ARG Netcast, Episode 13: You Can’t Handle The Truth

ARG Netcast, Episode 13: You Can't Handle The Truth [ 1:02:15 ] Play in Popup | Download

In our last episode before migrating the netcasts to a shiny new web site, we reflect on the many, many emails we received in response to Episode 12. Episode 13 assembles the same panel as last week, which (in case you missed it) includes Jessica Price, Nicko Demeter, Jackie Kerr, Sean C. Stacey, Brooke Thompson and Jonathan Waite. Subscribe to the ARG Netcast feed through this link or via iTunes.

A Disclaimer, A Discussion
The views expressed in the ARG Netcast do not necessarily represent the views of ARGNet. The opinions offered in the ARG Netcast are those of the panelists, and should not be assumed to be factual reporting for the ARGNet web site. We discuss this for a bit, just to make sure we leave no stone unturned.

Game News

• A new Nine Inch Nails game is out in the wild (starting at www.iamtryingtobelieve.com). It may or may not be a 42 Entertainment game. Nicko has been playing and talks about what’s in the water. Head over to the Unfiction forums for discussion.

• The Monster Hunter Club summary from molecularr has been published! Also, The Host movie screening was last Monday and included in-game character yumminess!
• The Gumshoe interactive radio play has been postponed until Wednesday the 21st of February, due to inclement weather.
• There’s a new game called The Wyoming Incident making waves at the UF forums. With 32 pages of threads so far, we’ll need some help from helpful listeners in sorting out the details for the next netcast.
• The Vanishing Point post-game chat finally happened yesterday (Saturday), and Jessica was a moderator. She talks about the chat, and Rob from Neowin sends in a special message for the ARG community.
• Lost Envelope is a new marketing campaign that Nicko has started… and finished playing, with less-than-awesome results.
• MeiGeist had a live event in Bristol. At airtime there wasn’t much to report, but Russell_k at Unfiction sent us a link to his summary post. Thanks Russell_k!

ARGFest Update

Rose sent us a lot of information. We’ll reproduce here what we read in the netcast, but you don’t get the witty banter that comes with the spoken words.

1. Thanks to Brian Clark of GMD Studios for sponsoring the cost of the conference room at ARGFest. If not for him, I’m not sure how we would be doing the conference.

2. Thanks to ARGNet along with Gupfee for sponsoring the cost of lanyards and registration materials.

3. Register – please, please register. Rose needs to order breakfast and we need a reliable number of people. A continental breakfast will be served on Saturday before the conference starting around 8:00 am ( but knowing how hotels operate it may be a bit later.)

4. Cruel 2 B Kind – register and read the rules. We want to get at least 25 ARGers out there in the crowd. We are so fortunate that Jane McGonigal is going to be present to run this game for us. Afterwards, we can get some dinner at a place to be announced. Note: Jane is considering changing the location so check in with the website before you go.

5. Speakers – we are very lucky that 42 entertainment has offered to do a round table discussion on developing an ARG. The following list is pretty close to being final:

• 8:00 Continental Breakfast at the hotel (included with registration)

• 8:45 – 9:00 Introduction and start of Conference

• Panel I ~ Developing an ARG
  Moderator: Sean Stacey
  Adrian Hon – ~ Perplex City
  Dave Szulborski ~ Urban Hunt; Catching the Wish
  labfly ~ Sameeeeeees
  Brian Clark ~ Art of the Heist, Who Is Benjamin Stove
  Evan Jones ~ ReGenesis
  Glenn Rubenstein ~Op Aphid

• Panel II ~ Running an ARG
  Moderator: Kristen Wells
  Kristen Rutherford – one on one interactions with players
  Jackie Kerr – community relations
  Sam Lavigne – what people do and keeping them safe

• Panel III ~ The whole picture: Roundtable discussion by 42 Entertainment – Team Leaders

Lunch break (on your own) Depending on the number of people we may be able to provide coffee, etc for the afternoon sessions.

Afternoon panels

• Two-Focus Panel: Defining ARGs and the Future of ARGs
  Moderator – Jonathan Waite
  Sean Stacey, Unfiction – The Sphere of Chaotic Fiction
  Jane McGonigal
  Adrian Hon
  Brian Clark
  Evan Jones

Keynote Address: Sean Stewart and Elan Lee

6. Sunday: Exploratorium – to get a group rate we have to collect the cash on Friday and Saturday from everyone so EGo can pick up the tickets.

Listener Email and Comments

These are all in response to Episode 12. Apparently, we said some things.

• Clairbennet06 didn’t like the tone in which we discussed the Lost Experience.

• skenmy is put off by our lack of research and in how we labeled Perplexorum ‘suspicious’.
• Rachel Wild thinks that we were ignorant and that our statements were rubbish.
• marc commented that we were “incredibly wrong”.
• Konamouse recommends reading Dave Szulborski’s “Through the Rabbit Hole”
• Ben thinks that the netcasts are fantastic and would want to hear views from various PMs, something we’re working towards for a near-future netcast
• Adam Brackin of Deus City wrote in with their side of the story, letting us know how wrong we were. He indicated that DC is a role-playing game and that they have changed the TOS agreement to reflect the changes in policy that this situation has brought on.

Contact us at our special netcast email address, netcast@argn.com with your tips, suggestions, concerns and submissions. Call us on our ARGNet voicemail at 630-274-5425.