[arg_discuss] Looking for Resources on Engaging Casual Players in ARGs

[Wendy Despain]

I just realized in my rambling I forgot to explain my exception!

I said: "But what I realized is that videogames -do- have exactly the
same
problem (with one exception, I'll get to in a minute) and they have
solved it [with tutorials]."

The difference/inherent advantage that videogames have vs. ARGs
(leaving aside the approach of teaching players how they are expected
to participate and giving them "permission" which I went on about in
my other email) - is that videogames have devices called *controllers*
and the audience has this physical device connecting them to the game
experience and it has buttons heuristically designed to make you want
to push them.

Videogame players come to the experience knowing and expecting
interaction, partly because they have been taught that trope over 30
years of tutorials in games - but also because there is a physical
thing to pick up that literally controls the game.

I'm jealous of that hand-held, physical controller games have but ARGs
don't. Some people are trying to use cell phones, in some ways, as ARG
controllers.... the problem is that videogame controllers have only
one purpose... and phones have a million.

There's symbolic power in the game console controller, as well as
programming power.
When a player picks it up - they lean forward to get into and interact
with the game. It's instantly not a "lean back"/passive entertainment
experience, both for the player and for those observing the player.

Anyway, I haven't fully formed this idea either - but as long as we're
tossing out things we're thinking about as it relates to getting
players more involved (or getting more players involved) I thought I'd
get it out there.

Wendy Despain


On Thu, June 6, 2013 3:19 pm, John Maccabee wrote:

> Thank you, one and all, for this. Wendy - great point*:  overcoming

> the

> default setting of inaction in an entertainment experience*.* *That's

> a big

> one. I don't know if the number for ARGs [circa I LOVE BEES] still

> holds

> but it is that 10% of players are playing daily, 30% play weekly, and

> 60%

> are watching the other 40%. What I have been doing with mission-based

> games, games that ask players to do for the game, is beginning with

> people

> used to doing and making, i.e.  DIYs. That could help blending

> tutorials

> into the games. And I agree with Jamey - people who participate may

> not

> care about the artifice in a game if it is presented as part of the

> engagement. I'm trying to get the first romcom game going. The

> original

> impetus for me to design ARGs/transmedia/whathaveyou had to do with my

> association with the SF Public libraries. Ahead of the curve on that

> one.

> Went with a museum instead.  Best, John Maccabee

>

> On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 12:17 PM, Thomas Maillioux <

> thomas.maillioux at gmail.com> wrote:

>

>> 2013/6/6 Ian Pottmeyer <ian at studiocypher.com>

>>

>> > If you want to see more of this tutorial style of gameplay, Valve

>> games

>> are

>> > an absolute treasure trove. Check out Portal 1, I'm pretty sure

>> the

>> in-game

>> > developer commentary talks about how they designed the levels to

>> teach.

>> >

>> > Put short, they'll have one level where they teach you a concept

>> very

>> > explicitly: "DO THIS" Then they'll immediately follow that with a

>> level

>> > where you have to use the skill you were just taught in order to

>> progress.

>> > They don't tell you that's the case, they let you figure it out

>> yourself.

>> > Since the new technique is still fresh in your mind, you're more

>> likely

>> to

>> > be still thinking about it, and using it in the next area feels

>> natural,

>> > and that solidifies it in your gameplay repertoire.

>> >

>>

>> Teaching your players something, then giving them the opportunity to

>> apply

>> what they have juste learnt works great in video games design,

>> especially

>> adding little variations one on top of the other to help players

>> develop

>> their manoeuvers repertoire : Edmund McMillen of Team Meat breaks it

>> down

>> really really well in Indie Game : The Movie - you can find the

>> excerpt

>> where he explains all that over at Critical

>> Commons<

>> http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/fearv/clips/indie-game-the-movie-edmund-mcmillen-discusses

>> >.

>> The parallel between Super Meat Boy and ARGs might make even more

>> sense in

>> that, much like the main character, players don't necessarily learn

>> new

>> moves along the course of a game.

>>

>> Regarding what Wendy said about tutorials not being too hamhanded -

>> the

>> most subtle tutorial I've ever seen is for Left 4 Dead. In fact,

>> there is

>> no tutorial : the trailer for the game, that people got to see over

>> and

>> over before launch, had all the information one needs to understand

>> basic

>> tactics and the behaviours of the different types of zombies. You

>> can find

>> it over YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF1HVlcXBmA> among

>> other

>> places. Such a tutorial doesn't require much effort to soak it all

>> in, and

>> it might work well with casual, passers-by audiences.

>>

>> Regarding ARGs and casual player engagement in general : good luck !

>> That

>> audience can be especially hard to woo, even moreso with the

>> competition

>> with other forms of entertainment (and Candy Crush Saga) ! At what

>> point

>> would you consider your audience "engaged" ?

>>

>> Good luck and keep us posted ! It's a great time for ARGs to explore

>> different roads and themes and I'm looking forward to reading about

>> your

>> project here and there :) And I'd love to read more about the

>> library ARG

>> as well (I'm a librarian and ICT trainer by day) !

>>

>> --

>> "We do it because we are compelled."

>> http://www.tommaillioux.fr

>> Twitter :

>> @JTMaillioux - Documentation et actualité académique

>> @Bookmore - Culture digitale, gaming, DIY

>> +33669245239

>> PGP : 0xCE442D1D

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>

>

>

> --

> John Maccabee

> citymystery.info

> johnmaccabee at gmail.com

> (c) 415-377-6839

>

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>

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Wendy Despain
quantumcontent.com