[arg_discuss] [pm] Commercial vs. Grassroots, Player or PM?

[Brian Clark]

>Besides industry, this convergence is observed by academics & artists
>(they're not always separate either!). So, in addition to discussions about
>semantics there is also the consideration of how the two previously
>opposing approaches are merging anyway.

I'm not sure they were ever opposing approaches, really. Under-utilized,
maybe. We could have a whole 'nuther romping discussion about "branded
entertainment" ... I might even make the argument that what some folks are
calling "commercial ARGs" are really just "branded entertainment" when
applied to the ARG format.

That would mean "Last Call Poker" is really the kissing cousin of "Wild
Kingdom" or "While You Were Out," just to pluck out a couple of television
examples ... far more than they are the kissing cousin of QVC or the
infomercial.

But then, like Andrea pointed out, I might also try with a straight face to
tell you that Heist wasn't about selling A3s ... at least not to audience
who was actually playing the ARG and for whom the ARG was tailored (getting
back to Brooke's point about "buzz" being the desired goal and that always
being "buzz outside of the ARG audience".)


Brian