This Is Not A Game: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming

396 Pages·2005·1.937 MB·English

by  Dave Szulborski

This Is Not A Game
A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming

By Dave Szulborski
Coming soon from Dave Szulborski and
New-Fiction Publishing

Through the Rabbit Hole
A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Alternate Reality Games
Available in June 2005

and

Altering Reality
A Beginner’s Guide to Making Alternate Reality Games
Available in July 2005
Copyright 2005 by Dave Szulborski
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means without permission by the
author.
ISBN: 1-4116-2595-1

Published by New-Fiction Publishing
www.new-fiction.com

Dedication
This Is Not A Game is dedicated first and foremost to my fam-
ily, for always believing in me and for encouraging and reminding me to
enjoy life. For my parents, who taught me that success lies in doing
what you love, not in what pays the best. For my brothers and sister,
who taught me that family bonds can grow stronger through the years,
despite miles between us and different lives to lead. For my children
and grandchildren, who gave me the strength to carry on through the
darkest of times. For my late wife Rose, who passed away much too
young, but will live on in our hearts forever. And finally, for Brittany
and Cole, who proved to me that miracles do happen, and that
strength, hope, and courage sometimes come in the smallest of pack-
ages.
Secondly, This Is Not A Game is dedicated to the Urban Hunt
Puppetmaster team – Dee, Becca, Diandra, Rick, and Paul – who made
my latest excursion into the land of Alternate Reality Gaming enjoyable
and memorable. I miss our Tuesday night meetings.
Dave Szulborski
January 1, 2005
Acknowledgements
This Is Not A Game would not have been possible without the
work and contributions of many people including:
· Joseph Matheny, who edited, encouraged, organized, and
marketed the book. He also contributed the Appendix relating to
cooperative writing projects.
· Steve Peters, the owner of ARGN.com, who contributed a
section in Chapter 15 looking ahead at the future of ARGs.
· Ben Mack, award winning magician and advertising guru, who
wrote Appendix E, “The Structure of Magic.”
· Dee Cook, one of my fellow Puppetmasters from my latest
game Urban Hunt. She contributed a personal reflection on the game
creation experience in Appendix C.
· Paul Melamud, another of my fellow Puppetmasters from
Urban Hunt. Paul contributed a detailed analysis of one of the puzzles
he created for the game in Appendix D.
Thank you to each and every one of the above people
who made This Is Not A Game possible. I hope the book inspires
many new Alternate Reality Gaming fans and Puppetmasters long into
the future.
Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................

Part One: Alternate Reality Games in Theory
Chapter 1: Game or Not a Game?...........................................................................1
Chapter 2: Immersion in an Alternate Reality......................................................17
Chapter 3: Game or Interactive Story?..................................................................35
Chapter 4: If It's Not a Game or an Alternate Reality, What Is It?..................47
Chapter 5: Interactive Authoring............................................................................57

Part Two: Alternate Reality Games in History
Chapter 6: ARG Pre-History...................................................................................71
Chapter 7: A Vision of the Future - the Beast......................................................93
Chapter 8: A Majestic Failure?..............................................................................105
Chapter 9: Lockjaw, Exocog, and ChangeAgents: Out of Control –
Independents Come of Age...................................................................................119
Chapter 10: Commercial Comeback?...................................................................135
Chapter 11: Chasing The Wish..............................................................................141
Chapter 12: MetaCortechs - ARGs Reloaded.....................................................157
Chapter 13: Summer Heat - I Love Bees.............................................................163
Chapter 14: David and Goliath - Urban Hunt...................................................171
Chapter 15: The Current and Future State of Alternate Reality Games.........185

Part Three: Alternate Reality Games in Practice
Chapter 16: Puppetmastering - Picking Up the Strings.....................................197
Chapter 17: Puppetmastering - Creating a Game..............................................207
Chapter 18: Puppetmastering - Running a Game..............................................271
Chapter 19: This Is Not A Game.........................................................................285
Appenidx A: Bibliography.....................................................................................297
Appendix B: Alternate Reality Game Resources...............................................307
Appendix C: A View from Above - A Personal Reflection on
Puppetmastering.....................................................................................................313
Appendix D: Anatomy of a Puzzle......................................................................317
Appendix E: Immersive Realities - The Structure of Magic............................327
Appendix F: Collaboration in Theory and Practice..........................................333
Appendix G: A Sample Alternate Reality Game – Errant Memories............343
Introduction
Imagine an event so powerful, so pervasive, that years after the
initial exposure people who participated in it still gather to talk about it
and long for the days when it actually took place. An event that partici-
pants willingly gave months of their lives to, without any thought of
reward or recognition, in a collective effort to help others. How would
you classify such an event, what would you call it, and how would you
go about understanding it? Would you think it was something religious
or spiritual, or perhaps even cultish?
What if the event itself never took place but was entirely fic-
tional? A carefully constructed and deliberate attempt to deceive people
while promoting a secret agenda. And, to make it even more difficult to
comprehend, the participants came to know that they were indeed
being misled, and still reminisce about the event as one of the most
enjoyable things in their lives. Maybe now you would think it was some
sort of mind control or conspiracy on a grand scale. And you wouldn’t
be too far wrong.
In April 2001, observant people attending the Steven Spielberg
movie A.I.: Artificial Intelligence noticed a curious listing in the
movie’s credits that seemed strangely out of place amidst the listings for
Best Boy, Stunt Man, and the other familiar positions required to make