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

[Vujevits Márk]

I think what you mean with controllers, is rather the interface. In
traditional games it's rather something well defined, hence the way the
interact is obvious, and you don't have a choice if you want to
participate. Even classical RPG-s have a well defined interface, it's the
speech between the players and the game master, and a few dice.

This is one of the the reasons what makes ARG a special experience, that
you have to discover this interface, which can also change during the game.

Mark Vujevits


On Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 9:54 AM, Wendy Despain <wendeth at wendydespain.com>wrote:


> 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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> >> ARG_Discuss at igda.org

> >> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/arg_discuss

> >>

> >

> >

> >

> > --

> > John Maccabee

> > citymystery.info

> > johnmaccabee at gmail.com

> > (c) 415-377-6839

> >

> > <http://pheon.org>

> > game archives: ghostsofachance.com

> >                          PHEON <http://app.pheon.org/dashboard>

> > mission-based training/learning: mission-demo.info

> >

> > mission-demo.info/admin[password: demo]

> > _______________________________________________

> > ARG_Discuss mailing list

> > ARG_Discuss at igda.org

> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/arg_discuss

> >

>

>

> Wendy Despain

> quantumcontent.com

>

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>




-- 
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...........................Vujevits Márk
....................tel.:+36304453736
email: vujevits.mark at gmail.com
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