The Alternate Reality of Gaming: Blog the Fifth

Imagine an interactive game so involved that you find it hard to discern reality from what you're told. A game where your goals are accomplished using both body and mind, in the real world; where information is gathered by persistence, patience, and the ability to navigate through media to find what you're looking for. That thought would be the general overview of most ARGs, or Alternative Reality Games. Dive headfirst into a worldwide... puzzle? No. Game? No, this is not a game, this is alternate reality. A bit over the top, maybe, but you get the idea. In today's world, where gaming is a billion dollar industry, to see something so interactive take place is breathtaking. Everything is becoming automatic, digitized, and thus easy, (or just E-Z.) I have been interested in ARGs ever since I found out about the I Love Bees phenomena, which interest many more than just Halo fans, and wish to see more flourish. Many people are shocked, uninterested in, or even put off by the amount of involvement necessary to "play" one of these games, but I greatly respect those in charge of creating such a complex masterpiece, as well as those who can follow the plot and solve puzzles along the way.

The reason Craig would assign this reading, (besides being a bit of a gamer,) is to show how important the writing process is no matter what field you're working (or playing) in. Think about it; these people create puzzles, websites, and articles that look so real that . I think that the ability to write something that catches the attention of people so many people is amazing. I'm not even sure as to what else I should write, because I seem to be repeating myself. So, I'll leave you with this question in mind: Where does reality end, and the game begin?