Lonelygirl15

HyeMew · Moderator Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 797

We've been having an interesting, indepth, and very important discussion in the thread "How to Come out of This Better...". It's rather wordy though, so I'm bringing to you guys the main and most important point made out of all of it. People on both sides of the ARG issue have both stated they're worried about recent statements and we'd really like an official response. First the quote:

ApotheosisAZ · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:55 am Post subject:

I would like to add to this suggestion:

Would you guys mind setting up a focault pendulum somewhere near HyeMew? I think the rotation of the earth may actually have been altered as a result of his insistence upon this matter.

I just want to see a test of my theory. I know you're busy, but this could be the thing that breaks the whole issue wide open.
_________________
Official Jester of the LG15 Defense Force!

ShardinsKitten · Devoted Fan Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 934

I'd like an answer... not because I care, but because I'm interested.

I love the ARG and the characters, and I think it will be even better now in light of recent happenings.

I love the interactivity, if it wasn't for that I wouldn't still be here.

I can see why some maybe upset if it's true, but i think it could only bring bigger and better things.

milowent · Devoted Fan Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 883

surrealisticpill · Lonely Fan Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 250

Killthesmiley · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject:

immortal1 · Enthusiastic Fan Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 456

surrealisticpill · Lonely Fan Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 250

milowent · Devoted Fan Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 883

surrealisticpill · Lonely Fan Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 250

The first recognized ARG, "The Beast" had an astoundly large fanbase.

from the wiki that i linked to above:

"In 2001, in order to market the movie A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and a planned series of Microsoft computer games based on the film, Microsoft's Creative Director, Jordan Weisman, and another Microsoft game designer, Elan Lee, conceived of an elaborate murder mystery played out across hundreds of websites, email messages, faxes, fake ads, and voicemail messages. They hired Sean Stewart, an award-winning science-fiction/fantasy author, to write the story. The game, dubbed "the Citizen Kane of online entertainment" by Internet Life,[7] was a runaway success[8] that involved over three million active participants [9] from all over the world during its run and would become the seminal example of the nascent ARG genre."

immortal1 · Enthusiastic Fan Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 456

VanillaFlava · Casual Observer Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 32

surrealisticpill · Lonely Fan Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 250

you are right, i don't know what kind of finances they are willing to dump into an ARG. but if they are planning on hiring a new, professional PM, it could turn out in their favor. i know i wouldn't be involved in these forums and might not even be watching lg15 if it weren't for the ARG aspect. i know there are plenty of others for whom this is the case as well. i would even be willing to pay for an ARG. but maybe that's just me....

VanillaFlava · Casual Observer Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 32

Sorry if I came on a little harsh, it was not meant personally. What I do find frustrating, however, is that everybody seems to project their personal enjoyment of the existing (or possibly past) ARG onto the future of the franchise, or the direction it should take.

I do not mean to belittle the immersion this gives you, or the fun it probably is. More power to you. The reality is, however, that the majority of the LG15 audience probably has no idea an ARG even exists. That is if you go by the combined Revver and YT numbers anyway. And if you purely go by the numbers, they seem to suggest that the casual audience is being left behind.

This had no bearing on the quality of the ARG or the people involved. It does, however, in my mind, reflect on the structural changes the ARG has on the storytelling, and how those are perceived by the uninitiated. I think immortal1 has a very good point that this mixing and matching and the resulting more disjointed storytelling is likely to leave the casual audience confused or turned off. The ones truly immersed in it don't even notice.

This forum or Anchor Cove do not represent the audience at large. We are a pretty vocal minority. So, before any drastic changes get implemented, I would like to see some thought-out reasons for them. And generalisations like ARG draw huge crowds, or speculations like ARGs create revenue ain't cutting it.

This is not a point against ARGs at all. I am very interested in them, even on LG15. The question is how it gets implemented, for what purpose and with which kind of integration. Plus, I guess there is the resource issue.
_________________

Well now, I'm not gonna talk about Judy. In fact, we're not gonna talk about Judy at all, we're gonna keep her out of it.

Linc · Casual Observer Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 44

Basically, here's what the options are as I see them:

a) Scale the ARG back.

b) Acquire more investors, more advertising to maintain/expand the ARG.

c) Begin to add volunteers (dicey proposition) to the ARG.

With c), I believe that people are a production's most valuable resource. If someone lives in San Francisco, you just saved yourself at least $30 in gas, plus food and other expenses by having that person in SF make the drop rather than driving out there yourself.

(They may be doing this already; this is just an example)

With more people though more problems will arise. More personalities, more scheduling issues, more more more. So there's a balance there.
_________________
molniya r-60