[arg_discuss] Topic of the Week Aug. 31: Umbrella Term

[Markus Montola]

Hmm,

Whether A is a proper umbrella term for B or not depends I suppose on  
both the definitions of A and B. In our book Pervasive Games: Theory  
and Design (http://pervasivegames.wordpress.com) our concept of  
pervasive games is very broad, and at least according to that  
definition, ARGs are one of the things falling under that umbrella.

But fundamentally, I suppose, the question is: "what do you need the  
umbrella for?" Werewolf and Art of H3ist are certainly both social  
games, but I don't see why they should fit under the same umbrella in  
most cases. One is a party (?) game for 10 people, the other is a  
long-lasting experiece for thousands. One is an emergent experience  
taking form from intergroup interactions, while the other is a  
somewhat planned experience. One is a zero-sum PVP game, other is an  
everyone wins -style PVE game.

So... Pervasive games is one umbrella where you can put ARGs, social  
games (?!?) is another. Or puzzle games, or massively collaborative  
games, or supergames or whatever. There's an umbrella for everyone.


  - Markus



> ARG's as a genre of Pervasive Games has been tossed around before.

> I see sense in it but have been shot down more than once before.

> Lets see how long it flies.

>

> h

>

>

> On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 3:10 PM, Simon Brookes <simon.brookes at gmail.com>wrote:

>

>> How about Pervasive Games?

>> S

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> Message: 1

>> Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:48:19 -0400

>> From: Andrea Phillips <andrhia at gmail.com>

>> Subject: [arg_discuss] Topic of the Week Aug. 31: Umbrella Term

>> To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG <arg_discuss at igda.org>

>> Message-ID:

>>       <5c799fd60908310648p62a286ebhf304f074efc06e6a at mail.gmail.com>

>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

>>

>> Some of us, by which I mean me, have talked about the classic formula

>> ARG as being under a yet-undefined umbrella term. What do you call the

>> umbrella, and what do you think we SHOULD call the umbrella? Or do you

>> think the whole umbrella concept is iffy in the first place?

>>

>> --

>> Andrea Phillips

>> http://www.aaphillips.com

>> AIM: Andrh1a * Skype: Andrhia

>> Words * Culture * Interaction

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