Our reading assignment concerning Henry Jenkins' description of convergence culture, "... where old and new media collide, where grassroots and corporate media intersect, where the power of the media producer and the power of the media consumer interact in unpredictable ways," reminded me of a 2007 Wired article discussing Alternate Reality Games.
ARGs, according to Wikipedia, create an interface between the real and virtual worlds, often involving "multiple media and game elements," unraveling a story that "may be affected by participants' ideas or actions." They are usually created for promotional purposes-the Wired article discusses a campaign created by the Nine Inch Nails-in the hopes that the higher degree of interaction will yield a greater deal of buzz surrounding the product being advertised.
ARGs, according to Wikipedia, create an interface between the real and virtual worlds, often involving "multiple media and game elements," unraveling a story that "may be affected by participants' ideas or actions." They are usually created for promotional purposes-the Wired article discusses a campaign created by the Nine Inch Nails-in the hopes that the higher degree of interaction will yield a greater deal of buzz surrounding the product being advertised.
Recent games have embedded hints on web sites such as Twitter and YouTube; additionally, clues can often be found in physical locations that have some relevance to the game. In effect, the scope of the game is world-wide, allowing people from all over to become players. By using a variety of medium to more effectively engage the consumer, it is evident that advertising companies are savvy to Jenkins' vision of convergence culture.
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