Commentary

In the style of the late Hal Fishman, here's my commentary on the nature of the game:

Controversy over whether or not this is an ARG, a clever marketing campaign, or a red herring, are fruitful on message boards across the net. Isn't the nature of an ARG merely to get people excited about something so they'll purchase it? Either way, I'm convinced that there is indeed a game afoot. I've been thinking about this and I'm almost positive that JJ and Co. are taking an entirely new approach to the ARG format. Clues and information are now coming from one source: MySpace. Updates are being made all the time, so when I hear people saying that nothing new has come up, I have to wonder. I've started feeling that the MySpace angle is an entirely new concept to ARGs. It's about people and based on communication. It isn't about flash puzzles and piecing together snippets of video. It's about getting to know the characters and building clues through interaction.

Now, what we have to understand is that no matter how many clues come out, the nature and title of the beast are going to remain veiled. They can tell us WHY Rob is going to Japan or why Jaime is a whore, but the BIG surprise will be revealed when you pay 10 bucks for a movie ticket. If we discover what the beast is, why it's pissed, and what the story line is, why would we pay good money to see the movie and subsequently, the DVD, merchandise, and memorabilia?

We're a month in. I read posts everyday by people who are upset at JJ or are already bored. What this means is that people have a very limited attention span and crave constant stimulation. A game of this sort requires patience and vigilance. At this point, whatever we see on the big screen ISN'T going to live up to our wild fantasies of a hybrid Voltron/Lion/Cthulhu/Godzilla/Pokemon - most of us have already decided what we want it to be and the chances of us being disappointed are high. When we discover that it's a Slusho robot (or whatever), we'll throw our hands in the air and claim that we've been gypped and that JJ Abrams is a cheat.

I say, wait and see. You want to know what I really think? I think that whatever it is, it's going to blow us all away. Forget the hype, the speculations, the theories, and the composite photoshop posters. Whatever this thing is, it's going to be new and it's going to fuck New York up. Word.

In the end, it's about the ride. I don't REALLY want to find out what the monster is. I want to jump out of my seat and scream like a 5 year old when it's finally shown. I want the surprise. However, because I'm so entrenched in this story, I might actually find out whether I want to or not. Who knows.

I'm just saying. I don't get how people are bored already. This thing is taking off and is only gaining momentum! I'm excited. I'm ready for anything. I can do this for another six months and remain hopeful that whatever JJ has up his sleeve is going to knock our socks off.

What do you think?