[arg_discuss] we are obsolete (RE: Copycat warning over alternative reality games)

[Brian Clark]

So what are the steps necessary to change the name of the SIG? And if we
were to rename the common interest of the SIG in terms of game design, what
is the correct label?

It will never change without a new community-consensus label, and I don't
have much to offer in way of solution. Experience design has always been our
focus, and game is just one thing of many that people can experience
together.) 

Crossmedia certainly isn't that: there are tons of existing organizations
that service that space in great variety (like SIGGRAPH, BANFF and others.)
It seems for IDGA, that umbrella needs to be more confined to gaming.

-----Original Message-----
From: arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org [mailto:arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org] On
Behalf Of Dan Hon
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 11:32 AM
To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG
Subject: Re: [arg_discuss] Copycat warning over alternative reality games

The article in the magazine is actually much longer - I'm trying to  
get hold of a print copy at the moment. Suffice to say that we're  
trying really, really hard to stop talking about "ARGs" - instead  
talking about "traditional ARGs" and the new, more general, cross- 
platform entertainment/game hotness. Which, really, is just  
Interesting and Engaging Content, Optimised to the Medium and Platform  
It's Being Delivered On.

--
Dan Hon, CEO, Six to Start
m: +44 7870 600 828
t: +44 33 3340 7490, f: +44 33 3340 7494




On 9 Oct 2008, at 16:29, Adrian Hon wrote:


> Yeah, not a lot in that article surprises me; just confirms that these

> guys don't really understand what's going on. I don't really have a

> lot to offer this discussion other than saying 'I agree'. Certainly

> it's a shame that ARGs are being pigeonholed in this way (not that

> 'ARG' as a term holds a lot of useful meaning). Most of the

> interesting work is being done outside of marketing, right now.

>

> Adrian

>

> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 4:02 PM, Brian Clark <bclark at gmdstudios.com>  

> wrote:

>> No one took "The Hand Grenade" Monello's bait, eh? No assist from  

>> me, sir:

>> this was what had me foaming at the mouth 2 ARGfests ago.

>>

>> "ARG" isn't just "a marketing approach" ... it is one that isn't  

>> even loved

>> by marketers. Attempts to reclaim in the word in non-ironic ways  

>> are doomed

>> to failure, which is why very few of us as practitioners use that  

>> word

>> anymore.

>>

>> Upsides are broader than even what "The Hand Grenade" suggests,  

>> though, as

>> his definition still doesn't provide a place for non-fiction in that

>> continuum. Or maybe what ever supplants ARG only cares about obvert  

>> fiction,

>> but the same principles work without having to play make believe.

>>

>> But in reality, that news story is no stranger than "Marketers Still

>> Struggle To Understand This Strange Nightmare World They Inherited".

>>

>> :)

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org [mailto:arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org 

>> ] On

>> Behalf Of Mike Monello

>> Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 10:52 AM

>> To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG

>> Subject: [arg_discuss] Copycat warning over alternative reality games

>>

>> Stories like this are why I always bristle against defining an ARG  

>> versus

>> living under a looser definition such as cross-media narrative or  

>> similar.

>>

>> I still maintain we are (or should be) in a period of extreme

>> experimentation, the results of which will ultimately define what  

>> it is and

>> what the sub-genres or styles are. When we codify a strict  

>> definition around

>> ARG, we turn it into a series of tactics rather than a formal  

>> structure

>> under which an infinite variety of projects can live. When people  

>> use the

>> term "ARG," it should be the way people use "sitcom" or "soap- 

>> opera" -- only

>> a specific form of cross media engagement.

>>

>>

>>

http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/39895/Copycat+warning+over+alternative+reality

>> +games.html

>>

>> Copycat warning over alternative reality games

>>

>> Platform: Internet | Author: Luan Goldie | Source: nma.co.uk |  

>> Published:

>> 08.10.08

>>

>> Brands are being warned against rashly adopting alternate reality  

>> games

>> (ARGs) as their use as immersive brand experiences takes off.

>>

>> Cancer Research, Red Cross and Puffin (whose Young Bond ARG ends  

>> this week),

>> are among the recent wave of brands to join the new trend for  

>> creating ARGs,

>> which aim to engage consumers in connected online and offline  

>> activities.

>>

>> Early ARGs have been successful. McDonald's The Lost Ring game,  

>> supporting

>> its sponsorship of the Beijing...

>>

>> ... Olympics, attracted more than 2.5m people in 100 countries, for  

>> example.

>> However, the online industry has urged brands to be cautious about  

>> adopting

>> them ad the next craze.

>>

>> Toby Feldman, marketing director for wrestling federation WWE, said  

>> the

>> organisation had looked at ARGs as a marketing technique but  

>> decided it

>> would not be an appropriate engagement tool.

>>

>> "It's down to the brand you have. One size never fits all, and if  

>> it's not

>> relevant then it can very quickly become gimmicky," said Feldman.  

>> "If you're

>> first to do something then it will work as it will stir interest and

>> publicity."

>>

>> "Everyone looks for innovative ways to get messages across but if  

>> too many

>> others follow suit then it becomes run of mill and waters down its

>> effectiveness," he added.

>>

>> Likewise, Rei Inamoto, co-chief creative officer at AKQA's US  

>> office, the

>> agency behind McDonald's The Lost Ring, said, "I do feel that ARGs  

>> are a bit

>> of a fad right now. If agencies and clients do it blindly just  

>> because it's

>> the buzzword, it will just lead to copycat tactics."

>>

>> However, Alex Miller, head of Jam, i-level's social media  

>> department, said

>> it was clear why ARGs are becoming popular among brands looking to  

>> create

>> strong brand connections. "If the buzzwords at the moment are  

>> audience

>> participation, interaction and empowerment then a branded ARG, if  

>> executed

>> well, ticks all of those boxes," he said.

>>

>> Adrian Hon, chief creative officer at ARG specialist Six to Start,  

>> which

>> recently rolled out a cross-media competition for Penguin called We  

>> Tell

>> Stories, agreed that interest was growing. "It hasn't happened  

>> overnight,

>> but we're now getting brands coming to us all the time. Two years  

>> ago we had

>> to explain what these games were for, but now it's very popular and  

>> we're

>> getting approached all the time."

>>

>> Other major brands, while not ruling out ARGs feel it's too early  

>> to make

>> the investment. Emma Jenkins, head of interactive marketing at  

>> Procter &

>> Gamble, said, "It's still very new and gaming is evolving so rapidly.

>> Anything we do has to stay in line with our consumers, so we  

>> wouldn't rule

>> it out completely. We'd look at it, but not yet."

>>

>> Audi's UK PR manager David Ingram agreed. In 2005, Audi US launched  

>> ARG The

>> Art of the Heist, which encouraged players to find a stolen Audi  

>> A3. The

>> game had more than half a million participants and created over  

>> 4,000 test

>> drives.

>>

>> "We're a bit more traditional," said Ingram. "ARGs have never been  

>> on the

>> cards for us. We've run campaigns on PlayStation and we're  

>> confident in

>> doing that, but not ARGs yet."

>>

>> ARGs utilise media across multiple platforms, including mobile,  

>> print,

>> outdoor and online, with the player often able to influence the  

>> story. The

>> first ARG was The Beast, used to promote the film Artificial  

>> Intelligence,

>> with players taking part in a game that incorporated websites, email,

>> telephone conversations.

>>

>> Sky won an nma Effectiveness Award in 2007 for its ARG for TV show  

>> 24. Last

>> week the Red Cross launched its Traces of Hope ARG to raise  

>> awareness of

>> civilians separated from their friends and families due to  

>> conflicts around

>> the world.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> ---

>> Mike Monello

>> Partner, Campfire

>> http://www.campfirenyc.com

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> _______________________________________________

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>>

>>

>>

>

>

>

> -- 

> Adrian Hon - mssv.net

> Chief Creative at Six to Start - www.sixtostart.com

> Founder of Let's Change the Game - www.letschangethegame.org

> _______________________________________________

> ARG_Discuss mailing list

> ARG_Discuss at igda.org

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