Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Discussion of the out-of-game, real-world aspects of the Iris Alternate Reality Game.

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endejas
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by endejas »

Agreed. They need to rev this thing up (notice, not ARG) or there aren't going to be any people left to play.

I used to check this site every few hours, but now it's gone to every few days.
Mikezoom
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Mikezoom »

Quick question...... does anyone know if this is only for USA residents as I was one to get a key for server #1 but I live in Australia. Do you think Microsoft can afford to post a package to me? I hope its not to expensive for them........ :shock: :roll:

Mike.
Agent ME
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Agent ME »

You could make a new topic for questions instead of posting in an unrelated topic.
About your question, I haven't a clue.


Now that Server 2 is opened, do you guys think we're going to be in the dark until Server 3 starts to be pending? I hope there's something for us to do in this time other than writing down everything from a phone message until we use it for s3.
SpartanSeraph
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by SpartanSeraph »

I sincerely hope that the long waits are a "lull us to sleep" phase, and that maybe they'll slip something hard to notice in while nobody's expecting it. Of course, if everyone stops playing, no one will notice it. I don't mind the slow beginning, because there does need to be a certain amount of progression before everything gets puzzling. I must admit, I feel better after the FCC conversations and the 360 kiosk clue - made me feel like we were actually doing something. I think any feelings about the downfalls of this viral campaign is that ILB was my first ARG, and it was so much . . . different. You knew it was going to be Halo-related because the link was at the end of a trailer, but there was still a lot of "what is going on here" moments. For Iris, MS came out and said, "Hey, we're running an ARG. Yep, that's what it is. Don't bother figuring this stuff out, just come play along." That whole press release where they talked about it irked me - it really did ruin my immersion. At least knowing that Frankie wrote the script tells me that the story will be good, even if the game isn't.
scapermoya
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by scapermoya »

microsoft is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. they really really really don't understand good PR. look at peter moore at e3. they send a guy in his 50s to talk to us about video games, and he screws up rock star by pausing it. twice. they need to take a page (or chapter) out of apple's book. the less you tell people, the bigger the hype.

you can be sure that if this was entirely controlled by bungie, it would flow better.
Dalthanas
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Dalthanas »

After yesterday and what I am now referring to as the "Horrible Episode 3 Incident" I think I'm changing my tune. Since the ARG started I've been an Iris apologist of sorts, looking for the best in the process. I'm surprised nobody asked if I worked for Bungie.

The way Episode 3 opened, though, was a complete disregard for the ARG formula.

With Episode1 we had hidden comics, sites like SOTA and AR posts to help with the suspension of belief, and a countdown so at least people had an IDEA when something was going to happen.

Episode 2 I was actually really impressed with. The FCC numbers leading to the kiosk, and the clues from the recordings leading to the hidden menu, the quote and cipher so there was some work involved in opening the server etc.. I thought it was well executed.

But Episode 3 opening because someone happened to be surfing the halo3.com meta site and finding the right link, with absolutetly NO in game content pointing us in that direction? Come on. I'm honestly not upset about not getting a key (funny story though, I have the forums open basically 9-5 EST at work, I logged off at 5, and by 5:15 the opening page was made public). I just think it's safe to call this a viral campaign (they plant the message, we spread it) with ARG-like elements. The concept art-to-server unlock, though, totally shattered what story arc there was.

So, to those whom I argued with, saying give it time, when they do stuff it's good etc., I recant my position. I firmly believe Iris is no longer an ARG. I suggest we all just hold on for another 16 days/until the next lunar cycle and then start scouring the internets furiously for the next step.

Edit: Minor spelling and grammar.
Last edited by Dalthanas on Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Admiral Whitcomb
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Admiral Whitcomb »

as of right now i completely agree with you, there was no "intro" to the episode, no story, no clues. just someone happened to be in the right place at the right time- i mean, so far there has been almost no real world interection as well- not very arg- ish
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Avateur
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Avateur »

Server 1 was pretty ARG-like-- we just discovered stuff way ahead of time. Server 2 definitely was ARG-like. For such a long time people couldn't be sure if FCC was an elaborate hoax. But now they've given us a Fankit with a Server Monitor, so now all people are going to do is sit there and wait to see that it opens. That's not ARG-like at all. It's highly disappointing.
Maimbot 9000
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Maimbot 9000 »

I think the fact that there's some silly merchandise involved has been the biggest problem in the game. It's tearing the community apart. It's a competition now, every man for himself. All this complaining about people not earning the keys and so forth. That shouldn't be an issue in an ARG. I'm starting to wince every time a server opens just because I know how many cries of "Not fair, I was feeding my cats!" and "Not that I care, but I totally earned a key and I didn't get one, not that I care" and so on that will clog the forums. I just want to play the game.
Dalthanas
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Re: Calling IRIS an ARG wrong?

Unread post by Dalthanas »

I agree Maimbot, and when the server 2 thing happened I said much the same, and I think I hurt some peoples feelings (for the record I haven't managed to get a key input, so I'm not preaching from a pedestal). I'm not going to bash Bungie for giving away free stuff. I love free stuff. And free fan stuff can be the best. The merchandise, however, drives people to "secretly" enter the keys rather than do what DHalo and others did, making it public as soon as they knew. That's a condemnation more of our nature, I suppose, than the company.

But after server 2, despite not getting a key, I thought "wow, that was insane and great and greatly insane" the way they organized everything. It FELT like an ARG. Even server 1 I really liked. The mystery of it had a distinct taste which I found palatable. But the latest opening had NOTHING to do with either of them, and I think it was a great disservice. Yes we had to use the 719 sound, but that's just following the crumbs, not taking part in an ARG. It was the functional equivalent of entering that number string websites use to make sure it's not bots accessing the content. For the first time I feel like they dropped the ball, both with the key being located simply under "Concept Art" on the the halo3.com hub page, and the lack of direction.
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