Superstruct... trying to take stock

I have recently been introduced to the online game Superstruct, launched by the Institute for the future in September. It was shown to me by a guy I completed a short service design project with when studying at ENSCI in Paris. He has written a little about the concept of "ARG - Alternative reality gaming" on his blog; Service Design by Christophe Tallec. and we plan to discuss the project we completed this afternoon to see if we can modify it and place it into this online game.

So what is Superstruct?
That is a good question... one that I have been trying to answer for the last hour, while trying to understand the concept and how to take part in it. Below, is a short video introduction which gives a sense of what they are trying to do.

The game is forecasting scenarios for the world in 2019, in particular the changes that will be made in the way we live our lives, due to the four problems areas; Ravenous, Power Struggle, Quarantine, Generation Exile, Outlaw Planet. However, the aim of the game is not just to forecast, but also discuss and make proposals as to how we can deal with these impending problems, what changes could be made, what systems, organisations, life changes...could help in the battle to change the world forecast. What is interesting, is when you sign up, it states that you should try to predict based on your current life status and culture...It is not meant to be pure fantasy. In fact, perhaps that is why it is more interesting and convincing. As pure fantasy is something that can be dismissed as exactly that. Yet ,although a future forecast...a prediction will always have an element of the unknown fantasy...the way that some of these issues are discussed makes them seem very real.

so far it has 5994 players and a current survival horizon of the earth predicted as being 2049!

Interesting stuff huh? I think so...I still have to read more, but here are a few links to what I have looked at so far;

Institute of the future post on superstruct
Wikja game tips for playing
there is also a face book group with tons of information