Alternate Reality Games (args) and Museums
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MSST 600 October 13, 2011 Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) and Museums Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are interactive scavenger hunts where players uncover and decipher clues to solve elaborate mysteries. These clues can be hidden in web-based social media, such as blogs, YouTube videos, and Facebook pages, or can be present in real-world environments such as printed on signs or embedded in advertisements. They began as part of viral marketing campaigns for films, television shows, music, albums and video games. However, recently the principles of ARGs have been increasingly implemented in museums, libraries and academia. ARGs foster group interaction and problem solving; moreover they provide a means of conveying information to players in ways that makes them feel immersed in the experience. For museums ARGs provide interesting opportunities to foster new kinds of relationships between visitors and their collections; moreover they demonstrate a new way to create immersive visitor experiences. Ghosts of a Chance. Accessed October 12, 2011. http://www.ghostsofachance.com/. Ghosts of a Chance was an ARG created by CityMystery for the Luce Foundation Center at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum and represents the first attempt by a museum to utilize an ARG. The game involved players following the exploits of two fictitious members of SAAM’s staff as they investigated ghosts that haunted the museum. Players participated in numerous activities in an attempt to put the ghosts to rest, culminating in a day-long scavenger hunt at the SAAM on October 25, 2008, where players searched for clues hidden throughout the museum. Players who solved all the clues earned a t-shirt. Following its completion, an in-house ninety minute variation of the hunt portion of the game ran in the museum until 2010. Currently, the website for Ghosts of a Chance serves as an archive and final report of the game, documenting the various clues that led to the event’s completion. Goodlander, Georgina Bath. “Fictional Press Releases and Fake Artifacts: How the Smithsonian American Art Museum is letting Game Players Redefine the Rules.” Accessed October 11, 2011, Archives and Museum Informatics. http://www.archimuse.com/mw2009/papers/goodlander/goodlander.html. Georgina Bath Goodlander, the project manager for Ghosts of a Chance, presented this report documenting the development of the ARG at the 2009 Museums and the Web conference in Indianapolis. Goodlander examines the successes, failures, and challenges involved in putting together an ARG in a museum setting and offers recommendations for other institutions considering implementing similar games. Her recommendations for other institutions include making interdepartmental coordination a top priority, keeping open lines of communication with players, and (most important) the having the will to take risks. Hon, Adrian. “The Rise of ARGs.” Gamasutra. May 9, 2005. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2301/the_rise_of_args.php. Gamasutra is a video game website geared toward game developers. In the wake of the “I Love Bees” campaign for Halo 2, writer Adrian Hon examined the increased popularity of ARGs and their utility as tools for marketing electronic games. He cited their low cost relative to more traditional marketing campaigns, pointing to “I Love Bees” as a recent success story; however, he also pointed out their potential for failure, citing Electronic Arts’ failed attempt at a subscription-based ARG (Majestic) which cost the game developer millions. He concluded that ARGs had strong potential for advancing a brand and fostering brand loyalty if companies were willing to take the risk. I Love Bees. Accessed October 12, 2011. http://www.ilovebees.com/. I Love Bees, created by 42 Entertainment, was an ARG developed to promote the 2004 release of the Bungie video game Halo 2. Players deciphered clues disseminated from a website purportedly about beekeeping that had been hacked by a sentient AI. The game attracted 2.5 million players during its four-month run and is generally considered to be the most successful ARG to date. International Game Developers Association. 2006 Alternate Reality Games White Paper. Accessed October 12, 2011. http://archives.igda.org/arg/resources/IGDA-AlternateRealityGames-Whitepaper-2006.pdf This document, prepared by the International Game Developers Association provides a general overview of ARGs, presenting examples of the various types of ARGs. Mauger, Heather. “Alternate Reality Games in Small Museums.” M.A. thesis, Baylor University. August 2011. https://beardocs.baylor.edu/xmlui/handle/2104/8230 An MA thesis that examines an ARG conducted by the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, TX. Mauger addresses the challenges involved in implementing an ARG at a small museum that does not have the resources of institutions such as the Smithsonian. She also provides a detailed assessment of alternate reality games both in the commercial setting and in museums and libraries. Her report is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the academic utility of ARGs. McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming the Future of Museums.” Accessed October 12, 2011. http://www.futureofmuseums.org/events/lecture/mcgonigal.cfm. Jane McGonigal, a developer of ARGs at the Institute for the Future, is currently the leading scholar on the subject of implementing game mechanics in museums. “Gaming the Future of Museums,” presented at a meeting of the Center for the Future of Museums introduced many museum scholars to ARGs. This website, hosted by CFM, includes a video excerpt of McGonigal’s presentation, a link to her slides, as well a transcript of the online chat that ran during the presentation’s webcast. --. “Make an Alternate Reality Game!” Accessed October 12, 2011. http://www.slideshare.net/avantgame/make-an-alternate-reality-game. A presentation delivered by Jane McGonigal at the Carroll County (MD) Library mapping out recommendations for how museums or other institutions can prepare their own ARG. Ownings, Heather. “Building an ARG.” School Library Journal. December 1, 2009. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6708200.html. A brief overview of the ARG Find Chesia, conducted by the Carroll County (MD) Public Library, written by the project coordinator. The project, directed to get teenagers to interact with the library’s collections and resources, was the product of an IMLS-funded grant for the TeensConnect project of the Library Services and Technology Act. Jane McGonigal served as a consultant. Parker, Laura. “Are Alternate Reality Games the Future?” Gamespot. September 26, 2011. http://www.gamespot.com/features/6333225/are-alternate-reality-games-the-future. Writing for the video game news site Gamespot, Parker provides an overview of several different ARGs connected to video game releases such as I Love Bees. In this largely celebratory article, Parker examines what the rise of ARGs means for video game development arguing they represent a new means of creating immersive experiences for players.
Unfiction. Accessed October 12, 2011. www.unfiction.com. Unfiction is a large, online-based community for ARG players. ARG players gather to discuss and investigate clues on the site’s forums as well as submit their own ARGs. Directory: 2013 2013 -> Annual InStructional unit plan 2013 -> The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine 2013 -> #1 a lifesafer of virginia inc 2013 -> Name(s): your name here team or Group #(if applicable): Professor’s name 2013 -> Alcott Local School Council (lcs) Meeting Minutes 2013 -> Table Of Contents introduction 2 2013 -> Supplemental demographic information 2013 -> 【Education&Working Experience】 Download 11.44 Kb. Share with your friends:
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