotional http://worldwithoutoil.org/ Asychronous, collaborative, explicitly educational Worked on a limited budget See also: RubysBequest.org

2007, non-promotional

http://worldwithoutoil.org/

Asychronous, collaborative, explicitly educational

Worked on a limited budget

See also: RubysBequest.org

Serious game: Skeleton Chase IU Bloomington, Fall 2008 Structured around physical fitness

IU Bloomington, Fall 2008

Structured around physical

fitness

Serious Game: Ghosts of a Chance Smithsonian, 2008 www.GhostsofaChance.com Final report: http://ghostsofachance.com/GhostsofaChance_Report2.pdf

Smithsonian, 2008

www.GhostsofaChance.com

Final report:

http://ghostsofachance.com/GhostsofaChance_Report2.pdf

Teaching about issues Players re-interpret their lives Imagining the issues inspires real thinking Source: WorldWithoutOil.org

Players re-interpret their lives

Imagining the issues inspires real thinking

Information Literacy ACRL Info Literacy standards (in part): Students should be able to… "Recognize that existing information can be combined with original thought, experimentation, and/or analysis to produce new information." "Identify the value and differences of potential resources in a variety of formats (multimedia, database, website, book)" "Create a system for organizing information" "Utilize technology for studying the interaction of ideas and other phenomena" "Validate understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals…" "Apply new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product or performance." "Manipulate digital text, images, and data, as needed, transferring them from their original locations and formats to a new context."

ACRL Info Literacy standards (in part): Students should be able to…

"Recognize that existing information can be combined with original thought, experimentation, and/or analysis to produce new information."

"Identify the value and differences of potential resources in a variety of formats (multimedia, database, website, book)"

"Create a system for organizing information"

"Utilize technology for studying the interaction of ideas and other phenomena"

"Validate understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals…"

"Apply new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product or performance."

"Manipulate digital text, images, and data, as needed, transferring them from their original locations and formats to a new context."

Tangential Learning Expose a player to new ideas and potential for learning, without forcing it on them (source: http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/the-power-tangential-learning ) ARGs can take it even further: learn new skills along the way

Expose a player to new ideas and potential for learning, without forcing it on them

(source: http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/the-power-tangential-learning )

ARGs can take it even further: learn new skills along the way

So you want to play an ARG… Experiences: www.EagleEyeFreeFall.com www.Love-Resurrected.com Community: Unforums: http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/ www.ARGN.com Ongoing ARG: www.RubysBequest.org

Experiences:

www.EagleEyeFreeFall.com

www.Love-Resurrected.com

Community:

Unforums: http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/

www.ARGN.com

Ongoing ARG:

www.RubysBequest.org

So you want to make an ARG... Allow far more time than you think Complete everything in advance Target a core audience to start Structure around the tiers of play Story is key Monitor your community of players

Allow far more time than you think

Complete everything in advance

Target a core audience to start

Structure around the tiers of play

Story is key

Monitor your community of players

For further reading Dena, Christy. "Emerging Participatory Culture Practices: Player-Created Tiers in Alternate Reality Games." Convergence 14.1 (2008): 41-57. Kim, Jeffrey Y., Jonathan P. Allen, and Elan Lee. "ALTERNATE REALITY GAMING. (Cover Story)." Communications of the ACM 51.2 (2008): 36-42. Szulborski, Dave. This is Not a Game : A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming . [Pennsylvania]: New-Fiction Pub., 2005. IU Bloomington gets $185k grant- http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/8300.html The Power of Tangential Learning - http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/the-power-tangential-learning

Dena, Christy. "Emerging Participatory Culture Practices: Player-Created Tiers in Alternate Reality Games." Convergence 14.1 (2008): 41-57.

Kim, Jeffrey Y., Jonathan P. Allen, and Elan Lee. "ALTERNATE REALITY GAMING. (Cover Story)." Communications of the ACM 51.2 (2008): 36-42.

Szulborski, Dave. This is Not a Game : A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming . [Pennsylvania]: New-Fiction Pub., 2005.

IU Bloomington gets $185k grant- http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/8300.html

The Power of Tangential Learning - http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/the-power-tangential-learning