[arg_discuss] an ARG FAQ

[Wendy Despain]

Hi folks,

I've been thinking one thing we really need is an FAQ about ARGs. So I
thought I'd just start with a few questions and answers. Feel free to
edit or disagree or add. I figure once we hash some of this out on the
list we can put it on a website somewhere. So here goes:

Frequently Asked Questions about Alternate Reality Games
(FAQ about ARGs)

1) What the heck is an ARG?

An Alternate Reality Game (ARG for short) tweaks elements of real life
to lead players down a path that tells a story and lets them help
shape that story. The internet is at its heart, but it crosses media
and blurs the lines with reality too.

2) What are some recent examples of ARGs I can read about?

Year Zero - Trent Reznor's solution to doing a concept album in an age
where MP3s don't come with liner notes and cover art. He pulled fans
into an alternate world described in his dark, apocalyptic music. It
ended with a private concert for those players who could follow the
clues to the final venue which was interrupted by a staged police
raid.
-- Wired Article
-- Nine Inch Nails Album Site
-- Wikipedia Entry

Art of the Heist - Audi introduced a new car model by setting up a
theft at a car show and letting players track down the culprits.
-- Business Week Article
-- Audi Press Release
-- Wikipedia Entry

Last Call Poker - The story behind a console video game called Gun,
set in the old west, was introduced through an online poker site where
players discovered some of their opponents were ghosts and tracked
down their tragic history. Groups gathered in graveyards to solve
puzzles.
-- CNET Article
-- Marketing Company Brief

The Lost Experience - A website for the fictional airline featured in
the show talks about the loss of the airplane and explains why no one
is searching for the survivors on the island. They even got an
executive from this non-existent company onto a late-night talk show
to give a straight interview about the families of the characters on
the show petitioning the company to go look for them.
-- ABC News Article
-- ABC's Lost Experience Site
-- Wikipedia Article