.. is the title of a very interesting ‘re-version’ of a talk given at the Let’s Change the Game conference last month by Dan Hon of Six to Start.

It’s well worth a read if your interested in Alternate Reality Games or gaming generally – or even if you’re not. I’m not really a proper gamer, definitely not an online gamer, at all; in 2007 I became a Widow of Warcraft and tried to get into Second Life (more dress shops than WOW) to give me a similar interest rather than lonely nights on the sofa. I soon realised the way forward was nights out with the girls instead; I didn’t need to learn new skills or get a better monitor for that!

Hon raises some very good points including, crucially:

There are, it seems to me, a number of differing interpretations as to what an ARG is, exactly, and that makes them quite easy to attack. If you don’t know what something is, it’s quite easy for it not to have lived up to your expectations.

Are people reading this and tutting at my mention of WoW – is that a ARG? (I was actually referring to Second Life as the ARG, WoW I’ve been reliably informed by it’s addicts is a MMORPG.) But now I think about it SL isn’t a ARG either, is it? I’m fairly sure Perplex City is, which I always admired as a concept but could never be bothered to get involved in!) So yes, I think I’ve just proved Dan’s point there!

Anyway, I think I’ve proved my own lack of knowledge of ARGs enough for one day, why don’t you go read Dan’s much more informative post instead?