Descendant: The Ice Shock (Joshua Files) ARG

Who knew an Alternate Reality Game could have three different titles at once? Well, only everyone who has ever tried to figure out what to call an unnamed campaign during the first few days of its run, that’s who!

Back in our day, ARGs didn’t have titles, they just poked you in the eye with a sharp stick and you were HAPPY for the nostalgic remembrance constantly afforded to you for the rest of your life by that scratchy ol’ eyepatch you’ve had to wear ever since then, not to mention the unending ridicule. Kids these days just don’t know how easy they have it….

Hi there. You might be able to help us with something. It seems that Josh Garcia’s blog, reprinted in copies of The Joshua Files: Ice Shock contains another, coded message. And we’ve noticed that the Ice Shock book trailer on [YouTube] isn’t quite the same as the one we’re showing on our site for The Joshua Files. Maybe you know some people who could work out what’s [going] on? We’d appreciate [your] help. If Josh and his friends are in danger – we need to know!

Astute observers of ARGNet in recent months may have already heard of Ice Shock – a sequel to the first in the Joshua Files series, Invisible City – and its promotional ARG. The book was released yesterday by Scholastic Books and UK-based author M.G. Harris blogged today about the campaign.

Checking out her links led us to the following video trailer via the Joshua Files site:

Four weeks, twelve websites, and one mystery wrapped around Josh’s murdered godfather and Gabi’s need to escape her own father’s killer. Could Gabi somehow be Josh’s godsister? Is she, by any remote chance, an attractive brunette? Maybe Josh’s blog will shed some light on the situation. Or perhaps clues may be found in, and call us crazy on this one, Ice Shock the book? We guess if you get stuck, you can always resort to the meta-site, which happily promises upcoming “[r]umours, hints and news about [the ARG.]”

Have at ye!

P.S. [B]rackets are [fun]!