Jordan's ARG Blog

KIB102 Visual Interactions

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A part of this clip will be received by the players as a clue. This video is a 3 and a half minute documentary on the bizarre disappearance of Flight 19

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Resource Statement: This is the intended timeframe and plan for the development of Seeking Flight 19. The timeline and tasks given is realistically achieveable.

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This is a mockup example of the old nespaper article that participants will receive in their first email. This newspaper clipping will hold an important clue

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This an example of what the broken website will look like when the players click on the given link. The website is down, therefore players must fill in their personal details to receive their next clue, which is a short video clip, via text.

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This is a mockup example of the email that players will receive near the beginning of the game. Attached to this email will be their first clue: an old newspaper archive. This clue will be very fundamental to the participants. 

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Media List/Use Case Scenario

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Seeking Flight 19 -

"The Unsolved Mystery"

Genre:

Flight 19 is a mystery. Players seek to discover the truth behind the conspiracy of the disappearance of Flight 19. 

Target Audience: A young adult demographic

Setting:

Seeking Flight 19 is based in the modern era of 2012. It focusses on the happenings of the Bermuda Triangle in but depends on today’s technology to develop answers.

     Characters:

Michael Franks – Young Journalist. Michael Franks is a young Journalist that is eager for answers of the disappearance of Flight 19 over the Bermuda Triangle. He is the Grandson of Pilot Ralph Franks who piloted one of the five avengers.

  Search and Rescue Team – consists of four people. The search and rescue team jump on board with Michael to further research the disappearance of Flight 19.

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Seeking Flight 19

"The Unsolved Mystery"

On December 5, 1945, Flight 19 which consisted of five TBM Avenger torpedo Bombers went missing while flying over the Bermuda Triangle during a US Navy overwater navigation training flight. All 14 airmen on the flight disappeared. Navy investigators and flight investigators never successfully determined what happened to all five aircrafts and the men onboard. Flight 19 was never found.

  Michael Franks, a young, passionate journalist from the ABC Current Affairs program Insiders learns that his grandfather was a senior pilot of one of the aircrafts and develops an interest in the suspicious disappearance of Flight 19. He teams up with a four-man and rescue team who share the same interest in the disappearance of Flight 19 and volunteers to assist Michael in discovering the truth of the disappearance.

  The director of the men’s local museum hears about the men’s interest in the disappearance of Flight 19 and emails them all old newspaper articles of the aircrafts disappearance. The five men study the article which informs them of the name and contact details for the commander that was in charge of the overwater training of the aircrafts.

In search for more information on the flights disappearance, Michael emails the commander, demanding answers. The email bounces back with a message saying that the commander is now deceased and signs off with an active web link. The web link directs the men to a page that contains an online video. The video does not work, and a message pops up that requires the men’s mobile number if they would like to access the video. Two days later, Michael and the search and rescue team receives the video on their phones. The video shows a short 45 second clip from a late documentary that was based on the Bermuda Triangle. The video contains a secret message which leads the five men to a map of the possible whereabouts of Flight 19. Will they find answers to the unsolved mystery?

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ARG Influence - Find 815

  Genre: Mystery, drama, adventure, journey  

Find 815 is based on the true discovery of the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815 in the Sunda Trench. It is the second Lost alternate reality game by ABC studios and the creators of the television series, Lost. The ARG began on December 31, 2007 and ended two hours prior to the premiere of season 4 on January 31, 2008. It was developed by an Australian marketing agency named Hoodlum.

The storyline revolves around an Oceanic IT technician Sam Thomas who is intent on finding his love who was on board Oceanic Flight 815 as a flight attendant. Sam has been active in campaigning against the airline's decision to cancel searching for the flight, disgruntled that they wish to move on and resume business. The rabbit hole for Find 815 is through a hacked video placed on the flyoceanair.com website. Players will come across clues such a voice messages, emails, networking sites, websites, phone calls and press releases to assist them in successfully completing this game. The puppet masters of Lost 815 have enabled agency through the various medium interfaces that the player uses to complete get further into the game.  

Find 815 is the major inspiration for my ARG. The idea of basing an ARG on a real life event was very appealing to me. It would appear more real and meaningful for the players.  

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ARG Influence - Dirty Work

Genre: Comedy

Dirty Work is a dark comedy that follows the gruesome misadventures of a LA based crime scene clean-up crew. Each episode is a new assignment and a new location. Dirty work is a gritty and immersive storytelling experience, delivered through Fourth Wall Studios’ RIDES platform. Each instalment of the series is told through the players’ computer and smartphones, a combination of video, audio, text and images which puts the viewer in the centre of the insanity. This ARG has influenced me with its use of medium platforms. The idea of using the participants’ smart phone as a medium to receive clues or information is a great way to connect personally with the player. 

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ARG Influence - Suits Recruits

Genre: Drama

Suits Recruits is an interactive alternate reality game that runs in parallel with the US Legal drama television show, Suits. Suits began airing its second season on June 14th. Fans visit the website suitsrecruits.com where they are able to submit an application for an unpaid paralegal internship at Pearson Hardman, one of Manhattan’s elite law firms. Two interns will even receive a $50,000 bonus after the successful completion of their time at Pearson Hardman, embracing a compensation plan that’s quixotic even for “big law.” The rabbit hole for this ARG is on the Suits Recruits website. The participant must apply for an internship at Pearson Hardman, and if accepted, will gain entry into the game. The player then begins their role as a paralegal in the immersive world of a realistic law firm where they will take on fake court cases. Players use the online forum on suitsrecruits.com to communicate with other interns and co-workers. Suits Recruits is a successful social gaming television experience and has inspired me to rely largely on an online forum as a communication tool amongst players

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Project Pitch Poster

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ARG Case Study Analysis

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Top 6 tips for a successful ARG

Ensure that you have an appealing and captivating idea for a theme and/or story.

Incorporate various different medium platforms into the game.

Develop a media plan

Create a community and a rabbit hole which will attract players.

Ensure the game is more realistic than fiction. This will make the game seem more personal to the player.

Create a timeline and pick design roles.

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This is a short three minute documentary of the real Flight 19 disappearance which will be used in the ARG Seeking Flight 19. This will communicate a clue to the players.

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Plans for rough Use Case Scenario.

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Developing ARG - Flight 19

Possible ideas for ARG Name: Seeking/Finding Flight 19? Number of characters still undecided but definitely multi-players. Conspiracy of the Bermuda Triangle - based around the disappearance of Flight 19. How to find find Flight 19 or discover what happened? Clues included to assist players - emails? navigation device?