Majestic (the proto-ARG)

While not seen as the first actual example of an alternate-reality game ("The Beast" takes that credit, according to the literature), Majestic stands out for its early implementation of many ARG-like features. It almost equally stands out for having essentially failed.

First, let's look at what it did well, or did interestingly. Obviously, the first characteristic is its use of multiple media. Receiving a phone call or fax (perhaps while at work) "from (within) a game" was essentially unprecedented at this point and served to blend the boundaries between life and game quite well. The use of "actual" websites to explore for clues is also a prime precursor for ARGS. Maintaining the ruse that the game is actually suspended and the game actually consists of figuring out why is quite clever and fits the whole Majestic-12 conspiracy theme quite well. Seeing this kind of information posted on "official" websites adds credence for players who aren't used to seeing such obvious falsities online and presented as truth (clearly they haven't perused some of the same web fora as I have).

So where did the game fall down? To start with, it violated the primary rule of ARGs in classic EA fashion: This is not a game. Apparently the game was hyped as a revolutionary game that "plays you." Corporate hype also detracts from the secrecy and specialness of the game, leaving it firmly in the realm of the ordinary. As well, phone calls and the like were preceded in-game with announcements that they were going to occur. This clearly was a game. Finally, the pay model clearly had an affect.

""Majestic" drew such an anemic audience that Electronic Arts abandoned the story half-way through. Of the 800,000 people who started to register for the free, first installment of the game, only 71,200 completed the process. That number fell to 10,000 to 15,000 subscribers when it came time to pay. It was a grand experiment, but one that ultimately cost EA between $5 million and $7 million. – Chris Morris, CNN, “Innovation at Risk?”, December 2001"

Apparently real life interfered even more with the 9/11 incident, causing EA to suspend the game temporarily or at least suffer some negative publicity.

Majestic can be seen as breaking new ground for a video game, however, it doesn't make enough of a leap, remaining firmly in the realm of a "game with innovative mechanics." These mechanics may also have been merely novelties, failing to hold the attention and causing annoyance once one got tired of receiving phone calls and faxes.