The Puppet Master Problem begins by describing the Halo alternate reality game, I Love Bees. The author then coins the idiotic term power play to describe ARGs and insists on using it for the rest of the article. She also neglects to mention that the players of I Love Bees knew it had something to do with Bungie and a new game they were working on. She continues by describing similar phenomena such as flash mobs. She also describes the invisible designers, or puppet masters, of these games.
A Measure for Marriage discusses the creation of a live action rpg in which one player proposed to another. On unexceptional.net describes another ARG.
My thoughts.
I've always found ARGs fascinating, but taking too much time and effort to hold my interest. Part of the problem is that they are now so well known and well advertised that only the most dedicated players will have an impact or a chance to discover new information.
I've never been able to get live action rpg's. I guess I can't get over the silliness factor. However, that was a brilliant way to propose to a girl who is into that sort of thing.
The first article discusses the One Laptop Per Child project. It's goal is to eventually distribute one laptop to each child in the undeveloped world. The games designed for this laptop are intended to be serious, and to be in a format that the children can see how they work and perhaps create their own. The second is a depiction of life in Africa that indicates the laptop is nice, but not really necessary. The third is a review by a 12 year old who thinks that the computer is great, although too slow.
I have mixed feelings about OLPC. Part of me thinks that the money should instead be spent investing in the infrastructure of developing countries to help them reach the point where they can take care of people's basic needs. However, a program like this can also help spread the desire to support the building of an infrastructure. Regardless, what developing countries really need is investments, not handouts. Investments empower people to make change, handouts take away the motivation to change.
This article describes an unusual type of theater in which the audience participates in the show. In one version, the actors act out a scene and then ask the audience what the character should do next. All the suggestions are acted out. In another version, one participants are given a concept. They then pose other participants in a way to demonstrate the current state of the idea, an ideal state of the idea, and a transitional stage between the two states. In third final type, participants tell of a problem. The actors then act out the problem and a potential solution. They then redo the skit with participants having the option to take over for any of the actors to take the solution in a different direction.
This article was very interesting. However, it could have used more context beyond the occasional references indicating to it being in South America. Regardless, audience participation makes for a very interesting scenario. By allowing people to change things in the skit, it may help empower them to create change elsewhere.
This article discusses the story of The Howard Dean for Iowa game. It was created as the first of a new type of campaign tool. The primary goals of the game were to attract "fence sitters" and teach about the power of a grass roots campaign. The development was seriously constrained by available development time and the goals of the campaign.
My Thoughts
Constraints add an interesting element to creativity. Although limiting, they make the process easier by providing a framework from which to work within. A constraint I like to make use of when thinking of designs for games is technology and my own or my groups skills. I start with what is feasible, and work from there.
Neighborhood
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