Alt-Minds and the promise of 'transmedia'

Maybe we're wrong about the future of games. While those of us in the traditional industry wonder whether it's all going to be about next-gen consoles or smartphones or tablets, maybe it's going to be none of them – or more accurately, perhaps it will be all of them together.

'Transmedia' is not a new phrase. The idea of combining linear content such as TV or web movies, with interactive elements delivered on phones and across the internet has been around for over a decade. In 2001, EA released its agenda-setting alternate reality game (ARG) Majestic, which used emails and even phone calls to draw players into a multiplatform conspiracy game. At the same time, TV and movie producers started to see the possibilities of using ARGs to market and build communities around key franchises – hence The Beast, a web game based around the film AI and The Lost Experience, which added depth and (even more) ambiguity to JJ Abrams' Lost series.

Things have been relatively quiet recently, with many media giants preferring more conventional communication streams like Twitter and Facebook. However, launching this autumn could be one of the most ambitious transmedia concepts since Heroes creator Tim Kring launched his Conspiracy for Good two years ago.

Developed by French studio, Lexis Numérique, Alt-Minds is a conspiracy thriller about the abduction of several young scientists. When the government shows little interest in their retrieval, their agency decides to investigate itself. The main narrative will be told via ten weekly 'webisodes', but players will also be able to subscribe to a newsfeed on their PC or tablet, providing background information and updates.

"But you can go much further," says spokesperson, Djamil Kemal. "The Agency needs your help. To make it smooth, they distribute an app, available both on you PC and your tablet, that lets you take part in the investigation. You can receive the video logs and documents of the field investigators and help them progress. For instance, you can use the Agency's tools to analyse a picture, enhance a video and zoom in it to find a clue and much more."

From here, wannabe detectives will be able to scour the web for clues, using Facebook, Google Earth and the websites of fictitious organisations as research tools – all the while earning XP. "You can even receive emails from some of the characters," says Kemal. "And if you agree, you can even be contacted by SMS. You find a character's phone number? Try to call him and see if he answers. Those who are really hooked will even be able to look for clues in the real world via smartphone-based geolocalized missions."

Lexis Numérique has worked on similar projects before. In 2003, the studio's co-founder, Eric Viennot, oversaw In Memorian one of the first commercially released titles to use ARG elements. Published by Ubisoft, it used all the familiar elements, SMS messages and clues buried in web pages, but married these to a conventional adventure game, reviewing very well at the time.

For Alt-Minds, the complexity has been ramped up, with more advanced telecommunications elements and accessibility via multiple platforms. The developer has also teamed up with Orange as a tech partner. And it does sound like a major creative and technological nightmare. "Coping with the creative challenges involves a very complex organisation," says Kemal. "Much more than a script writer or a game designer, Eric Viennot is a narrative architect. He worked with a team of game designers, level designers, community managers, social game designers, script writers, 2D artists, web designers, programmers, video artists, photographs and much more…

"On a technical standpoint, the whole project is a huge challenge. You have to manage tons of data and synchronise it; deal with more than 15 hours of videos, develop apps that can be played on many devices, not only the latest ones; integrate the newest Facebook functionalities – thanks to Facebook's direct support. All that in a limited amount of time."

Until now, ARGs have been rather a minority interest, fascinating to web natives and interactive fiction fans, but hardly mainstream. Kemal, however, sees things changing as attitudes to screened entertainment evolve. "TV is not the dominant screen any more," he says. "You now watch a series or play games on many screens. Multitasking is becoming a norm – who hasn't surfed on the internet or played a game while watching a TV series? Also, gamification is everywhere now. Games are part of our lives. 55% of Facebook users play games. The way we use media has changed drastically and the content – TV, movies, games – has to evolve and take in this new situation".

Alt-Minds is referred to on its website as the first "total fiction", and many do think this is the way entertainment is heading – a converged, pervasive experience taking in linear narratives, games, and even real-life interactive elements. We're already seeing the explosion of urban games and location-based adventures like the fascinating Zombie chase game 2.8 Hours Later. Is it possible that the future will contain games that can be subsumed into everyday life? The big question is how far mainstream audiences are prepared to immerse themselves.

"To what extent are you ready to accept pervasiveness?" asks Kemal. "This is closely linked to the respect for privacy. You may not be ready to receive emails or text messages at your office, or to be followed by a weird guy in a dark street, wondering if it's part of the plot or not.

"Please note, this WON'T happen in Alt-Minds. If a weird guy follows you in a dark street, run!"

Alt-Minds is launching this autumn. For more information, see the official web page.