An A R G Project


Puppetmasters: Thryn Henderson & Lauren Sanchez

ARG stands for Alternate Reality Game, games that take place in an online/offline alternate world, attempting complete immersion
“Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) tell stories through narrative elements that are distributed across various platforms. These game variables are carefully concealed from players until appropriate moments determined by the game designer(s). […] Instead of requiring the player to enter a fictional game world, ARG designers attempt to enmesh the game within the fabric of the player’s real world by harnessing as many media technologies and interfaces as possible.”
http://www.argology.org/_what-is-an-arg/

They can be used as complex viral marketing techniques, or simply for the sake of entertainment – our project falls into the latter category.
What Is An ARG?

Aims:
To create a strong multi-media starting point for an ARG launch
Promote an alternative style of gameplay with a more real-world focus

Objectives:
Create an engaging ARG trailhead [or ‘rabbit hole’].
Plot out the story line and background needed for game continuation, including concept art.
Create convincing web and print resources for the companies & characters involved in the game plot.
Aims & Objectives

The Beast
“ Considered to be the first fully fledged ARG. The Beast was an experimental marketing tool for the film A.I Artificial Intelligence. It was a murder mystery set in the future featuring human like robots.”
I Love Bees
“An AI from the Halo 2 universe is stranded in our world and needs help.”
Cloverfield
“ Set in a dystopian future where the government surveys everyone.”
Perplex City
“The Master of Perplex City Academy asks for help in finding the lost Receda Cube from the citizens of Earth.”
Year Zero
“A rebel group from the future attempts to prevent the American government from becoming an Orwellian state.”
Potato Fool's Day
“By collecting enough potatoes players were able to power up a supercomputer to achieve the early release of a game.”
Research: Previous ARGs

This Is Not A Game:  A Guide To Alternate Reality Gaming - Dave Szulborski
Rules of Play – Katie Salen/Eric Zimmerman
Engineering Play – Mizuko Ito
Beyond Reality: a guide to alternate reality gaming - John W. Gosney
'This Is Not a Game': Immersive Aesthetics and Collective Play – Jane McGonigal

Online Resources & ARG Forums:
Alternate Reality Game Business Models - IGDA


http://www.unfiction.com/
http://www.reddit.com/r/ARG
http://www.argology.org

Planning Guides:
http://www.christydena.com/online-essays/arg-design-charts/

Research: Resources

The trailhead: players are contacted by Agent X, a low-level manager of an international organisation called FRACT:ION. He explains that FRACT:ION works to minimize the damage and disruption caused by the supernatural phenomena dubbed “Faultlines”, and he's concerned because a number of his staff are MIA. The first clue is left in this correspondence, as well as links to websites in which key information from the game will
be displayed.
Over the course of the game the nature of the Faultline
phenomena will be revealed to the player, and
they will be introduced to a number of other
organisations and characters, as well
as becoming familiar with the
internal workings and moral
ambiguity behind FRACT:ION.


(Pictured right: Concept art for Agent Z, who is introduced in more detail later in the game.)
Faultlines: The story so far

Planned Schedule

Faultlines: Artistic Inspiration
Samples of some of the initial inspiration/moodboard images we collected on our pinterest account: Faultlines ARG Pinterest
Over the summer we gathered a lot of visual resources and plotted out the basic storyline, which has since continued to evolve.
Much of our research was based on architecture, as faultlines tend to manifest through old buildings and places where there is a high concentration of human history.

The informative 2D animation sent to players in the trailhead will mimic the style of 1950's educational cartoons. Here are some examples of the style we will be aiming to create:
Fallout
Ratchet & Clank
Portal 2









Pictured right: some very early concept art for one of the creatures.
Faultlines: Artistic Inspiration (cont.)

So far we have either used or intend to use:

Hardware:
- DSLR Camera, Video Camera, Graphics Tablets
- Greenscreen Facilities, photographic studio
Software:
- Adobe Flash, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Paint Tool SAI, Corel Painter XI, MS Office
Other Requirements:
- One actor confirmed so far, one more needed
- One confirmed audio technician
- Volunteers from ARG forums for beta testing and questionnaires










Resources Required

Keeping the Storyline immersive but not too complex
Players need to be entertained and captivated by the story, but must be able to keep track of it!
Narrowing the parameters
ARG games are enormous, where do we begin and what do we make?
Creating a flexible solution path
ARGs can bend to the will of the player, the starting material cannot be too dedicated to a specific, detailed solution
Defining a cutoff point
Since creating a whole ARG is beyond the scope of this project we will need to define a clear divide between the media we produce and the hypothetical rest of the game.
Developing cohesion
As our project is a series of mini-deliverables rather than a large single end product it will need to tie in neatly in terms of storyline, mood, and art direction .
Problems Encountered

Finding public domain resources, & similar copyright issues
Health and safety – fieldwork risk assessment form required for film shooting & permission must be obtained

Availability of actors
Time constraints will limit how complex the game can be
Funding


Risks and Constraints

Thanks!

If you think of any more questions or have any input we would love to listen. We can be reached at

argfaultlines@gmail.com
faultlinesarg.tumblr.com
or
ljs57 / cvh3