An ARGNet Update: Same Site, Different Owner

As you may aleady know, Jonathan Waite has stepped down as owner and senior editor of ARGNet, after almost four years at the helm. Both Jonathan and ARGNet’s original owner, Steve Peters, have left some dauntingly big shoes to fill. Luckily, ARGNet still has an incredible staff of volunteers, and Jonathan will continue to run weekly shows at the ARG Netcast.

Many things at ARGNet will remain the same. ARGNet is still committed to reporting on alternate reality games, cross-media experiences, interactive storytelling, and projects that amaze and astound. And while you may notice a few minor changes to the website’s appearance over the coming months, ARGNet will remain largely unchanged. Here’s a preview of some of the changes you might be seeing in the near future.

New Staff
ARGNet is actively looking for new volunteer staff writers. So if you’re enthusiastic about the genre and interested in writing an article for ARGNet once a month, let us know. The submission guidelines are as follows:

1. Write a blurb-style article on any currently running game.
2. Write a feature article on any of these topics: 1) a game, current or historical; 2) an interesting story or aspect of the ARG community; 3) a topic of interest to the ARGNet readership; 4) being a puppetmaster or behind-the-scenes game creator.

Articles should be clear and concise: we don’t pay by the word. In fact, we don’t pay at all. On the bright side, that also means that despite hard economic times, we haven’t been forced to cut writer salaries. Email entries to [email protected] by October 1 at 11:59PM EST. If you’re interested in writing a guest post, contact us with your proposal through our contact form.

Articles on Completed Games
I am relatively new to alternate reality games. Until recently, I had never heard of “classic” alternate reality games like The Beast and Majestic. And while a swarm of eager Beekeepers served as my introduction to alternate reality games in 2004, I didn’t play I Love Bees either. Thanks to resources like Carie Ward’s detailed game summaries, the Project Mu Archives, and patient former Cloudmakers, I’ve been able to learn more about the experiences that I missed. By publishing more summaries describing already completed games on ARGNet, I hope to make it easier for players new to the genre to learn about past games while providing a more thorough accounting of successful campaigns.

Secret Tourism: A Guide to Interactive Tourist Traps
Alternate reality games often include elaborate live events that pull you into the story, if you’re lucky enough. But immersive experiences may be closer than you think. Over the next few months, you might learn about some interactive attractions that will make you look at your neighborhood in a different light, or spice up your next vacation.

If you have any suggestions for the website, feel free to leave a response in the comments or leave a message through our contact form.