ARG Netcast, Episode 112: The Best and Worst of 2009

 ARG Netcast, Episode 112: The Best and Worst of 2009 [72:08m]: Play in Popup | Download

On this week’s show, co-hosts Michael Andersen, Dav Flamerock, Sean C. Stacey, Jonathan Waite and Carie Ward take a long, hard look at 2009 and the more than fifty transmedia games and experiences that entertained and intrigued us. Yes, we know that there were many, many more ARGs, cross-media and transmedia experiences from the past twelve months, but these were the ones we talked about the most. A huge thank you to Michael for compiling the list, and best wishes to all of our listeners as we move into 2010 a few short hours from now.

Games/Experiences mentioned on this week’s show:

Treasure Hunts and Tourist Destinations
DARPA Network Challenge (networkchallenge.darpa.mil)
Levi’s Go Forth (goforth.levi.com/fortune)
WIRED’s Hunt for Evan Ratliff (www.wired.com/vanish)
Picture the Impossible (picturetheimpossible.com)
Jejune Institute (jejuneinstitute.org)
Accomplice (accomplicetheshow.com)

Original IP
Fury of Solace (furyofsolace.com)
Must Love Robots (mustloverobots.com)
Maddison Atkins (maddisonatkins.com)
The Sect is Here (Riese the Series) (thesectishere.com)
Breathe (breathewith.me)
Marble Hornets (twitter.com/marblehornets)
Exoriare (exoriare.com)
Electron Innovations (electron-innovations.com)
Something is Coming (somethingiscoming.net)

Movie Experiences
Institute for Human Continuity (2012) (theihc.com)
District 9 (d-9.com)
221 Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes) (221b.sh)
6 Minutes to Midnight (Watchmen) (6minutestomidnight.com)
The New Frontiersman (Watchmen) (thenewfrontiersman.net)
Skynet Research (Terminator: Salvation) (skynetresearch.com – redirects to Terminator Salvation website)
Alert Vulcan (Star Trek) (alertvulcan.com)

TV Experiences
The Mosaic Collective (FlashForward) (abc.go.com/shows/flash-forward/mosaiccollective)
Dollplay (Dollhouse) (rprimelab.com – redirects to FOX Dollhouse page)
Ditch the Tech (Dollhouse) (ditchthetech.com)
Harper’s Globe (Harper’s Island) (www.harpersglobe.com)
Lost University (Lost) (lostuniversity.org)

Transmedia Books
39 Clues (the39clues.com)
Level26 (level26.com)
Personal Effects: Dark Art (jchutchins.net/site/personal-effects)
Cathy’s Ring (end of the Cathy’s Book trilogy) (www.cathysring.com)
Skeleton Creek / Ghost in the Machine (skeletoncreekisreal.com)
Dot Robot (doyouknowanysecrets.com)
Joshua Files (Ice Shock) (joshuafiles.co.uk)
Charlotte is Becoming Real (Therapy) (www.wonderweasels.org/charlotte/guide.html – guide at Wonder Weasels)

(Honorable Mentions: This is Not a Game (thisisnotagame.net, Little Brother (craphound.com/littlebrother)

Other Products
PIE Theory (Sun Microsystems applications) (pietheory.com)
33 Keys (Mazda) (33keys.donerus.com)
Playstation Xi (Playstation Home) (boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board?board.id=homexi)
Something in the Sea (Bioshock 2) (somethinginthesea.com)
Sadie’s Story (Halo ODST) (halo.wikibruce.com/Sadie%27s_Story)
Bradford Rant (LEGO) (bradfordrant.org)
Valemont University (Verizon) (valemontu.com)
Dude Where’s My Butterfinger (Butterfinger) (dudewheresmybar.com – redirects to Butterfinger web site)
Threshold (Cisco) (blogs.cisco.com/news/comments/cisco_gets_real_with_alternate_reality_games/)
Intimation (Halo – Fan creation) (twitter.com/intimation)

Serious Games
ROUTES (bioethics) (routesgame.com)
Coral Cross (pandemic awareness) (coralcross.org)
Cryptozoo (Exercise) (cryptozoo.ning.com)
Top Secret Dance Off (Exercise) (topsecret.ning.com)
Smokescreen (privacy) (smokescreengame.com)
Love Letters to the Future (climate change) (loveletterstothefuture.com)
Ruby’s Bequest (Cerebral Palsy/caring) (rubysbequest.org)

Controversy
I’m Sorry (imsorry.wikidot.com/start)
Junko Junsui (junkojunsui.wikidot.com)
Toyota Matrix Prank (industry.bnet.com/advertising/10004176/saatchi-sued-over-terror-marketing-campaign-for-toyota
“Martin Aggett” (remixfiction.com)

PLEASE! Send a donation to our friends at the Jejune Institute, as one of their crew has fallen ill. You can do so at jejuneinstitute.org/donate.html.

Special thanks to all of our panelists from the past twelve months: Michael Andersen, Yomi Ayeni, Jim Babb, Jeromy Barber, Celina Beach, Raoul Caes, Dav Flamerock, Steve Diddle, Ken Eklund, JC Hutchins, Evan Jones, Jackie Kerr, Marie Lamb, Elan Lee, Life Gospel, Geoff May, Brandie Minchew, Josh Mobley, Lewis Murphy, Steve Peters, Andrea Phillips, Tanner Ringerud, Courtney Sadler, Mike Selinker, Jim Senderhauf, Sean C. Stacey, Sean Stewart, Jim Stewartson, David Tenenbaum, Jason Tester, Brooke Thompson, Carie Ward, Jordan Weisman, and Teeuwynn Woodruff

Subscribe to the ARG Netcast feed through this link or via iTunes. Contact us at our special netcast email address, netcast@argnetcast.com with your tips, suggestions, concerns and submissions. Call us on our voicemail at 347-878-7245. Watch us live every Monday night at 9:00 pm CT on our ARG Netcast LIVE page (stream provided by Ustream).