Session Name: | Picture the Impossible: Building a Successful City-Wide ARG on Shoestring Budget |
Speaker(s): | Elizabeth Lawley |
Company Name(s): | Rochester Institute of Technology |
Track / Format: | Serious Games Summit |
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Overview: | In 2009, the Rochester Institute of Technology's Lab for Social Computing partnered with the local newspaper to build an ARG targeted at bringing people back into the city, teaching them about local history, and giving back to local charities. 'PICTURE THE IMPOSSIBLE' incorporated casual online games, newspaper puzzles, and location-based activities. Built on a budget of less than $50,000, the game attracted thousands of players and succeeded in all of its goals. In this presentation, Elizabeth Lawley, RIT's game design lead on the project, discusses the planning process for the game, the technical infrastructure implementation process, and the ongoing game development and management process. She will also discuss the challenges of game design partnerships between industry and academia. |