ARGs: Fake Websites, Invented Stories, Automated Phone Calls and Other Methods to Earn the Trust of a Community
Speaker: Elan Lee (Founder/Chief Designer, Fourth Wall Studios)
Date/Time: Wednesday (September 17, 2008) 4:30pm — 5:30pm
Location (room): Room 9
Track: Online Games - Social Networking & Community
Format: 60-minute Lecture
Experience Level: Intermediate

Session Description
An Alternate Reality Game is an interactive story that massive communities explore with the tools of their lives. One of the key success factors to this new form of entertainment is its ability to inspire and maintain large communities. Why do these communities trust the game designers enough to visit strange websites, brave hurricanes to answer ringing payphones, and tattoo game logos on their bodies? This talk will explore the communities that form around Alternate Reality Games, why they form, why they grow, and ultimately, why they trust this new form of storytelling to entertain them.