[research_will_eat_ya]

Thanks a lot!
And sorry about the survey... it's a rather crappy one, I know.

I've written an intro and the 1st chapter already. Time limit puts such a pressure that I don't even expect to write anything brilliant. But we'll see how it goes.

Will report back in a couple of days again

rwey

[Zoz]

I filled out your survey.

As for #1, I would honestly go to Wikipedia, look up the events, and then use the sources at the bottom of the page to find more information. If it's not enough, then you'll have to go through the damn academic databases, and that's always a pain.

#2: Survey, not retyping.

#3: I didn't play The Lost Ring, but for the other 2 I can say the collective intelligence is a bit different in these cases. I Love Bees depended on the collective for main plot points and for the crescendo for getting to the pay phones, while Test Subjects Needed doesn't really need collective intelligence. You can totally play the game by yourself (and have major brain pain), but the main story is in the log files and there's no major challenges that require very specialized knowledge like other ARGs have needed previously.

[research_will_eat_ya]

Ok. So I will be comparing I Love Bees, Test Subjects Needed and The Lost Ring.

Have any of you played at least 2 of them? 3?

Would you help me to find out about the following:
1) how many fictional characters were used in ARGs mentioned above? where can I find more info (names, descriptions etc.)?
2) what media were used? e.g. phone, net, video, podcast, book, etc. and for what purpose? e.g. to give new clues, to introduce a new character, etc.
3) do you think that the collective intelligence was used differently in each case?

Also, feel free to participate in a brief and basic survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22DSJNRMC8Z

Thanks a bunch!

[research_will_eat_ya]

Update:
The proposal has been written.
I will be focusing on 3 ARGs, including Test Subjects Needed.
Will provide more info next week.

Again, thanks for your input!

Best,
Research will eat ya

[marczellm]

research_will_eat_ya wrote:

Oh, and I've got the first question already to those of you who posses some significant knowledge about this ARG: What media were/are used here to tell the story? E.g. the Internet, computer games, movies, animations, books, telephone, emails, etc.? I appreciate your input. Research will eat ya

One important thing. Regular mail. Players received two envelopes with LED paper helicopter, message, ID badge. Well-known bloggers received additional stuff such as pendrive with video, "radio" with a message from Natalia.

The Traelekinstitute.com/... "documents" are worth a mention I think. They are a very exciting way to tell (or add to) the story.

[randyfuj]

Re: An academic paper on ARGs

[Zoz]

I think it would really be an interesting topic. I did some research myself on ARGs in general for a research presentation a couple of semesters ago, and my audience seemed to really like it, and wouldn't mind doing a survey or something.

I would just make sure to in addition to covering this ARG, to be sure to cover the important themes and terminology or ARGs in general (Puppetmaster, This Is Not A Game, etc), where ARGs have come from (a mention of Dreadnot (the first one) and The Beast (said to be "the Citizen Kane" of online entertainment), and where they are going (maybe some discussion into ethical ARGs such as World Without Oil).

I personally took the audience through a complete ARg (Iris)

I'd be interested in reading it, and I bet a lot of us would as well. So don't hesitate to ask, and give us a link when it's done.

[research_will_eat_ya]

Thanks a bunch guys! I appreciate your input.

[catherwood]

research_will_eat_ya wrote:

Oh, and I've got the first question already to those of you who posses some significant knowledge about this ARG: What media were/are used here to tell the story? E.g. the Internet, computer games, movies, animations, books, telephone, emails, etc.? I appreciate your input.

the Internet -- (isn't everything about the Internet now?) Facebook

computer games -- the ultimate endpoint to the campaign so far, the puzzles in the Facilty at SurvivalCode.com

movies -- certainly the initial trailhead had players "cleaning up" the video in which the character played by Terry O'Quinn first appeared. (I lost several hours of work that day, replaying the progressive versions of that single video); nothing in theaters so no full-length movies (yet)

animations -- perhaps the effects on the original "test" for Test Subjects might qualify, but that's a stretch; oh, but the pre-launch countdown site had an animated icefly which seemed to interact with your browser's cursor.

books -- (none yet, that i am aware of, but players hope the comics will be assembled as a hard-copy at the end)

telephone -- a business line into the Traelek Institute let players call in and hear a pre-recorded message.

emails -- i got an email telling me that my submitted photo for my identity badge was rejected.

etc. -- real world obejcts: dropping the LED "helicopters" onto the audience at an outdoor rock concert.

etc. -- geo-caching scavenger hunt tasks to retrieve the icefly statues at real world locations

etc. -- graphic novel: as the Traelek story unfolds in a series of "comic book" pages.

etc. -- advertising appeared in other graphic novels, magazines, and comic books, as well as television commercials, at first glance just for 5Gum but containing a QR code and/or URL to lead to the website.

etc. -- in-store displays feature the 5Gum product along with the message about collecting the codes to access the website

OK, so some of those media did not further the story or the game, but the number of channels of communication for the overall campaign is still impressive in scope.

[Firious2]

Well first off this sounds awesome.
Secondly i'd recommend using http://icefly.wikibruce.com/ as a source of information. For more recent information about characters such as Natailia, you'd need to ask for when you need it.

[research_will_eat_ya]

Oh, and I've got the first question already to those of you who posses some significant knowledge about this ARG:
What media were/are used here to tell the story? E.g. the Internet, computer games, movies, animations, books, telephone, emails, etc.?

I appreciate your input.

Research will eat ya

[research_will_eat_ya]

An academic paper on ARGs