unforum

[jlr1001]

What Defines A Mini-ARG?

[notgordian]

The answer is "yes".

Does the definition of what you're creating really matter? I mean, there are surely going to be challenges with regards to the creation of a "mini-ARG" -- attracting players while establishing the proper level of expectations of gameplay, condensing a story to fit your concept of "mini", choosing your target audience, etc. Make what you want to make and see how people receive it.

[Rekidk]

Maddison Atkins ran 14 days, involved 13 videos, several IRC chats, a few free webpages (Myspace, Youtube, etc.), three drops, and four puzzles. It was short in length, but it was a compelling, action-packed experience for all involved. I would call it a mini-ARG because of its length.

However, I wouldn't call it an ARG-lite. Maddison Atkins offered tons of daily entertainment for its hardcore audience, yet lurkers could enjoy the entire story in under an hour. This was a true ARG; it was just a little shorter in overall length than most full ARGs.

I'm sure it took a lot of planning and work for Jeromy Barber, the PM of Maddison Atkins. However, with a running time of just two weeks, there was only a small risk of burnout--and therefore implosion--by the PM or actors.

With a short story that you can tell in just a few weeks, you can gain some PM experience without burning out or having the responsibility of building an epic.