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Alternate Reality Games Grow In Popularity
A Joystiq post has some commentary on the popularity of Alternate Reality Games. Specifically, they reference some statistics gathered to give quantifiable metrics to game popularity. From the post: "Based on official numbers, the volume of forum posting and the number of hits on Google, these figures are pretty impressive. Two of the better-known ARGs -- The Beast and I Love Bees -- attracted upwards of two million players, according to their designers." For folks who play: What is your sense of their popularity? How many people do you know who play?
I dunno about you, but my job has me running around corridors in a cardbox box before popping out to snap the necks of enemy guards.
Whoops, gotta go. Getting another call on the transceiver...
Based on that definition, every time I touch the keyboard I'm in an ARG. My wife would give several examples of "reaching out" into my life as a result of games: not taking trash out, ignoring kids, not paying bills, etc etc.
Because of the non-physical and low-visial environment that ARGs take, there's no fighting, adventuring, sword-swinging, racing, or gun shootng- in short, 70% of the gaming world wouldn't quite understand.
I dunno, hunting for payphones would qualify for about half of that.
"You know, I've not gotten into this whole ARG thing (bad acronym, btw..)"
It's not a bad acronym at all. It quite accurately represents the sound you end up making at 2 AM when you can't go to bed because you're addicted to an exquisitely excruciating puzzle...