Alternate Reality Advertising: Marketing to Our Fandom

Portal 2 just came out. Needless to say, I am enthralled. The combination of fast paced, knee jerk problem solving and ludicrous black humor of the first made that game a meme atom bomb. I, personally, could not get enough of it.
I am not alone, the internet is littered with references to the deceptive cake and heartfelt companion boxes. I’ve known a few people who’ve gone out of their way to purchase and even make their very own Companion Cube plush dolls. And who could forget that song? The joyous yet sorrowful tune of a maniacal robot, who up until that very moment had been plotting your death and had been damn cheery about it. Oh, GLaDOS, how we love you!

Since the game’s inception those blue and orange wormholes have become a large part of internet and gamer culture. Parody videos and homage comics are all over the place. The cake may be a lie, but our collective love for Portal is not.


The buzz surrounding the release of Portal 2 was already palpable. It would be more accurate to say a frenzy surrounded the release of Portal 2. On April 1, Valve, the developers of Portal 2, released what was called "The Potato Sack" of games. People who bought this small 13 indie game collection began to notice strange symbols and phrases within them, symbols that connected to other games and other online sites. A series of codes were discovered within "The Potato Sack" collection. Prior to the release of Portal 2, Valve had created and Alternate reality game (ARG.)

If you don't know what an ARG is, it is a fascinating little concept. In a sense, it is the most interactive of transmedia forms. Not only can the game encompass your computer, or your television, but some have clues and elements you must find in the real world. In a way, the game plays you.

A little too Big Brother for you? Don't worry. ARGs are mostly used as promotional material, a form of really involved marketing campaign. Only the most dedicated of fans really get to the middle of these things. A mysterious and inclusive marketing campaign that costs the players and promises privileged information to only the most dedicated of fans, why does that sound so damned familiar?



Yeah. It was kinda like that. A whole lot of hub-bub and very little to be gained but more Portal 2 promotional material.

They didn't realize it at the time, but those poor fools who spent all that time, money, and energy on Valve's ARG were taught a very important lesson in affective economics.

If you haven't read Henry Jenkins' Convergence Culture,
you really, really should. That man literally wrote the book on the current state of interactive media. What he labels as "affective economics" is basically the selling of products that hinges on an emotional appeal. It was the overwhelming adoration given to the first game in the franchise that motivated this fervor of clue hunting. Portal had become a "lovemark," a brand drew upon the emotional capital of the consumer. Valve was no longer selling simply a product, but an old friend, a lost love, a warm feeling in your chest... You get the picture.

Should we be embittered towards them? I don't think so. People, especially scrutinizing gamers, don't just throw their hearts at any old game that walks by. They do what they do, they make damn good games that stick with us for a reason. They should, however, be more careful with the emotional capital of their fan base.

In the end, though, who the hell isn't excited to play Portal Co-op?!?!?

Let's give this another try.

Almost a year ago, I created this blog to fulfill the requirements for a summer class. Now, on the cusp of my graduation, I'm beginning to regret not having done more with it. I'll be all nice and graduated come August and unless I decide to go to grad school, my scholarly studies will simply become a hobby.

I might actually like that better.

Whether or not I keep this up in the coming days is still up in the air, BUT I do have a new entry coming up as a part of my finals. So if nothing else, I'll have one solid entry upcoming.

Nerdademic, out.

What the hell am I doing?

The past week or so, I have been toying with the format I want this blog to take. Do I want to just point and laugh at the myriad memes and non sequiturs polluting the internet?

No. That would be stupid. There are enough websites and blogs dedicated to nothing more than displaying and profiting from the excesses of the interwebs. What I want to do is study Nerd culture as an actual culture, not a joke. This includes, but is not limited to, the cultural aspects of music, literature, film, linguistic principles, , etc. etc. As such, I will actually attempt to make reference of some of the great intellectual big beards (including women, I just like saying "big beards")of the field of critical theory.



So here's how I think I am going to throw it down, son. One area of in depth study a month, or more if I can find the time. I know there's no way I'll be able to cover all aspects that can be covered, but with time I'd like to get the ball rolling on a critical study of nerds.

A lofty goal, but thank Vishnu the Internet allows me to fail, and fail hard, with little to no repercussions.

And if I do fail, if I don't necessarily do what I set out to do, at least I tried, and hopefully got a few other people thinking.

Nerdademic, Out.

What's in a name?

What is a nerd?
Miriam-Websters defines the word as:
": an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"
This stereotyped nerd image has become staple Americana. For years, "nerd" has coincided with images of the athletically frail, the socially outcast, and the unfortunately virginal. Many films have depicted the nerd as the character exploited for academic help or manipulated with promises of being included "amongst the guys." Now, is this still accurate?

As with any group of social outcasts, nerds themselves developed their own culture. The realms of computers, comics, and table top/video games were solely traversed by nerd kind for many years. Then something happened. Somewhere down the line, nerd culture became a huge influence on popular culture. Comic book properties became summer block busters, video games became a multi-billion dollar industry, and advanced technology has become integral to modern society. Even obscure internet in-jokes have infected American cultural staples.



I set out to produce a presentation for one of my classes exploring the relationship of Nerddom and its rise from seedy backwater kingdom to all powerful cultural empire. Honestly, I didn't think I could sum it all up in one little multimodal presentation, nor would I want to. Studying and applying the cultural dynamics of nerd life is something I want do for some time, as it is far from over.

To an extent, I have personal insight. I have been racking up high scores since I could reach an arcade stick, reading comics as soon as Dr. Seuss became boring, and my fondest childhood memories are of watching Star Trek: TNG with my father. (Picard is superior, no fucking question.) But could I be labeled a nerd in the traditional sense? I've never been much of an athlete, but in my younger years I was pretty active and I certainly wouldn't consider myself frail now. Though I relate more to those with nerd interests, I have never had a problem making friends wherever I may be. As for being virginal... well I'm no stud but... well a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.

So am I pure nerd? Probably not, but few are. Still, I've attend conventions, argued the value of varying superpowers, and have a set of polyhedral dice in my glove box. So with my insider knowledge and my academic pursuit of a degree in English and Media Studies, I aim to mix the nerd with the academic.

And we're off...