Week 8: A topic of my choice

I actually have to pick my own topic for this entry? You would think that would make it easier, but it doesn't.

So let's talk about... ARGs, perhaps?

ARG stands for Augmented Reality Games, and they are quite fascinating if you ask me.

It's a game that involves different mediums and even real life scenarios to involve players in a grand scale. Usually they are used to promote something, like a video game or a tv show.

I actually kind of participated in an ARG a few years ago. It was for one of my favourite TV shows, which I was very obsessed with at the time, called LOST. I never followed the game to its end, because frankly I found it difficult to keep up with. These games involve a LOT of dedication. You have to really want it.

I did follow it for a while though. One aspect I specifically remember was a fake ad they inserted into the regular programming during the airing of an episode. It was for the Hanso Foundation, an organization that had only very briefly been mentioned on the show. The ad presented a phone number at the end of it, which I proceeded to call. On the other end of the line there was a recording of a message from a girl named Persephone who had more information... it continued on. There was also a full website for this fictional organization, which when explored would start to "glitch" and reveal various things. It led to other websites, of people decoding video, or advertisers that I'm still not sure how they related. They also brought the game to real life when a girl who was apparently part of the game gave a message during the question and answers component of their San Diego Comic Con panel. These things can get rather complex.

But for those willing to participate in them, I think it's an incredible way of promoting a product.