So, as mentioned in an entry earlier today, I'm feeling more and more pressure right now to upgrade to a more game-friendly home computer; my Mac Mini is simply not cutting the mustard anymore, so to speak, now that Linden is loading up the game client with more and more graphics-intensive crap with each update. The problem, though, as many of you already know, is that I'm self-employed in RL Chicago, and frankly not making much money these days; certainly not enough to earmark $2,000 or so of it towards buying a new computer, and definitely not for the sole reason of making my SL experience a more pleasant one.

I was in the same situation last spring, in fact, when I originally obtained the Mac Mini and started porting into the grid for the first time; and I did that through a reader fundraiser at my RL journal, which when combined with some freelance work was just enough to afford it. So I've been thinking maybe of having another reader fundraiser, frankly, to raise the several thousand dollars I need for a decent gaming computer; but now that I have this publication up and running, and more resources at my disposal, I've been thinking of doing something a little different than the usual PBS-style two-week beg job.

I'm thinking, in fact, of organizing a month-long "alternative-reality game" (or ARG) through ITG, which would appropriately enough be called "In The Grid: The Game," or ITG:TG; those interested in playing would pay an entrance fee (probably US$10, aka 6 pounds or 8 euros), with the various winners of the game winning cash prizes and donated awards, and with the bulk of the money going towards me buying a new computer. And what exactly is an ARG, you might be asking? Well, like the grid itself, it's a hard term to precisely define, simply because it's so new; although in general terms, you can call it a story-based game that takes place within a fictional universe, with players of the game becoming characters in that story and with groups of them having to work together in order to solve the central puzzle.

So yes, technically those "Host Your Own Murder Parties" that were so popular in the 1980s are ARGs; and so was the online "Lost Experience" game this summer sponsored by ABC television show; and so too technically is something like World of Warcraft, the 800-pound gorilla of online MMO environments. ITG:TG, for example, would be a combination of several different types of games, with each section counting for part of one's overall score: a scavenger hunt, a clue-based mystery, some roleplaying scenarios, even an architectural and storytelling competition. To be the grand champion, then, you'll need to devote the time and energy into each section of the game; but since we'll be giving out prizes for just each aspect of competition as well (best roleplayer, best builder, etc), you don't have to invest yourself in each facet in order to have fun and be rewarded. And since the entire thing's a fundraiser, you in fact don't have to be too terribly involved at all if you don't want; simply pay your $10 to enter, follow along through the special website I'd set up for it and the weekly in-grid events, and know that your money is going towards a good cause (me finally getting a computer that wouldn't get me laughed out of a LAN party).

So what do you think? I'd need roughly 200 people to participate in order to raise the targeted goal; and with roughly 2,000 people now reading ITG each day, it's something that very well could become a reality if it were to catch on. Of course, I'll also need a core group of builders and writers to act as the puppetmasters behind the overall storyline, as well as the judges for the subjective part of the competition; and I'll also need lots of corporate sponsors as well, to not only provide prizes but also spaces for hidden clues, roleplay events and the like. And of course I'll need some fake players as well, to act in certain ways at certain events, in order to move the plot of the game along. If this sounds like something you'd pay $10 to be involved in, please do drop a line to me at ilikejason [at] gmail.com or in the comments of this entry; if I start hearing from enough people, I'll start putting the plan into motion, and see what might come out on the other side.

Of course, if someone simply feels like donating a used decent gaming system to me, I'd be happy to do that as well. I'm just saying.