ABSTRACT
Story and narrative in ARGs have been referred to in various ways throughout the first four chapters. Chapter 1 starts with a story excerpt from an ARG for new student orientation. The chapter then goes on to explain an ARG as being “built around a story that engages the players through an anomaly in their regular daily schedule.” In Chapter 2, ideas for ARG scenarios are offered to present the potential for ARGs to meet business goals. Several ARGs are also profiled in Chapter 2, including the description of the story on which the ARG is based. Chapter 3 reviews several ARG profiles, including the premise of each profile. Chapter 4 describes the way in which teams work together to craft the story throughout all phases of the project. An ARG is built around player goals and objectives but is often fueled by the story. The depth and breadth of the story can vary and the importance of the story to the player may vary throughout the ARG experience. But, there’s no doubt that the ongoing storyline in the game is what makes ARGs different from other learning and performance improvement formats.
