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[thecjfthistle]

1. Yes, this is the first ARG I've played, and the first I had ever heard of.

2. The money has not made me put in any extra time except in the sense that I will occasionally daydream to the end of the game. It's not that I picture myself winning, and I agree with those who compare it to the lottery feeling, but I find that the fact a reward exists tends to focus the mind on the endpoint and must encourage speculation and keep the whole thing moving forward.

3. One of the best things for me about PPC is that I have overcome my own ignorance in certain areas to participate in the puzzles. For example, I now know more about prime numbers, binary and genetics than I ever would have without this stimulus. So while I agree - with maybe a bit less cynicism - with European Chris, I think that for a willing mind a good ARG may be a way of intellectual improvement and self-education.

4. I only wish I could contribute more. Remember when the community solved Elucidate? Almost everyone had chipped in and there had been so many suggestions. When it was solved, the congratulations were warm and there was a real feeling that this was a community effort. I hope the same will be felt if and when someone from Team Unifiction finds the Cube.

5. I don't mind paying for something if I feel it is of good quality. I think PPC might even be good for my brain. If other ARGs want to reach the standard of PPC in terms of presentation, I am sure there will be a cost attached.

[Reptile]

1. Yes, i'd never heard of them before, I can thank firebox for this.

2. No, not a chance i'd be the one to find the cube. i'm in for the entertainment.

3. It takes all types of people, some might spot things that others wouldn't. As for IQ, it doesn't take a high IQ to be able to enjoy an ARG, someone with a low IQ could be just as good, but i guess it helps. People are becoming more tech savvy as computers are becoming a bigger part of everyday lives. so who knows, could do. But then it can be quite time consuming to get really involved, and alot of people just won't have the time.

4. It seems to me that most people aren't in it for the money and so maybe a bit but not a huge amount

5. Yes. and i can't see them being pay to play in the future, they would lose so many people. They would be better off getting funding in the same way as perplex city.

[ALISDAIRPARK]

1) This is my first full on ARG. I've riddled and puzzled before (Zest is close to an ARG, but there isn't the detail on the alternate reality to really class it as an ARG).

2) Nope, getting the cube would be great, but I'm in it to solve puzzles

3) They could if thought was put into it, I guess the ARG would need to be more adventurous than highly intellectual. Take Perplex City for example; yeah you need to be clever/ techie/ a geek for solving Silvers, but there's nothing to stop Joe Average from going to a live event, running around like a headless chicken and having a blast. especially when you throw in team work, and the pub at the end! I agree with reptile though that time is a limiting factor.

4) There's been discussion around this already, and I know one person who has started to appreciate the group support. For me forums, and the team work, come close to an utopian ideal with everyone helping each other (likewise for trading, although a few fall short of the ideal). I hope in my heart that the ideal does not get disrupted when the cube is in sight (as long as I get my hands on it first of course)

5) I have no problem with how it's done for Perplex City, as you can take part in the hunt without buying the cards, and I think it's good to have a tangible reward for being the one to solve the mystery. I have seen other sights were you have to pay to join though, and while they may give as many wasted hours pleasure as PC, I'm not taking the chance!