Comments on: Virtual Alternate Reality Game (VARG): A Proposal http://www.tinkerx.com/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/ Creative flux for our heap of broken images. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:56:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Marc http://www.tinkerx.com/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-3658 Marc Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:03:08 +0000 http://www.tinkerx.com/index.php/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-3658 Where do you find good life ,of course in the games .beause in the real life ,we have many distresses and pain, only in the games if we have enough gold to buy the good arms,and we can play the games well :) Where do you find good life ,of course in the games .beause in the real life ,we have many distresses and pain, only in the games if we have enough gold to buy the good arms,and we can play the games well :)

]]> By: Gary Hayes http://www.tinkerx.com/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-3524 Gary Hayes Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:09:52 +0000 http://www.tinkerx.com/index.php/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-3524 My post from May covers this and many more issues with VARGs <a href="http://www.personalizemedia.com/index.php/2006/05/27/alternate-reality-games-in-virtual-spaces/" rel="nofollow">Link to ARGS in Virtual Spaces</a> Also my inworld POV blog <a href="http://www.justvirtual.com" rel="nofollow">justvirtual</a> has a few 'trail heads' - although the main VARGs are not covered. Gary My post from May covers this and many more issues with VARGs

Link to ARGS in Virtual Spaces

Also my inworld POV blog justvirtual has a few ‘trail heads’ - although the main VARGs are not covered.

Gary

]]> By: Andy http://www.tinkerx.com/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-2602 Andy Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:04:05 +0000 http://www.tinkerx.com/index.php/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-2602 Jen: people log thousands of hours into games like World of Warcraft. In the end, after reaching the highest levels, one of the questions becomes (and this is discussed a lot on blogs like Terra Nova and Raph Koster's site), "What now?" Because you are essentially playing someone else's game and giving time to playing a character in someone else's world. You truly reap not, and neither do you sow. A more systematized game-effort, in which levels were based on true skills -- 3D modeling, texture creation, animation, programming -- and where the efforts brought about a change in the world, real (er... real virtual) places to visit, things to play with, new costumes and avatars, etc. And where the results would also, possibly, bring you RL$... that doesn't have an "exit level." You just keep going up until you are "naturally" bored or find something better to do; same as real world hobbies or groups. And even then, afterwards, you can come back and point and say, "See that temple garden? I built part of that when I was a novice. And the programming for the Poseiden Ride in the waterpark? That's all mine." Rather than sharing, with 4 million other players, the feeling of having completed the same exact quests they did, in roughly the same order, in the same places. Not that games aren't fun; they are; I love 'em. But in a social, virtual world... there may be more to do if we link game ideals with tools with users' desire to have a lasting impact. Jen: people log thousands of hours into games like World of Warcraft. In the end, after reaching the highest levels, one of the questions becomes (and this is discussed a lot on blogs like Terra Nova and Raph Koster’s site), “What now?” Because you are essentially playing someone else’s game and giving time to playing a character in someone else’s world. You truly reap not, and neither do you sow.

A more systematized game-effort, in which levels were based on true skills — 3D modeling, texture creation, animation, programming — and where the efforts brought about a change in the world, real (er… real virtual) places to visit, things to play with, new costumes and avatars, etc. And where the results would also, possibly, bring you RL$… that doesn’t have an “exit level.” You just keep going up until you are “naturally” bored or find something better to do; same as real world hobbies or groups. And even then, afterwards, you can come back and point and say, “See that temple garden? I built part of that when I was a novice. And the programming for the Poseiden Ride in the waterpark? That’s all mine.” Rather than sharing, with 4 million other players, the feeling of having completed the same exact quests they did, in roughly the same order, in the same places. Not that games aren’t fun; they are; I love ‘em. But in a social, virtual world… there may be more to do if we link game ideals with tools with users’ desire to have a lasting impact.

]]> By: Jen http://www.tinkerx.com/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-2592 Jen Mon, 09 Oct 2006 01:24:08 +0000 http://www.tinkerx.com/index.php/2006/10/08/virtual-alternate-reality-game-varg-a-proposal/#comment-2592 Really cool ideas, Mr. Tinker. And I especially like those last 3 concepts, too. Only... how could you develop True Believers in an obviously virtual system? Then again, wouldn't an open invitation to buy into an almost obviously ironic belief system be an engaging game in and of itself? Or wait. Oh. Moral Beauty... I'd love to visit, too. Really cool ideas, Mr. Tinker. And I especially like those last 3 concepts, too.

Only… how could you develop True Believers in an obviously virtual system?

Then again, wouldn’t an open invitation to buy into an almost obviously ironic belief system be an engaging game in and of itself? Or wait. Oh. Moral Beauty…

I’d love to visit, too.

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