wk8 (10-23) catching the wish arg presentation

8/14/2019 WK8 (10-23) Catching the Wish ARG Presentation

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A place you cannot go;A place you cannot go;

A secret you cannot know.A secret you cannot know.

Mary Ann AriasMary Ann AriasARG PresentatioARG Presentatio


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he Traile Trail

A fan site called Speed Hunting Club for the showA fan site called Speed Hunting Club for the show Push, NevadaPush, Nevada featurfeaturmini puzzles, one of the last ones wasmini puzzles, one of the last ones was this puzzlethis puzzle

after 6 days the puzzle remained unsolved and was changed toafter 6 days the puzzle remained unsolved and was changed to thisthis

when solved it read:when solved it read: A place you cannot go/A secret you cannotA place you cannot go/A secret you cannot

know/Chasing the Wishknow/Chasing the Wish

www.chasingthewish.comwww.chasingthewish.com was discovered along with awas discovered along with a trailertrailer

players would then register on the site and wait for the game toplayers would then register on the site and wait for the game to startstartbefore Feb 28before Feb 28

this caused some backlash in the ARG community for revethis caused some backlash in the ARG community for revea

the PM and that it was a game. This step was needed howethe PM and that it was a game. This step was needed howeto accomplish certain aspects of the game...to accomplish certain aspects of the game...


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unchunch

Feb 27, 2003 the game officially launchedFeb 27, 2003 the game officially launched

ose who signed up started to receive an email from someone namose who signed up started to receive an email from someone named Daleed Dalepraguerague -- the emailthe email

He is in trouble and has heard that the reader can help. His wifHe is in trouble and has heard that the reader can help. His wife ande anddaughter have died and he believes its his fault. He says that idaughter have died and he believes its his fault. He says that it was territ was terriaccident and it wasnaccident and it wasnt supposed to happen this way. He has hiddent supposed to happen this way. He has hidden

information oninformation on www.synthasia.comwww.synthasia.com and is begging for help because he iand is begging for help because he iabout to committed to a mental health facility. He says that weabout to committed to a mental health facility. He says that we should tashould ta

good look at the website becausegood look at the website because sometimes you cansometimes you cant see the forest fot see the forest fotreestrees


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the first 24 hours the players are overwhelmed with informatithe first 24 hours the players are overwhelmed with informationon

10 website links10 website links

the location of the mysterythe location of the mystery -- Aglaura, NJ formerly OngAglaura, NJ formerly Ongs Hats Hat

backstorybackstory -- Dale had financial problems and was in debt to some shadyDale had financial problems and was in debt to some shadypeople. On Feb 14 he took his wife and daughter topeople. On Feb 14 he took his wife and daughter to Ash Grove ParkAsh Grove Park andandhis wife of his problems. His wife became furious and when theyhis wife of his problems. His wife became furious and when they returnereturnehome she packed up her things and their daughter and left Dale.home she packed up her things and their daughter and left Dale. When tWhen t

left Dale decided to kill himself but as he was about toleft Dale decided to kill himself but as he was about to The WishThe Wish appeaappeaand granted him a wish. Dale wished for more money and that hisand granted him a wish. Dale wished for more money and that his familyfamilynever know about his problems and lies.never know about his problems and lies. The WishThe Wish grants this and inforgrants this and infor

Dale that he will not remember the details.Dale that he will not remember the details.

Dale wakes up in a hospital and is informed that his wife and daDale wakes up in a hospital and is informed that his wife and daughter wughter wkilled in a car accident that he survived. The timeline does notkilled in a car accident that he survived. The timeline does not make senmake sen

him because he was at the park at the time the accident happenedhim because he was at the park at the time the accident happened. He. Heremembers his encounter withremembers his encounter with The WishThe Wish..


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the game lasted 6 months and utilized the following:the game lasted 6 months and utilized the following:

email archivesemail archives -- players gain access to Daleplayers gain access to Dales email when they solvs email when they solvfirst puzzlesfirst puzzles

live telephone press conferencelive telephone press conference -- a dozen players and several actora dozen players and several actorparticipatedparticipated

~25 real world items created just for the game~25 real world items created just for the game -- paintings, puzzle dipaintings, puzzle di

stones, manuscripts needing to be translatedstones, manuscripts needing to be translated

video news clips from the fictional Aglaura news stationvideo news clips from the fictional Aglaura news station

Real world meetings where characters handed off artifacts to plaReal world meetings where characters handed off artifacts to playeryer

chatbot programmed to give out information when the player gavechatbot programmed to give out information when the player gave ititright keywordright keyword

AIM chats with many of the game charactersAIM chats with many of the game characters


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ntact withntact with guidesguides and the formation of teamsand the formation of teams

ed, Blue, and Whiteed, Blue, and White

players were only sent one of the teamplayers were only sent one of the teamemails and they were combined on theemails and they were combined on theunforumsunforums

tremely difficult puzzles, one that wasntremely difficult puzzles, one that wasntt

lved until 3 years later:lved until 3 years later: linklink

computer that takes a life of its own, fortunecomputer that takes a life of its own, fortunellers, a mob family, attempted suicide, severalllers, a mob family, attempted suicide, severalaths, mysterious artwork from a missingaths, mysterious artwork from a missing

man, nine stones, and a finale over AIM areman, nine stones, and a finale over AIM are

ly a FEW of the plot detailsly a FEW of the plot details


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ee

petmasterpetmaster

creator ofcreator of

ChangeAgents: Out oChangeAgents: Out oControl, Urban Hunt,Control, Urban Hunt,Author ofAuthor ofThis Is NotThis Is NotGameGame

Spent 6 monthsSpent 6 monthsdeveloping the gamedeveloping the gameincluding 2 months ofincluding 2 months of

writing the plotwriting the plot"Dave Szulborski is one of the brightest minds examin

new and exploding genre of Alternate Reality Games.

writes from the unique perspective as both a creator

Spending a couple hours with him discussing the ama

world of immersive fiction is like hanging simultaneo

Hunter Thompson and Mos Def."


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he Goalse Goals

ake real world items and interactions a vital partake real world items and interactions a vital part

e gamee game

ranscend the boundaries of the Internetranscend the boundaries of the Internet more thmore th

ny previous ARGny previous ARG

a RWI distributed in ChangeAgents was a huga RWI distributed in ChangeAgents was a hug

hithit

game that reached out and played with yougame that reached out and played with you

ave a cohesive and meaningful storyave a cohesive and meaningful story


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ew Kind of Gameplayew Kind of Gameplayorski announced the game prior to its start and created a rorski announced the game prior to its start and created a registration page to gaiegistration page to gairs informationrs information

formation was used to bring real world aspects into the gformation was used to bring real world aspects into the game such as live itemame such as live item, graffiti appearing at player, graffiti appearing at players homes, phone calls, players receiving items in thes homes, phone calls, players receiving items in therom Dale, etc.rom Dale, etc.

s also able to recruit help through two formss also able to recruit help through two forms

rtiststists -- who created certain elements of the game like websites, paintinwho created certain elements of the game like websites, paintings, imagesgs, images

ehind The Scenes helpers (BTS)hind The Scenes helpers (BTS) -- people who helped hide items around thepeople who helped hide items around theuntry, managed player database, and other nonuntry, managed player database, and other non--creative tasks. These people stilcreative tasks. These people stilrticipated in the game and werticipated in the game and were only given the slightest information about whatre only given the slightest information about what


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. .

ll, this week we are moving into a new house. We finally got the keys last night and went over to dr

me of the stuff from our storage unit. There was tons of furniture and junk still inside so we left (theren an estate sale there the weekend before by the owner and I guess she forgot that we were startive that day). Our toddler wasn't in too good of a mood while we were there either. She was crying

reaming the whole time which is totally unlike her. It was dark and there wasn't much we could seeyway so we decided to just call it a night. We just left our grill, picnic table and a few other things th

e picnic table was in pieces and it was too dark out to put it together so we just leaned them up agahouse and figured we'd put it together today.

st forward to today...

aded up our borrowed minivan with boxes and cleaning supplies and made my way over to the houhile I was washing the kitchen windows, I noticed that one of the metal legs of the picnic table had fer. So I went outside to pick it up. I turned around to put the piece back up against the others and ths the graffitti staring me right in the face on the wood piece to our picnic table!

on't know how well this translates in the picture. I had to use our video camera to take a still since In't find my adapter to my scanner. It looks like it was drawn with a soft rock or maybe a piece of cha

il


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etailsetails

ded over 2 dozen websitesded over 2 dozen websites

0 players at peak0 players at peak

ost 8,000 posts in the CTWst 8,000 posts in the CTWive at the unforumive at the unforum

Szulborski over $1000.00Szulborski over $1000.00n the gamen the game

onths of total work timeonths of total work time


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essess

W received world wide acclaim inW received world wide acclaim ineral newspapers and magazineseral newspapers and magazines

ew York Timesew York TimesBC NewsBC News


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uccessuccess

hasing the Wish was a huge success in the ARGhasing the Wish was a huge success in the ARGommunityommunity

aunched a spinoff calledaunched a spinoff called Catching the WishCatching the Wish inin006, there is also a comic006, there is also a comic

hanged the way future ARGs would be playedhanged the way future ARGs would be played -- tthal world elements would only get more involvedal world elements would only get more involved

om here.om here.


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ourcesources

p://www.varin.org/ctw/Guide/start.htmlp://www.varin.org/ctw/Guide/start.html

p://melangerie.com/ctw/p://melangerie.com/ctw/

p://forums.unfiction.com/forums/index.php?f=203p://forums.unfiction.com/forums/index.php?f=203

p://www.unfiction.com/compendium/2003/01/01/chasingp://www.unfiction.com/compendium/2003/01/01/chasing--thethe--wishwish--3/3/

his Is Not A Gamehis Is Not A Game -- A Guide to Alternate Reality GamingA Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming by Dave Szulborskiby Dave Szulborski

wk8 (10-23) catching the wish arg presentation

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