What’s Next: Alternate Reality Games
Okay, okay, let’s get this out of the way first. What is an Alternate Reality Game?
Abbreviated to ARG, it’s a game that takes place in the real world and the virtual world and is played by large groups of people. It’s a bit like a 21st century version of the treasure hunt.
Here is how an August 1, 2008 piece by ABC New entitled “The Smithsonian’s Got Game; The Smithsonian Takes the Plunge into an Alternate Reality” describes the ARG phenomenon:
- ARGs are not your standard board game. There are no rules, no goals, no apparent finish line, and in fact, no board at all.
- ARGs are massive, multiplayer games that allow players to interact with an alternate reality using real-world events and clues to do so.
- The games are designed by "puppet masters" who effectively begin the games, but can lose control of the game’s direction once the curiosity of the players leads the game down other paths.
Fueled by Internet communities and “merging story-telling with the digital world of the millennial generation” these games generate dedicated cadres of followers. Smart game companies are going to think about the games they already have and the ones they might have and see if they are adaptable to this new fan driven medium.
The world continues to evolve and we in Toy Nation need to fully grasp how today’s kids and adults want to play. The future is right now.
If you want to know more about ARG’s? Check out “Alternate Reality Games: A Mini Guide.”
