[arg_discuss] is ARG just a marketing technique to the press?

[Michael Monello]

Very true, Mark, but you don't even need to make the point from a  
reach argument. If you look at the history of 'ARGs' as they are  
commonly defined, you could argue that the genre started as a  
marketing tool, and it's the filthy artists and indies who have tried  
to strip away its capitalist origins!

;)

Best,

Michael Monello
Partner, Campfire
62 White Street, 3W
New York, NY 10013
212-612-9600
http://www.campfirenyc.com



On Dec 18, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Mark Heggen wrote:


> (a great discussion all around, nice kick-off Brian)

>

>

> It seems a little strange to me that we would be upset that someone is

> spreading the notion that ARGs primarily advertise cars and movies,  

> when in

> fact ARGs are (by a staggering margin) being used to advertise cars  

> and

> movies. If one takes a step back and really looks at the numbers of  

> how many

> people are actually playing these things, the games that aren't  

> promoting

> products become a tiny little slice of the pie.

>

> Looking at Christy Dena's numbers (

> http://www.christydena.com/online-essays/arg-stats/) (thanks yet  

> again for

> compiling those!) it become apparent that the big games are big  

> while the

> small games are very very small:

>

>

> Art of the Heist had 2 million visitors and 500,000 story participants

> The Beast had 2.5 million players

>

> vs.

>

> MeiGeist had something like 16,000 total visitors to the main site

> World Without Oil had 1,850 players

>

>

> And it should be noted that MeiGeist and WWO were pretty big for small

> games. The total number of people who actually played other games  

> like The

> Human Pet or Deus City (just for example) are very very very small.  

> The "car

> and movie" games are measuring in the millions while most grassroots  

> games

> are measuring in the hundreds. This is no trivial difference. In the  

> end,

> when looking at the total amount of people who have played an ARG,  

> most of

> the smaller games become almost statistically insignificant.

>

> Now of course this is not meant to be a knock on small grassroots  

> games! I

> repeat; I'm not saying that small games are without merit or somehow  

> not

> worth discussion. I am absolutely interested in looking at all kinds  

> of

> games at all different sizes (http://markheggen.com/heggen_noncasual_ARG.pdf 

> )

> and for me there is something particularly interesting and exciting  

> (noble

> even) about people investing great deals of time and energy in the  

> crafting

> of experiences for a very small audience. However, I am saying that we

> should not be upset or surprised when mainstream writers talking to

> mainstream audiences focus on those aspects of ARGs that are  

> statistically

> dominant. A large majority of all the experience with ARGs on the  

> planet

> have had something to do with selling a car or promoting a product,  

> and that

> is a fact.

>

> _mark heggen

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