[arg_discuss] Defining ARG's and the marketing effect

[Michael Monello]

I agree about a name, and I think the reaction has less to do with  
what it is called and more with how it is defined.

Best,

Mike
__________
haxan | films | http://www.haxan.com



On Jul 18, 2006, at 7:50 AM, Adam Martin wrote:

> Brian Clark wrote:
>
>> I totally agree with your core point, though. Interesting question  
>> for the
>> group: how many of us are sitting around thinking more about the  
>> limits of
>> these definitions than the cores? Personally, I'm starting to find  
>> whether
>
> I dropped by the Blast Theory offices at the conference (they're  
> just up the road, and I was with a friend who had to call in there)  
> and tried to persuade Matt to come along to the ARG sessions. My  
> impression was that he wanted to avoid things with the name "ARG"  
> on it, feeling that the term misrepresents what they do and what  
> they aim to do. Fair enough - I think this is an issue for a lot of  
> us.
>
> However, outside what we each do as companies and individuals, you  
> have to choose *a* single name for events, lectures - and even this  
> SIG - and whatever name you choose people will be unhappy. What  
> tends to most important about such names isn't their accuracy but  
> their currency with the outside world - the extent to which they  
> are recognisable on sight, attract people's interest, and are  
> already in common usage.
>
> For instance, I remember many attempts to derail the "MMOG" term to  
> describe the MMOG industry, and ultimately almost none of the  
> professionals were happy with the term - although none could agree  
> on any replacement. In the end, that term had already picked up  
> substantial recognition from the playing public in the 1990's, and  
> so it was the best name to move ahead under, even for the many of  
> us who felt it unfairly limited and proscribed what we (didn't  
> actually) do.
>
> So, to a certain extent, these days I just shrug and accept that  
> whilst names themselves are very important and getting them right  
> or wrong has a big effect on what you do, generic and collective  
> names are rarely that accurate despite how hard you try to improve  
> them :).
>
> For instance, I've often found it an easy opening for a  
> conversation or elevator pitch to launch into "we're an 'MMOG  
> company' but what we make aren't MMOG's" - IMHO if someone knows  
> the term, you have an easy way to show your USP. If they don't, you  
> get to describe the general term briefly, but focus their attention  
> on what you do (the listener is a blank slate).
>
> -- 
> Adam Martin
> CTO, Mind Candy Ltd
>
> tel: 0207 501 1904 - fax: 0207 501 1919
> www.perplexcity.com - www.mindcandydesign.com
> _______________________________________________
> ARG_Discuss mailing list
> ARG_Discuss at igda.org
> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/arg_discuss
>
>