On April 11, 2001, the murder of Evan Chan caught many people’s attention. Somehow, after the game wound down to an end 12 weeks later, there was the birth (or resurrection, or redefinition, depending on who you talk to) of an entirely new gaming genre we now know as Alternate Reality Gaming. For anyone who got a chance to play The Beast (go to www.cloudmakers.org for more information), the game that revolved around the story in the movie A.I., they were experiencing something that was exciting and new and encapsulating. Even as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the beginning of The Beast, it’s easy to recall the characters, the puzzles, and the story that captured the imaginations of many and led the way towards a new frontier.
We would like to celebrate this occasion with you, and get your thoughts about what this anniversary means. So, we’re opening up the comment area for this article, in the hopes that our collective spirit brings back the feeling that so many felt when they became part of the Cloudmakers group. Whether you were a lurker or posted 10 messages a day to the Yahoo! group, or were even around at all, your comments are valuable. Please keep in mind that well will be moderating comments to eliminate inappropriate language, so be nice and respectful.
Editor’s Note – We are aware of the format issues concerning the Comments section, and are working hard to solve the problem. In the meantime, scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the comment text box.
simulacra
pendog creative
silent hill arg
field studies institute
meow wolf
welcome home
I found the game about 4 weeks before it ended… got ONE SOLVE and remember the feeling to this day (sadly, can’t remember which puzzle I solved, and a search on the Yahoo group didn’t help). On this occasion, raise a glass and make a toast to The Beast – the Daddy of All ARGS!
-C
I got hooked into ARG’s when I first stumbled upon cloudmakers.org – I read (and still do read sometimes today) bits of cm.org’s awesome guide and it just makes me happy inside (as well as reminding me what great ARGing is all about).
Yay for the Beast!
I first learned about the game when I heard about it on Ebert and Roper. I was hooked instantly and tried to put all of the parts together. I was very young than.
I never played The Beast (wasn’t even close!). But without it, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!
For that, i give a resounding WHOOP! to all those who gave The Beast life, and all those who explored and enjoyed it’s deepest crevaces.
Without you all, the PMs and the players, i wouldn’t have the fun times i have had, and i wouldn’t have met some of the funniest, awesomest, greatest people out there!
Thanks buckets!
Wow, time flies! Here’s to you, you Cloudmakers, you! *CLINK*
And hey, ARGN. I like comments. Why don’t you have comments on for everything? What are you trying to hide?! Obviously some hidden agenda.
Nachos and Bass Ale for everyone!
Trout!
I stumbled onto the beast about a month after the game started and it dominated my life there after. I was also among the fortunate group of L.A. based cloudmakers that were surprised by the puppetmasters at the A.I. screening.
I had a great time playing, and made some friends that I’ve (unfortunately) fallen out of touch with…
Where, oh where is Slapayoda, Mrbabyman, Goldenpapi, or Taxicafe?
Man those chatroom days were fun, too. So many great memories…
-Shotinfilm
I didn’t come across ARGs until 2 years after the Beast, but I echo Sir Quady; without it I wouldn’t have had a place to have so much fun. Kudos to the first Puppet Masters for coming up with this inovative way to tell stories.
I started somewhere near the beginning of the game. I remember reading about someone noticing Jeanine Salla’s name in the first trailer, and finding the cloudmakers from there. I remember using vacation days to join in the hunt to find who killed Evan Chan. I may not have contributed in the progress, but I sure was along for the ride. My only regret with the game was that the mysteries were often solved during the day, so I wouldn’t find out about it till I got home from work. Another was that I was nowhere near LA or NY for the get togethers. All in all, I enjoyed it. It was so deep and wonderful!!! I miss those times.
Let’s hope Lost’s ARG is up to par with the OG Beast!!!!