unforum

[Quantum]

Alternate reality games in fiction

[natas]

Re: Alternate reality games in fiction

[Rogi Ocnorb]

The overarching plot point of not knowing why this is happening to them could make for a very suspenseful story with lots of open-ended questions and directions to take. Adding elements of "homesickness" (terrible term. But you get the idea) would make it a well rounded story. Something I thought the Cube movies could have used.
Is the story written in the perspective of one member of the group? Or is is more like the TV series, Lost?
The rabbit hole on this has a lot of possibilities, too. I could see where your character gets caught-up in something like a drug deal gone bad while innocently hitching a ride from an acquaintance and while running away from the cops, they are handed an envelope by a haggard bum in an alley. This would be their contract including both the reward for success and consequence(s) for failure. And at the end of the story, they find themselves dressed as a haggard bum in an alley with an envelope in their hands, someone frantically running towards them and a choice to make.

Too "kitschy"?

[SirQuady]

That sounds real awesome! There are very few stories that involve ARGs, plus your story and puzzle ideas sound really impressive as well!

There are actually only two stories i can think of that involve ARGs.
One is an upcoming book by Cory Doctorow:
http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/books/la-bkw-park20apr20,0,2456208.story

The other, (my personal favourite), isn't specifically about ARGs. In fact, it can't be. Why? It was written in 1908! Yet it basically is talking about an ARG (in my opinion, at least.). Plus, it's a short, entertaining read!
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Gilbert_K_Chesterton/The_Club_of_Queer_Trades/The_Tremendous_Adventures_of_Major_Brown_p1.html

Good luck, and if you need any specific help, feel free to Private Message me or just post here!

Rogi: Good old Cube.

[Quantum]

The way I'm planning it, a lot of the story is told from the perspective of several groups of characters. The first few "stages" take place showing everyone scrambling to get from location to location, but after a short while, the main character is approached by someone involved in orchestrating the event and they start exploring the nature of the game, who runs it, why it is being held in the first place, and most imporantly, why they've been chosen to play. I have all sorts of groups in mind: a former racing driver, an obstertrician with a rare genetic condition that confines him to a wheelchair and one of his patients, and a criminal who is forced to team up with one of his victims in an ironic about-face of their positions as he had previously forced her to work for him an now he's on the receiving end.

The whole concept came to mind after a friend told me about the Gumball 3000: a cross-continent road race for celebrities. I'd just seen Die Hard With a Vengeance and The Game, and so mixed all three in and voila, we had our concept: a secret and very illegal road race across Europe.

Now if I could just sort out all my ideas - I've given this a lot of thought so far, but I'll need to write everything down so I don't forget - I can start writing.

[Rogi Ocnorb]

Just don't run afoul of any copyright issues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_%28TV_series%29

[Quantum]

[labfly]

Re: Alternate reality games in fiction

[enaxor]

Re: Alternate reality games in fiction

[konamouse]

Re: Alternate reality games in fiction

[mac_monkey]

A game I did for my dissertation a couple of months ago (Project Ophiuchus) was centered around a group of people who had become caught up in an ARG. It's a fun concept, it's kinda new and there's pleanty to play around with.

Have fun with it

[Hyperion]

I wrote a short story about the psychological effects of immersion gaming and of ARGs in particular, citing references to House of Leaves and other immersion works. So far, it's all very impressive. You're on the right track.