Is bigger always better?

Having spent my last two posts writing about storytellers and designers, I thought I should perhaps acknowledge what Eireann so eloquently argues for in his posts; the role of the player...

ARGs have been getting a lot of attention recently, which is great. Usually, however, it is in the context of big games, running over the internet or in relation to various television shows. Or even in magazines. JJ Abrams famously took over the editorial chair of Wired Magazine this May and included a small ARG buried in small clues across the pages. Abrams' success show Lost, of course, is also the setting for one of the most famous ARGs there has been; the Lost experience, giving hardcore fans of the series something to dig their teeth into in between seasons. The number of big games, usually ran as advertising or promotional campaigns, are starting to soar.

These games are great, and their existence is a good thing. But magnitude comes with its own set of problems. If you are catering to that many players, their individual experiences by nature have to be limited. Less space for exploration, less space for experimentation, and less space for the player to carve out her own story. She ends up following a script. A good script, well crafted and interesting. But limited nontheless.

ARGs hold so much promise. Even the name given to them, 'alternate reality' is suggestive of the belief we have in their potential. We're still waiting for the playground that Cronenberg dreamt up in that odd, yet perhaps underrated, little film of his, eXistenZ.

How do we properly take the step from being an audience member to the starring role? Is it even possible?

One of the things we are interested in here at Everyone is Playing is local ARGs. Meaning games that we play here, in our city, on our streets. Smaller games, that have a beginning and an end. Games that you can play in a day, and then go home with a great experience.

The big games all take place on the screen, through networks and various high-tech devices. This is great, but lets not forget the possibilities that exist in the physical space immediately surrounding us. Perhaps it is here, in the familiar environment of our everyday life, that we can begin to really shape the games we play around ourselves, our choices and our actions, and really become the main protagonists of our own stories.