jane mcgonigal - arg game studies

7/31/2019 Jane McGonigal - ARG Game Studies

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Alternate Reality Gaming

JANE MCGONIGAL game studies / game design

University of California @ Berkeley / 42 Entertainment


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gaming that feels like real life, only MORE

players who feel more capable, more confident more expressive,

more engaged and more connected in their real everyday lives

Life imitates ARG.-ARG player g_rottic


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What isAlternate Reality Gaming?


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An interactive drama played out online andin real-world spaces,


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taking place over several weeks or months,


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in which dozens, hundreds, or thousands of

players come together online,


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form collaborative social networks,


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and work together to solve a mystery orproblem


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and work together to solve a mystery orproblem

that would be absolutelyimpossibleto solve

alone.


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cross-mediapervasive

persistent

collaborativeconstructive

expressive

6 key terms that describe ARGs


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persistent


expressive

Case study: I LOVE BEES (2004)


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persistent


expressive

cross media: clues, narratives and missionsare distributed via a variety of digital media:


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persistent


expressive

cross media: clues, narratives and missionsare distributed via a variety of digital media:

web sites emails

blogs

MP3s and DVDs

web cams

text messages instant messages

networked game consoles

handheld GPS devices


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive

pervasive: extending into the real-world,taking place in everyday environments


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persistent


expressive

pervasive: extending into the real-world,taking place in everyday environments

physical clues are embedded in everydayenvironments

location-specific information is required site-specific missions and challenges aregiven

public ubiquitous computing andpersonal mobile technologies becomeessential tools for players


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


persistent: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week


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persistent


expressive


persistent: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

always on

unfolds in real-time

organic and responsive to players


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persistent


expressive


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persistent


expressive


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive

collaborative: designed to be absolutelyimpossible for an individual or small group to

solve in isolation parse information strategically

require location-specific information massively-scale challenges

walk and talk and chew gum design


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive

constructive: requires players to build thegaming platform themselves


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive

constructive: requires players to build thegaming platform themselves

Batteries Not Included design

communities self-organize

communications systems are designedand developed by the players

social engineering


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive

expressive: requires and inspires user self-expression


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive


user-created web sites and blogs

player guides

communications missions

new languages

fan art mass media interventions


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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive



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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive



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cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive


net: !attach act |

drop !attach act |

drop !route proc attach proc net

grope: !probe host crypt weak

!decrypt host decrypt confidence 100 !

probe master sector fail

surg: !invntry primary sector proc proc

invntry 343 working 0 dmg 38 dmg unk 2 broken

102 abs 201 !invntry primary sector mem mem

invntry 678223072849 clear 0.0007 dmg 0.0014

frgm 1.41 abs 98.5879 net: !attach act |

What does Alternate Reality


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What doesAlternate Reality

Gaming accomplish?

cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive

TECHNOLOGICAL CONFIDENCE:

Players gain skills and experienceusing a variety of new media and

network technologies. Players become confident using thesetechnologies in real-world contexts.



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Gaming accomplish?

cross-media

pervasive

persistent


expressive

COLLABORATION SKILLS:

Players experience the new kinds ofcollaboration made possible by mobile

and ubiquitous network technologies:e.g., ad-hoc, real-time cooperation

ARGs demonstrate the importance of

individual responsibility andcontribution within a big group everybody is uniquely necessary and

valued



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Gaming accomplish?

cross-media

pervasive

persistent

collaborative

constructive

expressive

COMMUNITY:

Players feel more connected to andactively engaged with others, both in

terms of local community anddistributed community

Players become a part of something

bigger


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JANE MCGONIGAL game studies / game design

www.avantgame.com [email protected]

Life imitates ARG.

jane mcgonigal - arg game studies

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