Alternate Reality Games – What’s the deal?

Alternate reality games first made their appearance in 1996 with the introduction of Deadnot. They have become extremely popular ever since. There is no specific way of describing the concept as it is based in a lot of ways on perception.

ARG’s focus on narratives which are based on the real world. Other forms of media are incorporated in order to facilitate the games. It’s not a passive experience and there always has to be at least one active player. Unlike computer games, some of the characters are controlled by what is known as a ‘puppet master’, a human designer of the game who interacts with all of the players. A story or objective is delivered by the narrative and it can be modified and interpreted by the players. How the story evolves is determined by the individuals’ responses.

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Anyone can become involved in a game but it helps to be part of a community or forum so as to gain up to date information and be advised on tips and tricks.

It was Microsoft’s ‘Beast ‘ which really set off the whirlwind hunger for ARG’s. This game was a tie in to the 2001 Steven Spielberg film, ‘AI’. Beast suggested to the masses the potential of social and multimedia in the whole gaming experience.

ARG’s have been used as a very effective engine in marketing campaigns as was demonstrated by the release of Halo2. In the periods leading up to the release of the game, members of the gaming community were sent jars of honey in the post. Nobody knew what they were for and was left quite baffled. It wasn’t until the game was released that all was revealed, kind of. In place of the usual xbox.com address at the end, there was a link to ilovebees.com. ‘I love Bees’ is a game based on a 2004 narrative with elements of War of the Worlds. This game required contestants to interact with the real world by going outside to answer phones, emailing as well as submitting web content. The ARG also made an appearance during a presidential debate. As a result of all this attention, Halo 2 went on to sell over $125 million worth of copies.

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It was after the success of Beast that several independent collaborators set about creating their own versions. Due to the failure of their first outing, ‘Ravenwatchers’, the Cloudmakers group gained a significant following through their weekly interactive games and puzzles. These Euchre games incorporated player personas. The marketing potential was further seen with Metacortechs which was released shortly before the final Matrix film.

Even major car manufacturers have turned their hands to ARG’s in order to promote their products. The ‘Art of the Heist’ production for Audi was created by the same producers of the Blair Witch Project in time for the launch of the new A3 model.

As alternative reality games grew from strength to strength and gained larger audiences, their influence hadn’t gone unnoticed.  The Ocular Effect was awarded a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for an interactive television programme as it promoted the movie ‘Fallen’ in 2007. Another game, ReGenisis won an International Interactive Emmy award again in 2007. The acceptance by the wider media world serves to highlight the growing fascination with this concept and the opportunities it can bring!

This article was written by Jenny Quirk from Ladbrokes Bingo

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