[arg_discuss] Topic of the Week Oct. 26: Choices (Hugh Davies)

[Vlad Alex]

Very interesting discussion. I want - this time in my function of player -
admit the immersive effect of this "pseudo"-real scenario  "policemen/lawyer
on your door".

In one cool ARG I've playing we had to hack one bank website. Even if we
pretty knew, this website is set up specially for us, e.g. is "in-game",
hacking such sources was involving thrill (which is pretty good sign for an
ARG). But - and here comes the factor "player beeing just player": many of
us got next days a nice letter from a lawyer, whose client was owner of this
bank (or was owner of the bank account). Anyway, this letter was ingame, but
too authentic, and we've found soon the profile of this lawyer in various
social networks like "Xing" (which is actually used for serious business
connections, not just for free time conversations).

And many of us were troubled (since here in Germany are such lawyer letters
very frequent phenomen, as many lawyer are doing nothing but hunting their
cases and wanting to gouge people). Some of us wanted to quit the game,
because it was too real. They said: if it were real, they just had to quit
the game. If it were a fake, they will quite the game, because the PMs were
going too far.

So imho PM's should be very cautious making such story lines - it can offend
and frighten people, even if it is not intended in a game. Surely, such
twist makes the game to more immersive experience, but even because of this
it can cause players leave the game.