That link is to a CNet article, focused around an interview with author Sean Stewart, on the topic of Alternate Reality Games. I’ve played two of them now, including Last Call Poker which is mentioned extensively in the article, and often have trouble describing the concept to others. They’re bunches of fun, and amazing community building tools! I won’t try to describe the concept here beyond calling the games a combination of scavenger hunts, social experimentation, puzzle solving, and a whole lot more.
Plus, I’m the librarian mentioned (but not by name) about half way through page 1 🙂
I solved a very cool puzzle on my lunch break one day, using an obscure hymnal stored in our microfiche collection to crack a code.
ARGs are a niche genre, to be sure. But they’re amazingly deep, intelligent, and involving. I’ve made some great friends through the communities to boot. Can’t beat em!