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 Forum index » Updates » Press and Other Analysis
ARG article - Escapist Magazine
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FLmutant
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
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Location: Orlando, FL
vpisteve wrote:
Additionally, as far as I know, every ARG studio has plenty of detailed case study and promotional materials to let any journalist worth his/her salt get an accurate picture of how ARGs work, (this assuming that they care enough to look beyond Wikipedia).


I agree, Steve. I think those case studies and promotional materials are a big part of the problem. The journalists worth their salt keep realizing they aren't accurate or objective, which adds to the perception it's just a subset of viral marketing.

I mean ... you weren't seriously suggesting that promotional materials were more "accurate" than Wikipedia, right? At best, it's a coin toss on that bet, I think. Wink

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:02 am
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Rekidk
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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 		Nothing is more accurate than Wikipedia.

Smile

Collaborative intelligence FTW!

/me un-threadjacks.
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:11 am
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FLmutant
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
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Rekidk wrote:
Nothing is more accurate than Wikipedia.

Smile

Collaborative intelligence FTW!

/me un-threadjacks.


Heh heh. Then again, I made the Blair Witch Project and Haxan helped make Benjamin Stove, errors that the encyclopedia didn't bother to kill trees to commit. And that's just GMD-related errors in two pages written by ARGing experts. Twisted Evil

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:24 pm
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konamouse
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Joined: 02 Dec 2002
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 		Did you ever go edit and correct those errors???
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:04 pm
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vpisteve
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Joined: 30 Sep 2002
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Location: 1987
Rekidk wrote:
Nothing is more accurate than Wikipedia.


That's the funniest thing I've read this morning. Thanks for that. Brownie
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:43 pm
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vpisteve
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Joined: 30 Sep 2002
Posts: 2441
Location: 1987
FLmutant wrote:
vpisteve wrote:
Additionally, as far as I know, every ARG studio has plenty of detailed case study and promotional materials to let any journalist worth his/her salt get an accurate picture of how ARGs work, (this assuming that they care enough to look beyond Wikipedia).


I agree, Steve. I think those case studies and promotional materials are a big part of the problem. The journalists worth their salt keep realizing they aren't accurate or objective, which adds to the perception it's just a subset of viral marketing.

I mean ... you weren't seriously suggesting that promotional materials were more "accurate" than Wikipedia, right? At best, it's a coin toss on that bet, I think. Wink


OK, so how's this, then. Let's take a look back at the "major" ARGs of 2007, then, shall we? (I'm sure I'll get slammed for what I don't include in this list, but hey, I expect that, since I'm not cute and winsome like some puppetmasters. Wink )

Marketing (filthy lucre):
Cloverfield (not sure if this really counts, but I'm throwing it in since everyone seems to think it does)
The Dark Knight
Heroes 360
Tom Tooman
Guiness Tipping Point


Self-Sustaining/Art/Patron-funded (beauty in purity):
Eldritch Errors
World Without Oil
Year Zero
Deus City
Perplex City

Hmm, 5 to 5. Let's just point the press here from now on. Razz
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:04 pm
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Rekidk
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 992
Location: Indiana, USA
vpisteve wrote:
FLmutant wrote:
vpisteve wrote:
Additionally, as far as I know, every ARG studio has plenty of detailed case study and promotional materials to let any journalist worth his/her salt get an accurate picture of how ARGs work, (this assuming that they care enough to look beyond Wikipedia).


I agree, Steve. I think those case studies and promotional materials are a big part of the problem. The journalists worth their salt keep realizing they aren't accurate or objective, which adds to the perception it's just a subset of viral marketing.

I mean ... you weren't seriously suggesting that promotional materials were more "accurate" than Wikipedia, right? At best, it's a coin toss on that bet, I think. Wink


OK, so how's this, then. Let's take a look back at the "major" ARGs of 2007, then, shall we? (I'm sure I'll get slammed for what I don't include in this list, but hey, I expect that, since I'm not cute and winsome like some puppetmasters. Wink )

Marketing (filthy lucre):
Cloverfield (not sure if this really counts, but I'm throwing it in since everyone seems to think it does)
The Dark Knight
Heroes 360
Tom Tooman
Guiness Tipping Point


Self-Sustaining/Art/Patron-funded (beauty in purity):
Eldritch Errors
World Without Oil
Year Zero
Deus City
Perplex City

Hmm, 5 to 5. Let's just point the press here from now on. Razz


Year Zero, hm? As artsy as that is--and as much as Trent Reznor wants to say that it's the artform itself--and as cool as that is--it's still marketing.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:28 pm
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vpisteve
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Joined: 30 Sep 2002
Posts: 2441
Location: 1987
Rekidk wrote:
Year Zero, hm? As artsy as that is--and as much as Trent Reznor wants to say that it's the artform itself--and as cool as that is--it's still marketing.


What do you base that statement on?? Year Zero was not funded by promotional/marketing dollars at all.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:46 pm
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FLmutant
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 244
Location: Orlando, FL

 		Steve, if I just keep drinking through the end of the year, you'll start looking more and more winsome as the near year dawns.

Rekidk wrote:
Year Zero, hm? As artsy as that is--and as much as Trent Reznor wants to say that it's the artform itself--and as cool as that is--it's still marketing.


That's a mean razor you got there, Rekidk. Cuts real sharp, depending upon what marketing means. I could probably use that razor to slice out everything but Deus City and Sameeees 2 (left off by our winsome friend) from the touchie-feelie pile. EE will sell something one day. WWO was selling an agenda. Year Zero was selling Trent the Artist if not the album of the same name. Perplex City, which gets an asterick for surviving part of the year, had hoped to do so in order to market something. Even the forthcoming UK cancer ARG hopes to part you from your money.

So call it 5 to 6*, Team Filthy Lucre loses by half a torn puzzle card. The judge next to that one might score it 6 to 5* with Team Filthy Lucre winning by the length of Reznor's nose. Just remember the East German judge scored it 9* to 2 for Team Filthy Lucre and called it the disappointment of the year. She was East German, right?

Happy New Year everyone.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:50 pm
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vpisteve
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Joined: 30 Sep 2002
Posts: 2441
Location: 1987
FLmutant wrote:
Steve, if I just keep drinking through the end of the year, you'll start looking more and more winsome as the near year dawns.

I feel so pretty now....

FLmutant wrote:

I could probably use that razor to slice out everything but Deus City and Sameeees 2 (left off by our winsome friend) from the touchie-feelie pile.


Gah! I knew I'd miss something obvious! Add one to the Art/Purity pile, then... Smile
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:57 pm
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Gupfee
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Joined: 22 Sep 2002
Posts: 817
Location: Massachusetts
FLmutant wrote:
WWO was selling an agenda.


Asking people to imagine life after the oil runs out is an agenda?
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:02 pm
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FLmutant
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 244
Location: Orlando, FL
Gupfee wrote:
FLmutant wrote:
WWO was selling an agenda.


Asking people to imagine life after the oil runs out is an agenda?


I think so, yes. It happens to be an agenda I have sympathy with, but as Brooke's example of replacing the topic with say one about religious conversion and not everyone will have the same feelings. If it had been PETA, you might have lost a different set such as myself (I have this grudge over the Florida Constitution and the rights of pregnant pigs enshrined therein.)

Don't get me wrong: the intersection of Games for Change and ARGing is one of the things to celebrate about from this year. Cultural dividends as a priority: I'm down with the struggle. If Ron Paul started an ARG, he'd be selling you something too, even if he didn't ask you to pull out your credit card. GM did an ARG about ethanol that didn't promote any particular product, but people were clever enough to understand why it was in GM's self-interest to do so.

Still not art for art's sake, but I warned you that razor Redkik had was mighty sharp.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:14 pm
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catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee

Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 4109
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
vpisteve wrote:
Year Zero was not funded by promotional/marketing dollars at all.

I see we all have a different definition of what a "marketing ARG" is. Steve sees it as a funding source model, while I might think it means ultimate intent and purpose.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:20 pm
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Gupfee
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Joined: 22 Sep 2002
Posts: 817
Location: Massachusetts
FLmutant wrote:
Still not art for art's sake, but I warned you that razor Redkik had was mighty sharp.


In that case, you need to take Deus City off your "purity" list too, as there is a specific agenda there as well, collecting info for a Ph.D. thesis.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:24 pm
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vpisteve
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Joined: 30 Sep 2002
Posts: 2441
Location: 1987
catherwood wrote:
vpisteve wrote:
Year Zero was not funded by promotional/marketing dollars at all.

I see we all have a different definition of what a "marketing ARG" is. Steve sees it as a funding source model, while I might think it means ultimate intent and purpose.


No no, I think we agree, cath. In addition to YZ not being funded with marketing dollars, its intent and purpose was in fact to not be marketing as much as being part of "the art itself."

I only pointed to the funding source as it's a lot more quantifiable than inferring intent. Smile

Gup, I think Brian was making the point of the slippery slope we'd find ourselves on if we were to use Rekidk's super-sharp razor to start splitting hairs.

The point I think we can all agree on (to get back to...some...earlier topic) is that there are many more ARGs out there that weren't just marketing vehicles in the general sense, and to present the space as a place where marketing ARGs overwhelmingly outnumber non-marketing ARGs is just plain inaccurate. My list above is painting with a very broad brush, though, admittedly, as Perplex City wasn't as much a self-funding ARG as it was a marketing vehicle for the Perplex City brand and its future products (not that there's anything wrong with that, at all.)

I just think it's pretty dangerous when folks try to divine intent beyond the obvious, and then use that as the basis for throwing something into either the Pure Art or Filthy Lucre box.

And finally, Brian. East German judge. ROFLMAO. Laughing
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:15 am
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