Author: Marie Lamb (Page 5 of 5)

Staff Writer, Associate Editor
Marie is a filmmaker by training who stumbled down the rabbit hole during The Beast and never looked back. In addition to her ARGNet work, she is a site administrator for the Unfiction forum, and has been behind the scenes and puppetmaster for a series of projects including Chasing the Wish, Omnifam, the award-winning World Without Oil, and Ruby’s Bequest.

I Died Here (and here and here and here and…)

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Hot off the ARGN Tipline comes news of a new ARG based in India. I Died Here is sure to appeal to anyone who enjoyed The Blair Witch Project. The basic story: three 20-somethings are staying in a guesthouse called Shanti Cottage outside of Mumbai (Bombay) that has a dark history. They intend to document their stay via cellphone pictures and video (promised) as an “adventure” to try to find out why there have been five suicides in the house. They have started writing about their experiences so far in a blog, and also have posted puzzles that need to be solved to reveal information they’ve collected so far.

Thus far, it appears they have arrived at the house and are experiencing odd events, like cold spots and eerie noises. There are also some alarming lemons that they need explained. Three out of the four puzzles posted have been solved, so don’t read the comments on the blog if you want to try your hand at them first.

Websites:
I Died Here (Trailhead)
Blog
Rohan Lives

Kyle XY: Why, why, why?

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Kyle XY gives us another in a series of ABC Television’s efforts to bring the TV show’s audience on-line with a vaguely ARG-like game. Unlike The Lost Experience or Ocular Effect, however, this seems to be the ARG that can’t get off the ground. So far we have one site, MadaCorp, which is some kind of scientific research company. The site itself is slapped together with some not-too-interesting Flash bits, and has whole pages with no content of any kind. Clicking on “Our Jobs” takes you to a secret blog, where a mysterious insider talks about his efforts to bring the truth about Kyle to light, but the entries are obtuse and repetitive, leading this reporter to wonder if he’s the dumbest whistle-blower ever, or the “clues” are so convoluted that no one has been able to figure them out yet.

The show itself, running Monday nights on ABC Family, is a charming bit of science fiction in the guise of a family drama. Matt Dallas brings a kind of goofy innocence to the role of Kyle, and his interactions with the world make for some very funny and touching moments. The family Trager is bland California, however. The acting is competent, at least.

Overall, I can’t say that this has much to recommend it, and yet I can’t stop watching, either. I have this hope that something more will develop and make all those blog entries mean more than the insipid ramblings they appear to be currently. Also, I really want to find out why Kyle doesn’t have a belly button.

Takin’ it to the Streets: Game On in New York City

coap_logo.jpgDoes playing on a computer cramp your style? Feel restricted by that Monopoly board? Or maybe you’re a Puppetmaster who wants to do more than the usual email and websites with your next ARG. This fall, games will bust out of the screen and the box, and take to the streets in a new, three-day event called the Come Out and Play Festival. Based in Manhattan, the festival “seeks to provide a forum for new types of public games and play. We want to bring together a public eager to rediscover the world around them through play with designers interested in producing innovative new games and experiences. Oh yeah, and we want to have fun.”

Come Out and Play will be held September 22-24, and organizers are currently soliciting applications for games that will be fun and interesting, and make use of public spaces. Organizer Greg Trefry is also interested in submissions related to ARGs, noting that their ability to blur the lines between the screen and the real world fits in nicely with the goals of the festival.

Apply online at the festival website by June 30th.

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