Category: News (Page 137 of 183)

Digital Communities 2006 Conference

June 26, 2006 / Jonathan Waite

In three days, the Digital Communities conference will be taking place in Bristol, UK. Clare Reddington, the project manager for the conference, was kind enough to give us a heads-up about the event, as well as a special promotional rate for those of you interested in attending! Here’s what Clare had to say about the gaming segment of the conference:

Broadband, mobile devices and wireless connectivity have transformed the world of gaming from a solitary sofa-based pursuit to a multi-player, multi-media community forum. From Google’s Da Vinci Code Quest to the labyrinth of forums, fake websites and additional content that exist to solve the mysteries of ABC drama Lost, increasingly sophisticated consumer marketing campaigns are contributing to the blurring of lines between gaming, media and real life. This session explores how the latest incarnation of the gaming phenomena attracts a broader demographic and is creating virtual communities who share knowledge, pool resources and establish new markets.

Speakers for the gaming discussion (called All In The Game) include Hugh Hancock, the Chief Executive of Strange Company (Machinima Production Company), Maurice Wheeler of Digital Outlook (represents Xbox 360), and Dan Hon, the Chief Operating Officer of a little company we’ve heard of once or twice before — Mind Candy. If you are new to alternate reality gaming, Mind Candy is the company producing the Perplex City ARG, which we continue to watch closely as the search for the Receda Cube carries on.

As far as that promotional rate goes, here’s the scoop: ARGN has secured a special 10% discount for the Digital Communities Communities Conference. To book tickets at the discounted price of Â£89, phone Watershed Box Office on 0117 927 5100 quoting ARGN. We really appreciate the offer Digital Communities has given us and our readership, and encourage you to book your tickets soon.

We’re Four! Let’s Eat Cake!

June 15, 2006 / Jonathan Waite

ARGN While things are simmering on medium heat in the world of Alternate Reality Gaming (we are in the midst of an in-depth look into Catching The Wish, so look for that in the next few days), we’d like to toot our own horn for a brief moment. In June 2002, “The Godfather” Steve Peters launched this site as a place where people could hang out and talk. Today, the Alternate Reality Gaming Network is not only alive and kicking, but taking great strides towards the future. There are a few projects that are being explored for development, including the ARG Archive and podcast interviews, so we hope our fifth year of existence proves to be another great year. Thanks go out to all of you who keep coming back and supporting our site!

Did Studio Cypher Leave Agents Out in the Cold?

June 10, 2006 / Michelle Senderhauf

The first Studio Cypher Case, Out in the Cold, was released last month when a Cypher field agent, Chuck Lehner, disappeared. Soon after the case launched, players started to receive postcards in the mail from Lehner which led them to his website and a blog that belongs to his friend Sue Terrini. The game, which ended yesterday, had some difficult puzzles, real world hidden caches and even an ingame band which seems to be the hip ARG thing to do these days. Players had been working to unravel the mystery of what happened to dear old Chuck and what mysterious brown pieces of clay had to do with it.

To many, the real mystery surrounding Studio Cypher is whether or not the pay-to-fully-play model is working on all levels. In order to fully participate in each case, players must become a Wakeful Agent for $9.99 ($13.99 outside the U.S.). Only Wakeful Agents will receive special content and can interact directly with the characters. Paying players also get access to game updates before the non-paying players. Those who don’t pay can still play along, but it still remains to be seen whether or not this limited access really allows players to immerse themselves in the story enough to want more and become a Wakeful Agent.

Calling All ARG Academia

May 31, 2006 / Jonathan Waite

With the Alternate Reality Gaming Special Interest Group whitepaper still in development, we have a request from our friend Christy Dena who writes extensively about ARG at her blog Cross-Media Entertainment:

Needed: Academics who have investigated Alternate Reality Games

I’m writing a section on ARGs and Academia for the upcoming International Game Developers Association Alternate Reality Game Special Interest Group Whitepaper (IGDA ARG SIG). I’m after approaches from all fields using all sorts of methodologies, and by researchers at different levels of candidacy and postdoctoral status. Since there are many investigations in development around the world I’m including unpublished insights and findings along with published ones.

Perplex City Video Competition Heats Up

May 31, 2006 / Jonathan Waite

Players of Perplex City have been hard at work this month on submissions for a video contest, and recently, submissions have made their way onto YouTube, a popular online video streaming service. As we told you earlier this month, the video contest is part of a campaign to promote the city which is central to the ongoing alternate reality game, entering its fourteenth month of continuous game play. While ARGN is definitely not in the business of film criticism, I personally viewed all 35 that were up for viewing and found a few that were funny, some that were extremely well-made, and one or two entries that were rather…. interesting. Here are my (completely unofficial) must-see picks:

Private Eye – The ARGN Editor’s Pick, if only for the included line “If she knew, she wasn’t telling me. She wasn’t telling anyone anymore.” Love it.
Hitchhikers Guide to Perplex City – A close second place. Very good use of GUI.
The Quest for The Cube mini-series – parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Proof positive that good things come in multiple episodes, and our third place pick, cumulatively. The ball in part four made me chuckle incessantly, but the freeze frame in part 5 did me in for good.

I’ll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours: EDOC Laundry Dresses for Success

May 27, 2006 / Jackie Kerr

â€œPsssst! Hey, you. Look at this!â€ Your head turns at the sound, only to find your eyes landing on some punk lifting up his shirt. Repulsed, you start to turn away and return to your daily machinations, hoping to some how erase the image of pasty tummy skin poking out at you, but something makes you look again. Is it your love for a human train-wreck, or your fascination with anyone willing to flash a complete stranger on the street? If youâ€™re seeing the same thing I am, itâ€™s neither of the above, but the inner-shirt code on a piece of EDOC Laundry.

Anticipated for months, the EDOC Laundry game rushed to the stage to belt out its ARG rock this week with a preview of the next season of clothing, two new websites, and more mystery swirling around its characters. Also new to EDOC Laundry is the unveiling of their eStore, where customers can purchase clothing online directly from EDOC. (Note: The stock is currently low, but a new shipment is expected in about 2 weeks. Backorders will be available on items expected to arrive soon. Check back often for updates. Also, despite earlier reports of tiny tiny fetally-sized shirts, the EDOC items have been resized to be more generous.) The shirts are beautifully made, the caution to detail in each print showing through with quality, and the designs are unique, striking and, speaking of the women’s articles I have, flattering. The preview of the Fall/Winter catalog appears to improve upon an already distinct brand, adding more depth to their offerings (zip hoodies, jackets, and sweaters for both sexes) and designs that are even more rich in detail. Rumors swirl around the future clothing offerings by EDOC, suggesting experiments with glowing dyes and messages that reveal themselves only after the shirt has spent a few turns in the laundry machine. Maybe if I’m lucky, my wish for flip-flop sandals that mark a coded footprint in the sand won’t be too far away from realization.