More on ARGS

New Media Age recently cautioned against blindly following the ARG trend. Fair point although it is worth pointing out that McDonald's sponsored The Lost Ring, created by Jane McGonigal, engaged more than 2.5 million people from 100 different countries. Not a bad achievement for an emerging genre.

Jane McGonigal's newest gaming initiative, developed with the Institute for the Future, a not-for-profit think tank based in Palo Alto, California, Superstruct sounds fascinating. This massively multiplayer game is designed to forecast the future. Although the game has begun, it is still not too late to join in the fun. Many many non-profits are embracing the approach including The Red Cross with Traces of Hope communicating the plight of Ungandan refugees.

For those interested in learning more about the power of games including ARGs, check out Playful - London Game Design event this week. It features a range of speakers including Don Ho of Six to Start, makers of The Shadow War for Puffin and Toby Barnes of Pixel Lab who is organising the event.