Development and history Alternate reality game

1 development , history

1.1 examples
1.2 beast
1.3 community , genre growth

1.3.1 grassroots development
1.3.2 community development
1.3.3 first experience in video games


1.4 gathering worldwide gamers
1.5 massive-scale commercial games , mainstream attention
1.6 rise of self-supporting arg
1.7 serious arg
1.8 new developments

1.8.1 television tie-ins , extended experiences


1.9 permanent

development , history

early examples

ong s hat/incunabula started sometime around 1993, , included of aforementioned design principles. ong s hat incorporated elements of legend tripping design, chronicled in scholarly work titled legend-tripping online: supernatural folklore , search ong s hat . scholars disagree on classification of ong s hat story.

in 1996, wizards of coast launched proto-alternate reality game called webrunner: hidden agenda promote game netrunner. cast players hackers through 7 puzzle-themed gates secret data ( agenda ). popular game first online game tied product release, making front page of new york times technology section. sequel, webrunner ii: forbidden code, followed on promote release of proteus expansion of game.

dreadnot (non-commercial) arg produced grant san francisco chronicle , published on sfgate.com in 1996. included of aforementioned design principles. game included working voice mail phone numbers characters, clues in source code, character email addresses, off-site websites, real locations in san francisco, real people (including then-mayor willie brown), , of course fictional mystery.

in 1997, year prior release of douglas adams computer game starship titanic, digital village launched web site purporting of intergalactic travel agency called starlight travel, in game starship titanic s parent company. site combined copious amounts of monty python-esque writing (by michael bywater) arg-type interactivity.

the marketing 1999 movie blair witch project resembled args in many ways (and of makers went on create 2005 audi promotional arg art of heist), expanding world of movie online, adding backstory, , treating fiction reality through real-world media such fliers , fake documentary on sci-fi channel. however, perhaps in part due subject material , absence of overt metacommunications fiction, resembles internet hoax or attempt create urban legend.

pervasive play games go game , nokia game incorporated many elements similar args (although tended lack narrative element central args) , prefigured public play components of large-scale corporate args love bees, art of heist , last call poker.

electronic arts majestic began development in 1999, although didn t launch until after beast had concluded, in 2001. featuring phone calls, emails , other media involved players in multiplatform narrative, game cancelled due lack of players. due many factors, ranging monthly subscription fee (as part of electronic arts ea online venture) majestic s unfortunate timing , subject matter in relation september 11 attacks on world trade center. many players criticized absence of tinag principle (e.g. in-game phone calls preceded announcement part of game, although these announcements optional based on user preference).

in 2005 alternative rock band afi ran arg mystery called 5 flowers/charlotte mystery. in anticipation of newest album, decemberunderground. after hunting down clues, people instructed go 1 of 2 parks in country flowers. @ these parks people taking flowers, , giving out tickets secret-show.

the beast

in 2001, in order market movie a.i.: artificial intelligence directed steven spielberg , based on stanley kubrick s unfinished project planned series of microsoft computer games based on film, microsoft s creative director jordan weisman , microsoft game designer, elan lee, conceived of elaborate murder mystery played out across hundreds of websites, email messages, faxes, fake ads, , voicemail messages. hired sean stewart, award-winning science fiction/fantasy author, write story , pete fenlon, experienced adventure game world builder, serve developer , content lead. game, dubbed citizen kane of online entertainment internet life, runaway success involved on 3 million active participants on world during run , become seminal example of nascent arg genre. asset list project contained 666 files, prompting game s puppetmasters dub beast , name later adopted players. large , extremely active fan community called cloudmakers formed analyze , participate in solving game, , combined intellect, tenacity , engagement of group forced puppetmasters create new subplots, devise new puzzles, , alter elements of design keep ahead of player base. unusual computer-based game, production drew players wide spectrum of age groups , backgrounds.

although beast ran 3 months, prompted formation of highly organized , intensely engaged community remains active years after game concluded. perhaps more significantly, inspired number of participants create games adapting , expanding model, extending anomalous one-time occurrence new genre of entertainment , allowing community grow after beast concluded. members of cloudmakers group went on form argn, primary news source genre, , unfiction, central community hub, designing first successful , played indie args, such lockjaw , metacortechs, , corporate efforts such perplex city.

community , genre growth

the years after beast saw independent developers had played extend form one-time occurrence new genre of gaming, , formation of ever-growing community devoted playing, designing , discussing args.

grassroots development

influenced heavily beast , enthusiastic power of collaboration, several cloudmakers came idea create similar game. first effort make independent beast-like game, ravenwatchers, failed, team assembled , met greater success. little experience behind them, group managed, after 9 months of development, create viable game seized upon eagerly cloudmakers group , featured in wired magazine. players of beast, members of lockjaw development team extremely aware of community playing game , took steps encourage tight bonding of player base through highly collaborative puzzles, weekly euchre games, , inclusion of player personas in game. while numbers never rivaled of beast, game proved both possible developers create these games without corporate funding or promotion, , there interest in arg form beyond one-time audience production on beast s scale. lockjaw marked start of arg genre of gaming, rather one-time occurrence.

shortly before lockjaw s conclusion, players discovered game seemed revolve around movie minority report. despite speculation contrary, game (known exocog) not official promotion film, experiment in interactive storytelling jim miller. inspired independent lockjaw effort, dave szulborski introduced changeagents, spinoff of ea s failed majestic arg, argn audience, followed 2 additional installments. during time, szulborski created successful grassroots game not based on majestic universe, called chasing wish. before release of third , final matrix movie, team developed lockjaw launched metacortechs, arg based on universe. fan fiction effort successful, reached larger , more active player base many professionally produced games, , @ first assumed many officially sanctioned promotion movie. metacortechs followed ever-increasing number of grassroots args.

in wake of these successful, low-budget independent args, active grassroots development community began evolve within genre. while quality of grassroots games varies wildly, amateur storytellers, web designers, , puzzle creators continue provide independently developed args active player community.

community development

the term alternate reality gaming first used sean stacey, 1 of moderators of lockjaw player community, in trail game. stacey , steve peters, of moderators, created 2 websites have become central hub of arg community: argn , unfiction. due efforts, when lockjaw ended, players had new community resource allowing them assemble play games follow. unfiction boasts on 32,000 members, , argn employs staff of 15 volunteer writers report on new games , other topics of interest community, producing weekly netcast.

a first experience in video games

although not considered pure alternate reality game, missing since january ( in memoriam in europe) video game based on same principles appear in arg: online enquiry, game entering players real life environment, willingly confusing reality , fiction (real fact-based sites, emails...). developed 1999 onwards french studio lexis numérique, missing since january launched ubisoft in europe in october 2003 , dreamcatcher in in january 2004. in missing since january, using internet, player must attempt decode mysterious cd rom broadcast police in order find 2 missing people abducted serial killer. more hundred sites created purpose. , large, player advances in enquiry, contacted different characters send emails. follow-up, appeared in 2006 under title evidence: last ritual ( in memoriam 2, last ritual in europe) allowed players receive text messages , speak on phone characters in game.

gathering worldwide gamers

because of similarities, video games , args continued associated through many projects, in 2009, funcom, game development studio oslo, norway, hid gate on corporate website, led arg part of pre-launch campaign secret world, game released in 2013. gate discovered in 2013, therefore requiring puppetmaster adapt scenario actual setting.

funcom has done total of 16 args tie in secret world, first 1 starting in may 2007. args focussed on several different storylines, such as: expedition of roald amundsen, sanctuary of secrets , secret war.

the company behind funcom s last 2 args, human equation, montreal-based entertainment studio created independent arg called qadhos, has further purchase rights special class of characters, black watchmen, create own independent arg. spin-off of human equation, alice & smith, released game in june 2015.

massive-scale commercial games , mainstream attention

after success of first major entries in nascent arg genre, number of large corporations looked args both promote products, , enhance companies images demonstrating interest in innovative , fan-friendly marketing methods. create buzz launch of xbox game halo 2, microsoft hired team had created beast, operating independently 42 entertainment. result, love bees, departed radically website-hunting , puzzle-solving had been focus of beast. love bees wove interactive narrative set in 2004, , war of worlds-style radio drama set in future, latter of broken 30–60 second segments , broadcast on ringing payphones worldwide. game pushed players outdoors answer phones, create , submit content, , recruit others, , received or more mainstream notice predecessor, finding way onto television during presidential debate, , becoming 1 of new york times catchphrases of 2004.

as such, love bees captivated enough fans garner significant press attention, , partly because of publicity, halo 2 sold $125 mil in copies first day of release. slew of imitators fan tributes , parodies followed. in 2005, pair of articles profiling 42 entertainment appeared in game developer magazine , east bay express, both of tied arg created journalist , editors.

the following spring, audi launched art of heist, developed audi ad agency mckinney+silver, haxan films (creators of blair witch project), promote new a3.

roughly year after love bees, 42 entertainment produced last call poker, promotion activision s video game gun. designed modern audiences connect western genre, last call poker centered on working poker site, held games of tombstone hold em in cemeteries around united states—as in @ least 1 digital venue, world of warcraft s own virtual reality cemetery – , sent players own local cemeteries clean neglected grave sites , perform other tasks.

at end of 2005, international game developers association arg special interest group formed bring designing, building, , running args, in order share knowledge, experience, , ideas future. more recently, arg created thq game frontlines: fuel of war around peak oil theories world in crisis on diminishing oil resources.

in 2008, american art museum hosted alternate reality game, called ghosts of chance, created city mystery. game allowed patrons new way of engaging collection in luce foundation center. game ran 6 weeks , attracted more 6,000 participants.

the rise of self-supporting arg

as genre has grown, there has been increasing interest in exploring models provide funding large-scale args neither promotions other products nor limited small budget of grassroots/indie games. 2 major trends have emerged in area support through sale of products related game, , fees participation in game. third possible model 1 using in-game advertising other products, in lost experience, @ time no large-scale game has attempted fund solely through in-game advertising.

the first major attempt (other ea s failed majestic) create self-supporting arg perplex city, launched in 2005 after year s worth of teasers. arg offered $200,000 prize first player locate buried receda cube , funded sale of puzzle cards. first season of game ended in january 2007, when andy darley found receda cube @ wakerly great wood in northamptonshire, uk. mind candy, production company, has produced board game related arg , plans continue second season beginning 1 march 2007. model delayed till 1 june, , has again, been delayed unspecified date. mind candy s acceptance of corporate sponsorship , venture capital suggests puzzle cards alone not enough fund arg @ time.

in march 2006, elan lee , dawne weisman founded edoc laundry, company designed produce args using clothes primary platform. consumers decipher codes hidden within garments , input results game s main website reveal pieces of story murder of band manager.

reviving pay-to-play model, studio cypher launched first chapter of multiplayer novel in may 2006. each chapter mini-arg participants pay $10 registration fee receive earlier access information , greater opportunities interact characters non-paying participants. virtuquest, well-known corporate team, attempted pay-to-play model township heights later in year, despite initial enthusiasm on part of arg community, game not well-received due design team s use of player hybrid-names based on real life names. short run time frame not appreciated seasoned players.

in june 2006, catching wish launched in-game website comic books based on predecessor, 2003 s chasing wish. 42 entertainment released cathy s book, sean stewart , jordan weisman, in october 2006, shifting central medium of arg internet printed page. young-adult novel contains evidence packet , expands universe through websites , working phone numbers, stand-alone novel functions individually playable arg. neither cost of creating book nor sales figures available (although made both american , british bestseller lists) determine whether project self-funded.

it difficult judge efficacy of self-funded arg models @ time, seems exploration of ways fund large-scale args without using them marketing other products continue genre grows.

the serious arg

in 2007 article, columnist chris dahlen (of pitchfork media) voiced much-discussed arg concept: if args can spark players solve hard fictional problems, games used solve real-world problems? dahlen writing world without oil, first arg centered on serious near-future scenario: global oil shortage. arg, tomorrow calling, appears testbed future project focused on environmental themes , activism.

serious args introduce plausibility narrative feature pull players game. people participate experience, prepare or shape alternative life or future. games have potential attract casual or non-players, because if game can play. serious args may therefore sponsored organizations activist or educational goals; world without oil joint project of public broadcasting service s independent lens , electric shadows web-original programming.

their serious subject matter may lead serious args diverge mainstream args in design. instead of challenging collective intelligence solve gamemastered puzzle, world without oil s puppetmasters acted players guide collective imagination create multi-authored chronicle of alternative future, purportedly happening. asking players chronicle lives in oil-shocked alternative reality, wwo game relinquished narrative control players degree not seen before in arg.

in october 2008 british red cross created serious arg called traces of hope promote campaign civilians caught in conflict.

there possible future serious args described in fiction. in novel halting state, charles stross foresightedly describes number of possible args, players engage in seemingly fictional covert spy operations.

in 2008 european union funded arg support motivation multilingualism within european secondary school students called arguing multilingual motivation in web 2.0. noted above in world without oil, complete arg necessary move away strict definitions of arg listed. arg invitation , players (students) knew going play game. project completed , papers on project , resources produced education (a methodology , teacher training guides)are available , have been presented @ 3rd european conference on games based learning.

in 2008–2009 macarthur foundation supported arg black cloud teach high-school students indoor air quality. project active , allows teachers rent sophisticated air quality sensors run game locally.

the usc school of cinematic arts has run semester-long arg called reality ends here incoming freshmen since 2011. game involves players collaborating , competing produce media artifacts. in 2012, reality ends here won impact award @ indiecade, presented games have social message, shift cultural perception of games medium, represent new play paradigm, expand audience, or influence culture.

ucla film department had first alternate reality game class, taught game designer/writer flint dille in 2011 winter semester. class built arg in 1 semester, culminating in real world event resolved story.

new developments

2006 produced fewer large-scale corporate args past years, arg form continued spread , adapted promotional uses, increasing number of tv shows , movies extended universes onto internet through such means character blogs , arg-like puzzle trails, , increasing number of independent , grassroots games launched, varying levels of success. 1 of more popular indie args launch in fall of 2006 jan libby s dark yet whimsical sammeeeees . meigest , produced hazel grian , jon williams, garnered great deal of community attention , affection light, humorous storyline , numerous references past args. lonelygirl15, popular series of videos on youtube, relinquished unprecedented amount of control audience recognizing fan-created game official arg. in december 2006, indie arg launched called bristel goodman featured creative yet creepy videos made internet killer. eddie dees, fictional character being sent these videos, posted them @ youtube , other video sharing sites, asking help. arg community responded , game began. of march 2013, game continues obsessed players search truth rhino.

in august 2006, hoodlum produced pstrixi yahoo!7 australia. pstrixi designed around young dj trixi , boyfriend hamish. players engaged across of yahoo!7 s platforms , asked solve mystery of trixi s missing sister max. multi-platform arg ran 12 weeks , used websites, email, yahoo!360 forums, yahoo radio , viral television engage audience in game. pstrixi major success yahoo!7 community; players spent average of 16 minutes per session on websites , returned more once week.

2007 got off strong start immediately, microsoft s vanishing point promote launch of windows vista. game designed 42 entertainment and, due in part many large-scale real-world events, such lavish show @ bellagio fountain in las vegas prizes of trip space , having winner s name engraved on amd athlon 64 fx chips period of time, received large media attention. followed 42 entertainment production release of 9 inch nails album year zero, in fans discovered leaked songs on thumb drives in washrooms @ concerts, clues websites describe dystopian future occurring in 2022. year zero, in turn, bled out real world through players flyering neighborhoods , creating graffiti supporting game s fictitious art resistance movement. monster hunter club, promotion u.s. release of movie host, launched sending action figures , other items prominent members of arg community. perplex city concluded first season awarding $200,000 prize player found game s missing cube. plan continue arg second season under name perplex city stories, although have said there not large grand prize time around. meigeist, produced new professional puppetmaster team, garnered great deal of community attention , affection light, humorous storyline , numerous references past args. teaser site world without oil, first major serious arg , unveiled in march 2007; game launched on 30 april , ran through 1 june, gathering on 1500 videos, images, blog entries , voice mails document oil crisis of 2007.

in may 2007, 42 entertainment launched why serious, arg promote feature film dark knight. hailed being single impressive viral marketing campaign of all-time, played out on 15 months, concluding in july 2008. millions of players in 177 countries participated both online , taking part in live events, , reached hundreds of millions through internet buzz , exposure. notably, why serious prompted great deal of collaborative organizing , action; players went streets campaigning harvey dent , gathered in new york city part of gameplay.

in march 2008, mcdonald s , ioc launched find lost ring, global arg promoting 2008 summer olympics in beijing, china. game run simultaneously in 6 languages new story lines developing in each, encouraging players communicate residents of other countries facilitate sharing of clues , details of game whole. american track , field athlete edwin moses acted celebrity game master, , mcdonald s corporation promised donate us$100,000 ronald mcdonald house charities china on behalf of players.

february 2009 saw launch of arg in sea, designed promote videogame bioshock 2 immersing players in character mark meltzer s quest find missing daughter. in addition messages, documents, photos , puzzles on website, following along on 8 august 2009, given coordinates of 10 beaches worldwide , told go there @ dawn. did found objects planted game runners designed had washed ashore bioshock s fictional underwater city of rapture. players wrote letters mark, address advertised on website, received items such wine bottles, records, or masks.

on 1 march 2010, valve corporation released update via steam game portal, adding nondescript new achievement , .wav files hidden within game gcfs. .wav files contained morse code , sstv encoded images, including numbers , letters. when pieced in correct order, these numbers , letters formed 32-bit md5 hash of bbs phone number. when traced, found originate kirkland, washington, valve based before moving bellevue, washington in 2003. accessing number bulletin board system yielded large ascii art images, leading towards announcement of game s sequel, portal 2. later, prior release of portal 2 in 2011, more expansive arg called potato sack run, arranged number of independent developers working valve, simulate re-booting of glados. arg resulted in game being released several hours earlier scheduled, among other details.

also launched in march 2010, arg produced david varela @ ndreams featured 2008 formula 1 world champion lewis hamilton; entitled lewis hamilton: secret life, game ran throughout 2010 formula 1 season, in 9 languages, live events in dozen cities around world.

in july 2013, walt disney imagineering research & development , walt disney studios, launched optimist, built around story of walt disney, imagineers , other visionary thinkers , potential involvement in secret project sought build better future. game culminated @ d23 expo in anaheim, calif., august 9–11, 2013. players participated on six-week period, using social media, mobile devices , apps, while visiting locations story in , around los angeles.

an arg accompanying kickstarter campaign frog fractions 2 began in march 2014 , completed in 2016. frog fractions 2 sequel twinbeard studio s acclaimed frog fractions, although arg referred frog fractions 1.5 in reference in-arg puzzle solution. arg took 2 years solve, involving clues buried in 23 independent games , real-life locations, allowing game, secretly uploaded until guise of different game, become unlocked in december 2016.

on release of expansion afterbirth binding of isaac: rebirth in october 2015, players discovers clues hinting towards arg related game, based on community s previous attempts hack game discover secret characters. arg including location information near santa cruz, california, game s developer edmund mcmillen lived. arg completed in november 2015, community working , enabling new character , additional content unlocked game.

oddworld inhabitants have started arg in anticipation of newest game oddworld: soulstorm , tasked fans finding mysterious entity, later turn out character named ed - mudokon slave speculated working in necrum mines. second website discovered showing existence of mudokon resistance formed after abe shut down rupturefarms , rescued brothers during events of oddworld: abe s oddysee.

television tie-ins , extended experiences

before development of arg genre, television sought extend reality of shows onto web websites treated world real, rather discussing fiction. example fox s freakylinks, developed haxan, creators of blair witch project, later go on develop well-known args art of heist , benjamin stove. freakylinks employed website designed had been created amateur paranormal enthusiasts generate internet interest in show, gathered cult following canceled after 13 episodes. in september 2002, following successful initial foray arg-like territory 2001 s alias web game, abc brought alternate reality gaming more definitively television screen show push, nevada. produced , co-written ben affleck, show created fictional city in nevada, named push. when advertising show, liveplanet advertised city instead, billboards, news reports, company sponsors, , other realistic life-intruding forms. during each episode of show, highly cryptic clues revealed on screen, while other hidden clues found on city s website. show cancelled mid-season, , of remaining clues released public. clever watchers figured out show still paying out $1 million prize during monday night football. last clue revealed during half-time, prompting fortunate enough have solved puzzle call telephone number. first person call received $1 million. in october 2004, regenesis extended reality game launched in tandem canadian television series regenesis. produced xenophile media in association shaftesbury films, clues , stories series sent players online stop bioterrorist attack.

in 2006, tv tie-in arg began come own when there surge of args extended worlds of related television shows onto internet , real world. push, nevada, abc led way, launching 3 tv tie-in args in 2006: kyle xy, ocular effect (for show fallen) , lost experience (for show lost). abc joined channel 4 in uk , australia s channel 7 in promoting revamped web site hanso foundation. site focused on fictitious company prevalent in storyline of tv series, , game promoted through television advertisements run during lost episodes. fallen alternate reality game launched in tandem fallen tv movie abc family , conceived matt wolf , created matt wolf (double twenty productions) in association xenophile media. wolf accepted emmy fallen alternate reality game @ 59th annual primetime creative arts emmy awards on september 8, 2007.

nbc followed suit in january 2007, beginning arg hit tv series heroes launched through in-show reference website primatech paper, company show, turned out real. text messages , emails led players applied employment @ site secret files on show s characters.

in may 2007, bbc commissioned kudos , hoodlum produce interactive arg flagship drama series spooks, spooks interactive. game enlists players become mi5 agents join section d team on missions crucial security of uk, , launched on 26 september. in 2008 won interactivity award @ british academy television awards , interactive innovation - content award @ british academy craft awards.

the 9 november 2007 episode of numb3rs entitled primacy featured alternate reality gaming, , launched arg chain factor, centered on players using flash-based puzzle game unknowingly destroy world s economy on whim of 1 of characters primacy episode.

in january 2008, bbc launched whack mole cbbc show m.i. high, in viewers asked become m.i. high field agents , complete tasks capture mole has infiltrated organization.

cbs made arg jericho promote series in 2007.

usa network sponsored game in 2016 tv show mr. robot, started phone number shown on box in video clip. prizes awarded first 509 solvers.

permanent

arg traditionally punctual events, because first appeared promotional stunts , reactive nature requires massive resources keep running. however, alice & smith, company behind funcom , warhammer 40,000: eternal crusade started crowdfunding campaign in 2014 create permanent arg (parg) called black watchmen, run until players stop subscribing , funding project. campaign started smaller arg in player flew dallas montreal live final mission in real-life. results of crowdfunding campaign can seen on kickstarter, , game released on steam in june 2015.