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Alternate Reality Games Examined

Posted by Zonk on from the he's-everywhere-he's-everywhere dept.

The Guardian's gamesblog has an interview up with Matt Adams, one of the members of the company Blast Theory. Blast theory was given the "Maverick Award" at GDC 2005 for their Alternate Reality Game Uncle Roy All Around You, which uses mobile technology to insert players into a virtual landscape while traversing real London streets. From the interview: "Games are an expression of the ways in which the virtual interpenetrates our lives in ever more complex ways. Desert Rain took the Gulf War of 1991 as a critical moment in this process: when it became widely understood that the killing itself was 'off screen' and the imagery of war was taking over. Soldiers themselves are taught in increasingly computer generated spaces and have less direct contact with their enemy. And many of them are avid games players. America's Army is a game funded by the US Army to bring in new recruits."

38 comments

  1. ARG Network by wallykeyster · · Score: 3, Informative

    For anyone interested in more information on ARG, check out the ARG Network.

    1. Re:ARG Network by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This game was apparently pretty different from what we think of as ARG's, like ilovebees or the beast. Those are played out on websites and chat rooms (and payphones) pretending that a story is developing in the world around you. This "uncle roy" game seems more like a game where an artificial reality is placed "over top" of the streets you're walking on.

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    2. Re:ARG Network by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      OTOH, I think ARGs are young enough that we're going to see a lot of evolution in types of ARG.

      The name itself seems broad enough that it could encompass a lot of subtypes/genres from the ones closer to LARPing, to the ones emphasising group-based internet collaboration and puzzle-solving like the "traditional" ARGs.

      I mean, just look at that huge spate of IM-based ARGs that played out a few months back!

    3. Re:ARG Network by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hahahaha, ARGN is known as the corporate sell-out's who do nothing but suck up to any game with a bank roll.

  2. Penises. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Neato.

  3. Interpenetrates! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I would have thought this was a made-up word but dictionary.com says otherwise. I'll have to remember to use this when I'm writing my next Star Trek: Voyager erotic fan fic!

  4. Sounds like Vampire or whatever by n1ywb · · Score: -1, Troll

    Whatever that stupid game was that all those goths were playing 10 years ago.

    --
    -73, de n1ywb
    www.n1ywb.com
    1. Re:Sounds like Vampire or whatever by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 1


      It sounds like you're talking about a Vampire: The Masquerade LARP, and yes, that game was painful to watch. LARPS are pretty painful in and of themselves, but when you toss in a handful of morose Goth types all pretending to be some sort of vampire and trying to out-tragic each other, than it hits a whole new level of embarassing.

      --
      ____

      ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    2. Re:Sounds like Vampire or whatever by Kwirl · · Score: 2, Funny

      Actually the game is still played today (no, i don't) and from what I see, the parent company is banking quite the profit on it. However, to your original statement, I have to respond by asking if you read the article, or merely scanned for keywords. Just because they employ 'performers' to enhance the experience does not really approach quantifying this genre so broadly, and a more apt comparison would be to the old dinner-party murder mystery games. However, thank you for sharing your emotions about other people's hobbies.

    3. Re:Sounds like Vampire or whatever by Macgrrl · · Score: 1

      LARPing can be pretty painful, I would agree, freeforming (an Australian varient on LARP) can rock. Freeforming is to LARPing as DnD (or perhaps Amber diceless RPG) is to Wargaming. Done right it can be a sublime experience. VtM was somewhat heavy on mechanics and the game world escalated into stupidity.

      --
      Sara
      Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World
    4. Re:Sounds like Vampire or whatever by Carnil · · Score: 1

      Eerrr, I'm in a group that organizes LARPs, and in fact some of our events take place in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade (World of Darkness, from White Wolf).
      Obviously, if that's a pain or is a wonderful experience, is just an opinion, but what I can assure you is that we aren't just a handful of morose Goth types, althought yes, we pretend to be some sort of vampires and interpret the relationships between them, just like about any other form of roleplaying (or at least I believe that's the essence of RP, more than just rolling dices and going up levels).
      I think LARP is an interesting form of roleplaying when well done, and many RPers could like it if they knew it.

    5. Re:Sounds like Vampire or whatever by MilenCent · · Score: 1

      Granted.

      But imagine a Paranoia LARP. An entirely new way to lose friendships!

    6. Re:Sounds like Vampire or whatever by ultramk · · Score: 1

      Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Sleep! Sleep!

      My hometown has a lively V:TM LARP group, and aside from frightening people waiting for the bus late at night, they are a very entertaining group to observe. (not intentionally, I'm afraid.)

      This is what we get for having nearby military facilities -sigh-

      m-

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
  5. Huh. by tratch · · Score: 1

    Am I the only person who dislikes this kind of game?

    1. Re:Huh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yeah, pretty much.

    2. Re:Huh. by MilenCent · · Score: 1

      No, you are not. I, for example, think these have been made way too much about.

      On some level I like the idea, but I also think it can be taken too far. And using them to promote something that bears no real relationship to the "alternate reality" game (itself a fairly misleading term) strikes me as being rather mercenary.

  6. Old news. by KipCas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alternate reality has been in development for years. Since the 1st chat room had 2 people in it.

    Example:
    (ChatGuy) asl?
    (ChatGal) 18/f/California
    (ChatGuy) kewl, R U hot?
    (ChatGal) U no it
    (ChatGuy) LOL me too!
    (ChatGal) also, i'm rich
    (ChatGuy) OMFG so am i!!!1
    (ChatGal) btw, if we are the 1st 2 ppl in the 1st chat room, how are we using chat abbreviations that haven't even been invinted yet?
    (ChatGuy) wtf

    --
    Turk: Let's play Steak. J.D.: What? Turk: Steak. The 1st person to finish their steak is the winner of Steak. -Scrubs
    1. Re:Old news. by MatW · · Score: 1

      LOL

      --
      http://www.iWebmasters.com -your offshore staff leasing services!
  7. Majestic Anyone? by zentinal · · Score: 1

    Would you consider this game to be a further development of the Electronic Arts game, Majestic - http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/08/10/majes tic/index.html? Do you remember it? Text messages & emails & pages at all hours of the day? A combination of "The X-Files", "The Game" and a lot of imagination. And then, it was pulled from the market right after 9/11.

    1. Re:Majestic Anyone? by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      it incorporates elements of that, this was more of a single murder-mystery style event

      closer to Majestic would be the Beast (for the movie AI) or i love bees (for Halo 2), currently there are about half-a-dozen major ARG's being played, one of them is backed by Audi and is offering a level of immersion never before seen (Art of the Heist)

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    2. Re:Majestic Anyone? by sznupi · · Score: 1

      Similar to "In Memoriam" (this one is available)

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
  8. You think thats hairy.. by Blitzenn · · Score: 1

    Wait until there are games out there that utilize a GPS enabled tablet. Your immediate surroundings are re-interpreted by the game to show avarge pedestrians as monsters and you have to shoot them as you walk by. It's only a matter of time as the technology already exists.

    1. Re:You think thats hairy.. by montyzooooma · · Score: 1

      Already done. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6689

    2. Re:You think thats hairy.. by patio11 · · Score: 1
      The technology to take a 360 degree video capture around you and analyze it (in real time) for human figures, mark them as monsters, allow you to "kill" them without actually killing them, and then try to deal with the disconnect when the "dead" man blocks your line of sight to the "live" woman by shuffling his dead corpse in front of her, while wondering what the wacko with the goggles is staring at?

      Keep dreaming.

      By the way -- I do real-time visual processing for a 360 degree camera system (this baby). Not only is it not going to be convinently man-portable anytime soon, to even RENDER the 3-D scene in real time requires 6 clustered dual processor 3 GHz Xeons running Linux, the rendering application, and nothing else.

      --
      Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
  9. gah, that's not Alternate Reality by AntonVoyl · · Score: 2, Insightful
    This is Alternate Reality Ahhh, to be 11 and playing RPGs on the Apple //c again!


    AR was a damn fine concept and one I'd like to see revisited now that we have so much many resources at our disposal.

    --

    sig semper tyrannis!
    1. Re:gah, that's not Alternate Reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I was totally expecting THE "AR" game, not this stupid "alternate reality genre" stuff.

  10. America's Army by Elranzer · · Score: 1

    America's Army is a game funded by the US Army to bring in new recruits.

    I don't know about any of you... but when I think US Army soldiers, I don't picture overweight, pot-smoking, white college kids with 2.0 GPA's and a 1337 gaming PC playing first-person shooters as our fighting force.

    1. Re:America's Army by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I can't picture you in the army either.

    2. Re:America's Army by Dreamwalkerofyore · · Score: 0

      "I don't picture overweight, pot-smoking, white college kids with 2.0 GPA's and a 1337 gaming PC playing first-person shooters as our fighting force. "

      What about overweight, pot-smoking black college kids?

      --
      I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
    3. Re:America's Army by DingerX · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Militaries around the world are changing. AA is primarily a marketing tool, but the interest in using commercial video games as training tools is increasing.

      And, on the other side, the number of recruits coming in who are already 1337 is increasing. An article on a recent miliatry FPS trial reported that a full 2/3 of the soldiers selected were familiar with FPS.

      Those making mods for military-style games are finding their work being favorably mentioned in surprising places, and well, if some you receiving instant messages from warzones may have noted that what's going on often gets described in terms of video games.

    4. Re:America's Army by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you kidding? Black kids can't afford college education or gaming PC's.

  11. Not an ARG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    As well-known UK ARGinado Adrian Hon points out in a comment on that article, Uncle Roy is not an ARG in any real sense of the word. ARGN is a much better place to go for ARGs -- think I Love Bees.

    1. Re:Not an ARG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NO ITS NOT ASSHOLE!

      go to immersion unlimited at http://www.immersionunlimited.com. it's better than ARGN who's run by an idiot who hates nash. i bet you're one of the ufers. asshole!

  12. Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    bloodninja: Baby, I been havin a tough night so treat me nice aight?
    BritneySpears14: Aight.
    bloodninja: Slip out of those pants baby, yeah.
    BritneySpears14: I slip out of my pants, just for you, bloodninja.
    bloodninja: Oh yeah, aight. Aight, I put on my robe and wizard hat.
    BritneySpears14: Oh, I like to play dress up.
    bloodninja: Me too baby.
    BritneySpears14: I kiss you softly on your chest.
    bloodninja: I cast Lvl. 3 Eroticism. You turn into a real beautiful woman.
    BritneySpears14: Hey...
    bloodninja: I meditate to regain my mana, before casting Lvl. 8 Cock of the Infinite.
    BritneySpears14: Funny I still don't see it.
    bloodninja: I spend my mana reserves to cast Mighty Fuck of the Beyondness.
    BritneySpears14: You are the worst cyber partner ever. This is ridiculous.
    bloodninja: Don't fuck with me bitch, I'm the mightiest sorcerer of the lands.
    bloodninja: I steal yo soul and cast Lightning Lvl. 1,000,000 Your body explodes into a fine bloody mist, because you are only a Lvl. 2 Druid.
    BritneySpears14: Don't ever message me again you piece of shit.
    bloodninja: Robots are trying to drill my brain but my lightning shield inflicts DOA attack, leaving the robots as flaming piles of metal.
    bloodninja: King Arthur congratulates me for destroying Dr. Robotnik's evil army of Robot Socialist Republics. The cold war ends. Reagan steals my accomplishments and makes like it was cause of him.
    bloodninja: You still there baby? I think it's getting hard now.
    bloodninja: Baby?

  13. New ARG about to begin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AWARE at will being before the end of the month according to Real World Gaming. This is the sequel of the same game seen in the NY Times last year, and followed favorably by many, and hated by a few who felt it "went too far."

    1. Re:New ARG about to begin by NashCarey · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Um, yeah, well sort of correct. The teaser episode will start before the end of the month. This is a great chance for new ARG players to get involved from a top quality game from the start. I encourgae you to sign up and give it a try!

      You can find the site by simply clicking the URL near my name on this post. It is free, and the game is brought to you by a multitude of sponsors. This is great since you will get a few advertisements as product placements, but not get the feeling like you are getting corporate agenda setting for hours while you play. Currently more than 1000 players are already registered, and the more players the more fun for all!

  14. Ads by Sludge · · Score: 1

    So what happens when you mix alternate reality with ads in games? All of a sudden you have a heavily breathing phone stalker with pepsi footnotes.

  15. Consumed by the box by Blitzenn · · Score: 1

    "Keep dreaming... ....Not only is it not going to be convinently man-portable"

    It appears as though you have been consumed by 'the box'. It is a dreadful disease, and I wish you luck on finding the cure, most are doomed though. At least there are some groups that you can join that will at least help you 'think' outside of 'the box'. You can live a semi-reasonable impersonation at being a real person by practicing 'out of the box' thinking often, even if your spirit has already been consumed by the box.

    Please see the other posts in this thread to see that not only is my conjecture possible, it's already been done. I predict that gaming will become much much more intense as the base set of hardware becomes more ubiquitous in the general population. Sure it's been done, but it will be a few years before we see these applications become more main stream. It will come, whether you are still in your box or not.