Meet Gary;the star of Jim Babb’s new project –Socks Incorporated. Socks Inc. is an alternate reality game that follows the trials and tribulations of Gary as he struggles with unemployment and tries to get a job at the Socks Inc. toy factory. This free game encourages players to create an avatar,a.k.a. sock puppet,and join in the storytelling by completing missions and posting videos and pictures. What’s that? You say that you’re convinced and are ready to cut up your dad’s best dress socks and start playing? Not so fast –this game only exists in Jim’s mind (for now). You’ll have to wait until September to have fun with your footwear. (I guess you could start playing with your socks now…)
Jim has done something unprecedented in the independent ARG community. He raised more than $7,000 in funding from one hundred people in about a month,and he did it with just a video proposal and a promise that the game would be “super duper fun”. Pure Genius.
Jim spoke at ARGfest on the topic of casual games and we pulled him aside and asked him a few questions about Socks Incorporated.
RF:The majority of the backers pledged $25 and will receive “a limited edition Socks,Inc. embroidered patch featuring the game’s main character”–did you think that the patches would be such a big incentive to contribute?
JB: The value of the patch is not about it’s monetary value,but what it symbolizes. The patch is similar to those given to girl and boy scouts for their achievements;and together we are making this game! Most of the backers are people who will be playing the game. I also I sent a patch of 011iver to all of the players of Must Love Robots.
RF: You can tell in the video,when it came time to actually ask for money,that it made you a little uncomfortable. Did you think you would reach your funding goal so quickly,and how did you feel about “begging for money on the internet”?JB: I was absolutely blown away by how fast we reached our minimum goal. While I was confident that we could do it,I was unsure of how difficult it was going to be. It is awkward asking people for money,but you never get anywhere without putting yourself,and your project out there. The key is to do it in the most sincere and straightforward way possible. It is important to remember that people are supporting you more than they are supporting the project,which means you have to be trustworthy and passionate.
RF: Did your mom back the project? What does she think of “all that crazy internet stuff”you’re doing?JB: hmmm,I wasn’t sure…so I just asked my mom:“Of course,I supported my son. I think its is cool! I don’t understand the concept of the interactive gaming and it sure looks fun! I am proud of the work Jim is doing! He is crazy creative! Wonder where he gets it?”~Kathy Babb
RF: Can you talk a little bit about how you came up with the $6000 goal for this project?JB:Picking my funding goal was very difficult. In general,I’ve found that it is always hard to name prices for work in the creative non-profit world. Making Socks Inc. is time and labor intensive,but it is a passion of mine. That is why I am working for free,however,I can’t expect others to work for free. Paying the Socks,Inc. team,even if it is a super small amount,is a way for me to show appreciation for their time and work. I am lucky enough to have most of the equipment I need to make this project happen,but I still need to buy props,and of course tons of socks (I have been trying to get some donated socks). Independent projects like Socks Inc. have small budgets and we need to be creative and organized to stretch that money and allow the project to reach it’s potential. Coming up with a solid budget and using all available resources is important.
RF: Offering access to the behind the scenes blog was a big incentive for me to become a backer. How much detail will you reveal in that production blog?JB:We won’t be revealing much of the story,but we will reveal design elements and additional characters as they are created. You can expect behind the scenes photos of us working on the sets. We are also open to answering questions if and when backers have them.
RF: How much influence did your internship at the Top Secret Dance Off have on the concept development for Socks Inc.?JB: Jane McGonigal is a huge influence to everyone making ARGs and big games in general,but she has been an especially huge inspiration for me. Seeing the behind the scenes of Top Secret Dance Off was a starting point for how a game like Socks,Inc. might work.
RF:Your last production included some adult-themed humor and a few swears –will Socks Inc. be rated G? Are you trying to target a younger audience?JB: Socks,Inc. is a family friendly game. Everything will be PG rated,but there will be nods and winks to adult audiences,much like a Pixar movie.
RF: I know that you said you’re only in this for the “joy currency”,but are there any plans to monetize Socks Inc. in the future?JB:The game will be free to play,but we are not eliminating other ways of monetizing it. We are open to tasteful brand content,advertising,and merchandising. Since this is one of the first funded indie ARG projects,we do want to start making head roads into creating a sustainable indie game ecosystem. Another possible road to monetization is licensing our back-end platform that runs Socks,Inc’s core mechanic. Daniel Grace,the super talented developer behind doomstick.com has been creating a robust system that can easily be used for other games in the future. It is important to remember,that while we are open to generating $$$,our focus first and foremost is on making an awesome fun game.
ARGfest –Keeping it Casual (Jim Babb) from Martin Aggett on Vimeo.
