Wednesday May 14 8:45 PM
Today we're going to explore Alternate Reality Games and the American psyche. Do Americans think what they see on TV or in advertising is real? More importantly, do they care? Let me see a show of hands: how many of you think the FBI really has a set of drawers full of something called 'X-Files'? Or that Jack Bauer wouldn't be arrested for half the things he does on 24? To be honest, I have no idea whether or not the X-Files really exist, and that Jack Bauer isn't based on a real person. But that's exactly my point: we're willing to believe things that sound plausible regardless of the actual substance or facts of the claims.

Enter the ARG: Alternate Reality Game. The first example of an ARG was in 1996, and there have been many successful examples since then. The movie The Game, starring Michael Douglas, was cited as an inspiration for the first really successful ARG, The Beast in 2001.

The entry point to an ARG is called 'The Rabbit Hole'. ARG players then find clues by calling phone numbers, visiting websites, sending emails and occasionally getting in their cars and driving somewhere. It's an elaborate treasure hunt that at all points makes pains to appear as if it is not a game at all. The players do not have to pretend to be anyone but themselves, and ARGs take advantage of the sometimes spontaneous online communities to solve puzzles as a group.

This blurring of reality and entertainment is fun. It allows a player to star in the game by participating, and it allows the story to unfold in a non-linear way, like life. The story is told through the clues, and takes place in real-time and in real locations.

Many ARGs were designed as marketing campaigns, though several have sprung up that appear to be free-standing. ARGs are a clever way to get people intrigued enough to sell them something. It's hard to say if they're more effective than a traditional marketing campaign, but they sure are more interesting.

So back to my original questions: do Americans think what they see on TV or marketing is reality? More importantly, do they care?

I'm starting to think that I don't. After all, most of this article was based on information I found in Wikipedia, which is quite possibly the best ARG I've ever seen.

UPDATE:
Speaking of reality, here's me with my first catch of the season out of Lake Calhoun: