Man kann es auf Twitter verfolgen (@ARGFest), und auch bei Ustream von IneffaBelle.
***
Für diejenigen aber, die - wie ich beispielweise - nicht zum Fest schaffen, gibt es eine Alternative: Pretend ARGfest. Das ist, sozusagen, ein melancholischer ARGFest-Entzug. Man twittert mit dem Hash @pretendargfest, man chattet im Raum (verortet in West Unfictionopia mit herzlichen Dank an redct), der ab und zu von Glücklichen Besuchern des Festes aufgesucht wird. Man ist also nie allein, ob auf dem Fest, oder draussen.
***
Die Leute von ARGfest haben eine Umfrage über Alternate Reality Games und Transmediale Projekte gestartet, an der jeder Teilnehmen kann. Hier sind meine Antworten:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There will never be a mainstream ARG
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
ARG is becoming a genre, so soon we won't be able to say this, like Gutenberg never said "there will never be a mainstream printed book".
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
All media will become transmedia
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
This is only way for "traditional" media to survive. But actually it is not the way, but the consequence of human cultural and technical (r)evolution.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Players should always have a way of contacting the PM of a game for out of game concerns & questions.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
It depends. Sometimes, if the game seems to be out of control of PM, it should be clarified. Otherwise the game can collapse before it will be clariefied (gamejack situation etc.). But only in this case should the direct contact player<=>pm persist. For solving puzzles or bringing the story forward it is not the best way.
Player should listen to the story. And PM should help players - through the story.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Story trumps Puzzles
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Puzzles alone don't bring motivation. The best balance between puzzles and story is the essencial way for an successful ARG.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARGs can’t create as much dramatic tension as films because they lack a soundtrack.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Soundtrack doesn't play a role for ARG (at least, right now). But ARGs can be more immersive and dramatic than films, just because of interaction and interactivity.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARGs have lost a sense of community
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
I don't know any ARG, which have lost sense of community. Because losing comunity means end of an ARG.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Role-playing is an important part of ARGs
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
It should be very present, because role-playing means interaction, interaction means immersion, and immersion means ARG ending with credits, instead of collapsing on the way there.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARGs are trending towards more casual and humorous setups
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
This is perhaps the best way making ARG. Very serious and humorless ARGs are party disturbing, because humor has charme of meta-level. And without meta-level players intense experience can lead to escape from ARG (if too intensive)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Alternate Reality Game" is a vague, unsatisfactory term and should be replaced with something else.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Perhaps. This is not a game. This is new genre. But till new satisfying term is invented, I'll still use "ARG".
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There's no need for the team behind an ARG to keep their identities secret
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
The mystery is the part of ARG. On the other hand, if I was fan of previous ARGs, I will wait for new projects by the same PMs. So the middle way is perhaps not the whole secrecy, but also not parallel blogging about meta of the ARG.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
People working on games should not talk about games in progress.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
They should perhaps, especially, if they want to cover their identities while of the ARG. So if somebody said about a project about Mars travel, and later there's a Mars travel ARG, it gets to my attention and I can - in meta level - assign a game to a PM.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community-played games are going to fall to the wayside as technology improves to allow better single-player experiences.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
ARG was always a community game, and no technology will prevent it. Sure, there will be single player games one day, but community as oldest human force will bring people together even in such single player projects.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fictional content on the web should be clearly marked as such.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
I don't think so. What is fiction and what isn't is the goal of the players. Otherwise player will lose interest in finding out the "truth".
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARGs are too hard, man.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
It depends on story, on PM, on player and on everything else. There is no common answer to it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unfiction should allow PMs to post on the forums to address problems & issues with their games.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Perhaps there should be a meta thread where PMs could adress their issues. Player who don't want to break fourth wall, will ignore those threads.
But no way for posting at Unfiction by ARG characters!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARGs are best when attached to an existing property - like The Dark Knight or Tron.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Not at all. The unknown topics can make an ARG unique and immersive. Existing property is too meta loaden.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There is no ARG community -- just communities of people who played individual games together
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Yes, there are platforms like Unfiction or Patmo etc., where countless communities are following countless ARGs. And this is the best way of beeing.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Swag is overrated and overused
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Swags are the points of physical connection between realities. Every swag makes player more interested in the alternate reality, because it's personal - however random it is.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There will never be enough players to make a subscription ARG profitable.
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
If with "subscription ARG" is meant ARG with payment, I doubt it will be profitable. ARGs are great because you can go in and out without any doubts. Subscription will "enslave" player and force them to let their money be realized by the ARG. And this is not really productive motivation.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It's time to stop defining and start refining
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
There is so many things undefined yet. But we can define and refine at the same time.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing ARGs is essential to making better ARGs
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Absolutely. Without knowing the player perspective the ARG will fail.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ARGs will become the main pathways for an audience to navigate future transmedia 'worlds'
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
Perhaps not the main pathway, but one of the most used and popular, since ARG is already here, and another ways for transmedial worlds aren't yet on the horizon.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A musical ARG would never work
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
There are no restrictions for an working ARG. Immersivity, creativity and trust to player - these are the orientation marks. All another attributes of an ARG are not related to "working/not working"-problem.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There is too much focus on ARGs as transmedia - who cares?!
Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree
We care. Because transmedia is not a hype, it's next step in the media evolution - if we want it or not.
Comments