Alternate Reality Games
Framtidens Marknadsföringsform
Alternate reality gamesGamingMarketingAdvertisingViralBrandingAlternativeNew mediaCross mediaFictionFutureTrendMarknadsföringReklamDen dolda sanningen
An alternate reality game, often abbreviated as ARG, is a mix between a game and a crossmedia interactive story using mainly the Internet as a platform. The game is built around the idea of teamwork among its participants. The players cooperate to solve puzzles allowing them to go forward in the story of the game. The marketing element is in different ways included in the story.A few Alternate Reality Games such as The Beast, The Art of the H3ist and The Lost Ring have previously been launched as marketing campaigns. This bachelor thesis aims to examine the possibilities of Alternate Reality Games as an alternative marketing tool for profit-driven companies. The method includes interviewswith Swedish advertising agencies as well as individuals in the ARG business. The prototype used in the thesis is an earlier ARG named Den Dolda Sanningen, which was produced in the fall semester of 2008 as an assignment for a course at Växjö University.