Vex Appeal is a weblog and collection of projects by Guy Parsons, a game designer, online community and digital strategy dude in London, England. Read more about the saucy butcher boy here.
subscribe to VA by feed or email by clicking the thingy:
projects:
law 37 / sleeper cell / lets change the game
101 things in 1001 days
psychopatch
LOLgod
elsewhere on the internets:
flickr
myspace
zoominfo
linkedin
facebook
guy.lewis.parsons@gmail.com
vexy young things:
jey biddulph
mike jewell
roo reynolds
dan hon
adrian hon
naomi alderman
steve peters
previously on vexappeal:
Back soon... Free Moshi Monsters Codes Spokeo... or spookeo, more like I'm Prove Very Where J.C Leyendecker and Team Fortress 2 Train of thought "Love Is Like A Bottle Of Gin..." Links for FAME people They Tell Stories Ffffudging it slightly
Links for FAME people
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Here is some of the stuff I talked about today:
Crysis Barrels, Toblo, making games in Excel, Gamasutra, Team Fortress 2's art, J.C Leyendecker, Portal and Narbacular Drop, Starry Night in Second Life, M.C Escher and Echochrome, Chorewars, 3001 from Come Out And Play, Audiosurf, 300 Game Mechanics (and other game design blogs), DEFCON, Desktop Tower Defense, Scrabulous (you know where to find it, son), Line Rider, Kingdom Of Loathing, Perplex City and Alternate Reality Games...
...and Sleeper Cell.
Heckle me virtually - my email is guy.lewis.parsons@gmail.com.
Labels: arg, fame, games, links, presentation
They Tell Stories
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Six To Start, the creative/interactive agency founded by Dan and Adrian have just released their first game-slash-thing: We Tell Stories, for Penguin Books.
Let us follow along and see what unfolds! Oh, you can win 1300 books too, which is pretty cool. I have to say, I do like the stuff that Penguin get involved with. I'm sure it'll horrify some ROI-focused beancounter somewhere, but there's a relaxed spirit of experimentation at play, in contrast with other brands that create the impression they're desperately chasing the next big thing. Without disparaging Jeremy's strategic brilliance, it's much more like "Get people to write a novel in wiki format? Yeah, why not eh? Whack something into Second Life? It'd be a shame not to!" And actually this goes beyond digital (and even their great blog) into loads of their stuff (I know it's technically marketing, but it feels more like stuff) , like the "design a cover" thing and their pretty embossed Great Ideas and the re-emergence of their classic livery or what have you. It's all done in quite a light, gleeful way. Well done Penguins.
PS: This is long to compensate for the fact that in an ideal world I'd have blogged about all these things individually.
Labels: arg, penguin, six to start, this is good
Come change the game with us
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Woohoo! I'm proud to announce that the endlessly wonderful team I founded, Law 37, has won the Let's Change The Game competition with our proposal for a game codenamed Sleeper Cell.
We - by which I mean Mike, Juliette, Shane and myself - are really rather excited. Met up over the weekend, hosted by our generous benefactor Adrian, and got a bunch of plans made, although as tends to happen at this stage one ends up with more questions than answers - but it's nice to be (tentatively) dealing with the detail of the thing.
Anyway, the concept is really fun, and we're hoping to really push the boat out in terms of what's considered possible in the realm of grassroots ARG-making - insofar as our game can be considered an ARG, anyway! But to turn the dream into a reality, we need HALP. Wanna make something awesome? Read on:
We're a group of volunteers currently designing an ambitious web-based game to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. It's going to tie in storytelling, online communities, websites, real-world events and more, creating an unforgettable experience for thousands of people while supporting a profoundly important cause.
So, we need a bit of help! We can't offer you money, but we can offer you the camaraderie of our team, the experience of creating something awesome, the good karma of supporting CRUK's important work and suitably glowing testimonials.
Here are some of the folk we're especially looking for:
* PHP/MySQL developers - we're looking for people who have a reasonable amount of experience and can write good, clean, secure codeAlso if anybody reading knows any web/digital agencies who'd like to buff their portfolio with a lovely bit of pro bono work for some nice guys who'll let them go wild with a ton of creative freedom, to point them towards this post. Thanks all. ONWARDS!
* Design for web: designing our graphics and website, somebody who can create an eye-catching look and then implement it in HTML/CSS. Fancy UI skills (AJAX, Flash) even awesomer.
* Flash developers - opportunities to contribute to general UI and site stuff, and also create full mini-games
* Guerrilla film types: Someone with the equipment, shooting/editing chops and the visual imagination to create fantastic-looking viral video
* Productive generalists - working on a particular area of the game and making stuff happen, from arranging live events to building relationships with supportive companies
* All hands - people who can help out in the future with testing, community participation & player support, event support, and so on
* Creative people we haven't even thought of yet. This means you!
If you want to help make the magic happen (and we know you do!) email Guy at guy.lewis.parsons@gmail.com letting us know a bit about yourself - skills, experience, any stuff you've made, what you'd actually like to help with, where you're based - and we'll get back to you ASAP.
Labels: arg, cancer, law 37, let's change the game
All quiet on the western front
Sunday, December 02, 2007
It's been a bit quiet around here as I live my nomadic lifestyle, wandering between a friend's house in north London during the week and the family nest at the weekend. All a bit disorientating... I really have to sort myself out with someplace to live in the Big Smoke soon.
Blown away by this video:
Raph Koster wonders why there aren't more MMOG/ARG crossovers, followed by a load of the usual crap in the comments about "OMG TINAG!" Woohoo.
Also, been totally sucked in to Team Fortress 2. It's utter genius... more on that soon!
Labels: arg, imogen heap, me, mmog, team fortress 2, tf2
The Games, as in plurals of "The Game"
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Just a bunch of links to games that are big, intense, competitive, urban, cross-disciplinary:
- Challenger World - big-ass 4-day running, kayaking, puzzle solving, team based, charitable events, but out in the country, innit
- Rat Race is a cross-discipline urban chase, mostly physical stuff
- The Go Game is way more lighthearted and creative
- Area/Code make Big Urban Games but do more mobile stuff now
- Journey To The End Of The Night is basically a race with an added stealthy "avoiding the catchers" element.
- Game Control compiles some of the big ambitious 24-hour games in American cities, very much by-geeks-for-geeks, big entry fees, super hard puzzles, but massive WOW factor, especially Shelby Logan's Run, though no updates since 2002....
- Wow, lots more of the above on Wikipedia and here
- Also, Microsoft Puzzle Hunt
- City Chase is a big 4 to 6 hour urban race with puzzley elements
Labels: arg, games, live events
News from the front
Friday, October 26, 2007
Hello! It's been a busy week!
I've been at the London Games Festival Fringe Playtime Lab (try saying that five times fast) in deepest darkest Soho. The first few days saw ideas aplenty as we came up with game concepts for buses, big screens, the Olympics, fairytales and more besides, and then I spent the last few days working with some ace people on a kind of resistance/anti-totalitarian game that takes (in my mind, anyway) stylistic cues from V for Vendetta and Children of Men.
(Playtimers, including me looking grumpy. Photo from Frank Boyd.)
It's been a funny week, because it's usually the case that you sit about thinking "man, I just need to have a really good idea." The outcome of this week for me has been to show that ideas are, in fact, dime-a-dozen... and inspired me to get on and actually make stuff. Anyway, I met lots of lovely people and I look forward to seeing them all again soon at a reunion in, err, two weeks time.
I'm also proud to be working with some fantastic minds on a Let's Change The Game pitch who got in touch after my call for help. We're assessing the various mechanics that influence the game and batting lots of ideas back and forth, and I'm excited to see what the judges make of it. (Although, other people are still welcome to get involved! Artists and illustrators especially, right now.)
Then it was off to the Gamer Geeks Quiz, surely the hardest yet most erudite quiz on gaming there has ever been, challenging players' knowledge on everything from typography to voice acting and the C64 to the Wii. Here are the esteemed organisers taking charge:
(thanks to the most gracious Thayer Driver for the photo!)
Fear their wrath! I know I do.
Hurtling onwards, I'm at Gamecity in Nottingham tomorrow (as in Saturday 27th of October) pretending to be Dan Hon and talking about alternate reality games at the thing he was meant to be speaking at, but isn't speaking at, because (long story short) Royal Mail are fuckwits. But it does mean I'm speaking at 4pm, Saturday, at the Broadway Cinema. I'll also be around Nottingham for some of the day (afterwards, mostly) exploring some of the other stuff going on, so if you wanna come make friends then get in touch by twitter or text - deets here.
More soon, and less hurried "more" at that.
Labels: arg, gamecity, games, playtime labs, quiz
Modular gaming
Thursday, October 18, 2007
So, you know how the idea of 'episodic gaming' is to break up your usual 20+ hour frag-fests into smaller, more digestible chunks? Well, I'm thinking a bit about modular gaming, which is the opposite - coalescing small chunks of game into a coherent and satisfying whole, primarily using narrative as an intra-game glue.
So, to take the recent Half-Life 2, Episode 2, (Manchester United nil) as an example, it's really a mix of different games tied together through plot:
- combat
- physics puzzles
- driving games
- throwing/accuracy challenges
- and a few more besides
Likewise, people are very excited about dem new-fangled "casual games" - you know, your Bejeweled and iSketch and that kind of thing. I wonder if you could glue these kind of casual games together, though, to become more than the sum of their parts. Some people might say that this would take the "casual" out of "casual game", but I'm not so sure - I think using this style of gameplay in the context of something like Kingdom Of Lothing (basically just a going-places-and-killing-monsters-grind, albeit an hilarious one) could be deeply awesome.
So yes, making a light-but-lengthy web/browser-based game, consisting of a variety of minigames, all tied together with plot and elements that persist for the duration? This, I think, would be worth trying - maybe we'll see Miniclip or Kongregate try it soon...
Labels: arg, casual, games, modular
Let's change the game together!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
So you might've heard about Adrian's fantastic Let's Change The Game project. If you haven't, it's basically an initiative to develop and build a game that will help raise money for the fantastic Cancer Research UK, but do check out the very informative site. It's currently in the "send us pitches" phase.
Anyway! I have this embryonic idea that I reckon might be quite good. But I am looking for HALP! I am especially looking for a coder (or coders) who can help build a database-driven site - you know, user accounts and that sort of thing. I'd also be interested in talking to people with Flash and/or AJAX skills, mainly in terms of prettifying user interfaces in combination with dynamic content.
However, even if you're not either of the above, please do get in touch if you'd like to be involved, by emailing me with your details and what sort of work you'd like to contribute. In return you'll (hopefully) get a unique behind the curtain experience (read: the giddy fun of sending people off to do ridiculous things) much praise, adulation and hyperbolic testimonials, and although you won't be paid, any expenses you incur will be covered.
(Also, if you know any digital agencies or freelancers who do pro bono work for good causes, or people active in the web/open source community who'd like to help raise money for vital research, please direct them towards this post. Thanks!)
Labels: arg, behindthecurtain, cancer, coders, flash, let's change the game
Play/Time Labs
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Woo, yay and hoopla - I'm going to be attending the Play/Time Labs workshop in London later this month. Sounds like it should be a productive few days:
The thing is, it's somehow entwined with this bizzare Soho Stories thing, which is completely and frustratingly impenetrable. Someone was even telling me about it at the Werewolf night the t'uther night, which was OK until halfway through the conversation they said "Well, talking out-of-game..." and I was all like, "What?" So, I have no idea what's really going on, and of what little information I've gleaned, I'm clueless as to what aspects of it are actually real - which is just a bit annoying. Hopefully it'll end up being something cool though!Over four days between October 22nd and 26th, twenty creative professionals - artists, writers, developers and producers from backgrounds in theatre, video-games, animation, web design, TV and radio - will collaborate and compete to develop original ideas for new games across a range of platforms.
The Play/Time Lab will comprise a blend of masterclass, presentations, workshop, screenings and of course, play. Participants will have a unique opportunity to explore and experiment with game forms and digitally mediated play; working as individuals and in teams they will also brainstorm, develop and prototype ideas for new ones.
Play/Time will focus on digitally mediated play but not specifically on the console games market. We are interested in exploring new forms of interactive narrative, location based games, social and casual games, games that involve live events and performance, augmented or alternate reality games, games with emotional depth, games that appeal to 'non-gamers', games that play out across a range of platforms including radio and televsion.
Update: I've been asked to provide a "fictional identity" for the Soho Project. So I went with Angry Soups. It was either that or Pussy Organ. Still not the foggiest idea what it's all about, though...
Labels: arg, games, playtime labs, soho stories, wtf
Text, drugs, and rock'n'roll
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
The illustrated essay version of my talk about rock'n'roll storytelling, alternate reality gaming and participatory fiction is now online. Watch me wreck the mic, psyche!
Labels: arg, drugs, perplex city, reader writer mashup, rock'n'roll, text
Bye Candy
Sunday, July 15, 2007
So, I'm leaving Mind Candy in a month or so's time.
It's been a fantastic ride with some extremely talented colleagues and, equally, the insanely wonderful members of the Perplex City community, whom it has been a sincere privilege to serve. Along the way I've fretted over customer support, produced video podcasts, organised events, designed puzzles, spent long evenings in deeply involved discussion at the local pub, impersonated a busker, struggled to describe my job to my parents, and quietly become the fourth most long-standing employee. All in all - a total blast, and a dizzy ascent from ARG n00b to my current role as Game Designer. I'm looking forward to spending my final month working on some extremely fun writing assignments for the ever more ass-kicking [REDACTED] project, before moving on to fresh new challenges elsewhere. Sometimes it's just time for a new start, you know?
What sort of challenges will they be? Well, more stuff to do with community building, social media, customer conversations, interactive entertainment, online narrative and other exciting webby concepts, I hope. There's vast swathes of the corporate landscape that are only just latching onto this sort of stuff, so hopefully whatever ends up being next, I can help a few more people 'get it.' (Which doesn't necessarily mean getting an island in Second-bleedin'-Life.)
In the meantime, I'll be retrospectively blogging about the Perplex City community managing experience, and talking about Perplex City, ARGs, chaotic fiction and more besides at The Writer/Reader Mashup seminar, London, on September 27th. (It's free!)
(LinkedIn. Email.)
Labels: arg, arrivederci, me, mind candy, perplex city
Murders And Lies: The Victorian ARG?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
So through my letterbox the t'uther day dropped a mysterious, wax-sealed envelope addressed to The Right Honourable Guy Parsons MP. Inside was a letter and a small newsletter. Here's the cover of the newsletter:
The cover letter reads:
Murders and Lies, A publication of The Honourable Society Of Artful Endeavors (PO Box 48582, London, NW4 9BZ) June Seventh, Eighteen Ninety-SevenThe pamphlet itself is full of curious and noteworthy tales of the turn-of-the-century chattering classes, covering murders, tiffs, unusual mushrooms, and naturally featuring letters and classifieds. You can view the entire package contents on my Flickr.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GUY PARSONS, MP
Sir,
A friend has suggested your name to us as a person of discernment who would be interested in receiving a subscription to our occasional news circular. Be assured that no payment is required. Should you be interested in extending our friendship yet further, we may in future have one or two minor tasks for you to undertake. We would also welcome your letters and comments on our publication, at the above postal box address. Be assured, however, that even should you not choose to correspond with us, we remain your loyal and obedient servants,
Mr Joshua 'Kit' Ballantyne and Contessa Anastasia Di Spagliamo
So, curious. One source suggests this could be the beginning of "the most exclusive ARG ever" - but of course, I'll be sure to keep y'all updated. If you'd dearly love to receive correspondance of your own, perhaps it's worth sending a polite and articulate subscription request to the offices of the Honourable Society of Artful Endeavors. It couldn't hurt, anyway...
Labels: arg, game, murdersandlies, mystery, victorian
Everything is an alternate reality (apart from reality)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Interesting post at 3pointD.com:
I've always found myself rubbed the wrong way by this "alternate reality" moniker. But it wasn't until I started getting my alternate reality on, via Walker, that I realized why. What's going on in all these cases looks to me less like "alternate reality" than it does like fiction, and fiction being formulated on the same level as broadcast media like television - i.e., it's just the same kind of fiction that's happening in a TV show like Law & Order, for instance, only with the audience involved in writing the story as it goes along. From some angles, it looks like there isn't any such thing as an alternate reality game at all - there's only the fiction / narrative / media of the future.And for what it's worth, I entirely agree. It becomes less and less clear what people mean by 'alternate reality' or, even worse 'This Is Not A Game', which in every recent usage I've come across is almost completely inaccurate.
ARGs are only self-denying in the same fourth wall sense that Jack Bauer doesn't continually quip "But hey, all this doesn't *really* matter - it's only a TV show!" at the camera.
Sure, this narrow conception does apply in some ways. For instance, Mind Candy's recent dalliances with Paul Denchfield were in some ways very 'real', almost hoax-y, in their implementation. But other examples people point at - take the everpresent case-study ARG, The Beast - are far weaker arguments for this sort of thing. Sure, it didn't bang on about being a game all over the place, but it was about androids and stuff from the 23rd Century. It didn't need to. Conversely, take shows like The Office - that, if you think about it, have no special indicators that it's not an actual documentary - and how quickly we've become accustomed to that particular device. Imagine if we called them alternate reality comedies. Yuck!
I think the other place this idea comes from - that ARGs have some special status, seperated taxonomically from other fiction - is their use of mixed-media. Because they're usually executed using media that are traditionally associated with 'real stuff' (blogs, emails, that sort of thing) but I think it's dubious to classify based on the medium, rather than the message. And again, for 99% of ARGs, the message is sufficiently fantastic as to be easily categorised as fiction by anyone remotely interweb-savvy.
ARGs are made up of so many neat things:
- OK, so one of them is the blurred fictive nature of the storytelling (eg: Blair Witch Project)
- puzzles, especially collaborative puzzles (Perplex City, A Treasure's Trove)
- mixed media (like - OMG - Twitter! or 360 storytelling)
- community, online crossing into meatspace (the Ze Frank forums, or flashmobs)
In short? The moniker's a bit ugly. Then again, so is "soap opera", so maybe it'll be around for a while yet...
(In other ARG theory stuff, Adrian writes about epistolary fiction. I have thoughts on this for another time...)
Edit: Curly quotes pwnd me, sorry.
Labels: arg