The proof that media producers and consumers no longer occupy separate roles, but are both participants who interact with each other (Jenkins, 2006) can be found through the emergence and rise in popularity of Alternative Reality Games. Instead of a game being controlled by artificial intelligence as in a computer or console video game, ARGs require intense player involvement with a story line that takes place in real time and evolves around characters and participants responses that are actively controlled by the games designers.
The transmedia platform that is essential to an ARG is the internet, however interaction by telephone, email, mail, personal discussions with actors playing characters and players posting photographs of themselves dressed as characters heightens the players expectation and is important to the development of the story line. In the past ARGs were often designed to promote blockbuster films as in the case of The Beast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beast_(game)) which was a promotional tool for Steven Spielburg’s film A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and is considered as one of the most pivotal innovations of the ARG medium.
The Beast ran for 12 weeks in early 2001 and was set in the year 2142. 16 years after the events portrayed in A.I. The game was developed as it was played. A group of ARG enthusiasts created a Yahoo group called the Cloudmakers (www.cloudmakers.org/) and had some 7,500 members at its peak and generated over 40,000 messages amongst the players. The Cloudmakers and other player groups had a incredible amount of technical transmedia and puzzle solving knowledge and constantly challenged the Beast’s designers at Microsofts entertainment division.
As stated the content of the game was determined by the players, the design was unique in so much as it was based around AGR parlance. Such parlance include the terms; “Puppetmaster (PM)” an individual or team designers who are running the ARG, “Rabit Hole” which marks the first website contact or puzzle that starts the game, a “Trailhead” which enables a player to discover a way into the game, “This Is Not A Game (TINAG)” something which signifies that the game is not a video game like a telephone number which actually works and connects you to an element of the game and the “Curtain” a metaphor for the separation between the Puppetmasters and the players,.
The ARG media platform is an expanding experimental medium which by definition is led by the players and designers. New models and sub genres are constantly evolving. As in the case of the Black Helix ARG which launched in February 2011 and ran for one month, a novel of the finished story that evolved is in the process of being published.
Two criticisms against ARGs are firstly, solving the game by way of the players immersive after involvement (Miller, 2011) could changes the original concept of any film that it might be a promotional tool for (Jenkins, 2006) Secondly, a players involvement in online reality games could become addictive and interfere with daily life.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversy#Social_development).
Jane McGonigal who was one of the Beast Puppermasters offers a definition of transmedia story telling with her explanation of ARGs as “an interactive drama played out online and in real world spaces, taking place over several weeks or months, in which dozens, hundreds, thousands of players come together online, form collaborative social networks and work together to solve a mystery or problem that would be absolutely impossible to solve alone.
References
Jane McGonigal, “Alternate Reality Gaming” presentation to MacArther Foundation, November 2004, Jenkins, H., 2006
Jenkins, H (2006) Convergence Culture. New York University Press, USA.
Miller, V., 2011, Understanding Digital Culture, SAGE Publications Ltd, London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversy#Social_development
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Happiness is Coca-Cola
With the increasing number of television channels and the growth of alternative home entertainment options the advertiser’s ability to reach a mass audience has fragmented across various media platforms (Jenkins, 2006). At an advertising conference in America in 2003, Steven J. Heyer addressed this fragmentation by stating that these changes in consumer behaviour “demand a new approach to connecting with audiences”(Jenkins, 2006 : 68).
Coca-Cola’s 2006 advertising campaign clearly responds to this demand. It effectively demonstrates the advertising potential that constantly evolving delivery technologies can refresh a brand and sustain customer loyalty by offering new levels of insight and experience. This concept of brand extension repeatedly exposes the consumer to the advertisers brand through multiple contacts (Jenkins, 2006). Indeed Heyer stated “we will use a diverse array of entertainment assets to break into people’s hearts and minds” (Jenkins,2006 : 69).
Coca Cola’s ongoing advertising campaign was launched in the UK in 2009 and consists of a series of animated advertisements whose characters produce Coca-Cola in a magical land, inside a vending machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1NnyE6DDnQ). The advertising assault not only spans TV and radio but audience expectation was further heightened through online components centred around a “Happiness Hub” microsite on Bebo, MSN games applications, music tracks and free happiness factory ringtones which could be downloaded from Coco-Cola’s Piccadilly Circus Billboard via bluetooth. A cross promotion with Xbox, with giveaway loyalty scene points, online gaming gurus and a Xbox dashboard Coca-Cola skin to customise an xbox console, was also instigated. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/13/coca-cola-happiness-factory)
Primarily the design and content of the advertising campaign was aimed at engaging the younger demographic who are familiar with the multi media-mix culture of social networking, gaming and music downloads. However the traditional TV and radio advertising campaign reinforced the brand to the older demographic whilst offering the opportunity to explore new media experiences.
Arguable one criticism that could be levelled at the successful advertising campaign, which has increased sales during the current economic climate, is that Coca-Cola is exploiting a vulnerable target demographic. Research into childhood obesity suggests that children can not differentiate between advertising and entertainment and are easily influenced by product extension (http://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food.aspx). Conversely it could be said that Coca-Cola has simply tapped into the rapid growth in transmedia interest by programme producers, brand gurus, new media companies and realised both the economic and cultural potential of creating a transmedia experience that was not previously available to a primed audience (Jenkins, 2006).
However whatever opinion proves to be correct it would appear that Coca-Cola’s technical infrastructure and advertising strategy could be seen as a successful transmedia story telling pioneer who is a prime example for other transmedia virgins to observe how projects could be extended across the various multimedia platforms.
In Steven J. Heyer’s words, Coca-Cola’s advertising campaign clearly illustrates a definition of transmedia through his vision of an advertising campaign creating “an ever expanding variety of interactions for people that-overtime-built a relationship, an ongoing series of transactions, that is unique, differentiated and deeper” (Jenkins, 2006 : 68) than anything that has previously been experienced.
References
Jenkins, H (2006) Convergence Culture. New York University Press, USA.
http://www.egta.com/pages/newsletter%20-%20Heyer.pdf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1NnyE6DDnQ
http://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food.aspx
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/13/coca-cola-happiness-factory
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The story of Cloverfield was introduced to it’s audience through the medium of film in January 2008. The concept of the film tapped into the phenomenal success of the 1999 Blair Which Project, which created a following of fans who were fascinated by the Blair Which mythology. Ed Sanchez, a member of the creative team behind the BWP stated that “what we learned from Blair Which is that if you give people enough stuff to explore they will explore”(Jenkins, 2006 : 105). Similar to the BWP, the Cloverfield film was presented through “the found footage from a personal video camera”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield).
A further similarity was; prior to the film’s release, the film audiences were forewarned of the production of an untitled film by teaser trailers in cinemas, however the film plot was kept secret. Furthermore an official website (http://www.1-18-08.com/) and viral marketing campaign which included viral tie-ins was released on the internet (http://slusho.jp/), (http://tagruato.jp/). These tie-ins were ambiguous in their content as they were linked to elements in previous J.J. Abrams’s productions. Although this controlled release of information allowed the exploration of the mythology of Cloverfield, the audience’s expectations were developed by the discovery of clues to the plot which were hidden throughout these media platforms.
The 70 minute film has attracted various degrees of criticism over its alleged poor story line and the “cheap” and “opportunistic”use of scenes reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks in New York. However 77% of 192 reviews praised Cloverfield and the film grossed over $100million in 2008 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield#Reception).
The design and content of the film allowed the audience to participate in two different experiences, firstly the oppertunity to simply enjoy the theatrical film experience and secondly to explore the interface, become part of a multi media story and choose the depth of experience to explore other dimensions that do not appear on screen (Jenkins, 2006). As Lev Manovich states; “in the process of interaction the user can choose which elements to display or which paths to follow, thus generating a unique work “(Manovich, 2001 : 49). Further points of entry for the audience to interact with the Cloverfield phenomenon include; video clips, ringtones, wallpapers, a comic and online interactive sites where fans of Cloverfield can post comments and communicate directly with each other to form affinity groups around their shared interest (Miller, 2011). Each of these platforms are self contained so there is no need to have experience of all of the above to enjoy the concept (Jenkins, 2006).
Apart from the obvious sequel feature film, further platforms which may be considered to extend and expand Cloverfield’s appeal, could include the publishing of a novel, augmented reality phone app, an amusement park attraction and the cross promotion with a games manufacture by way of a multiplayer video game and the multitude of innovative possibilities employed by Coca-Cola (see Coca-Cola blog post).
The Cloverfield concept can be seen as a clear example of transmedia story telling. It unfolds “across multiple media platforms with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole” (Jenkins, 2006 : pg105).
References
Jenkins, H (2006) Convergence Culture. New York University Press, USA.
Manovich, L., 2001, The Language of New Media, Mass Media-Technical Innovations, USA
Miller, V., 2011, Understanding Digital Culture, SAGE Publications Ltd, London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield
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Joey Black Explores Transmedia 