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Lionsgate’s legal department has shut down two of the biggest Hunger Games fansites, Hunger Games Tesserae and Welcome to Panem. As you might remember from a few months ago, these sites were what really spurred the fandom into action (right before all the casting announcements) by sorting users into one of the twelve districts, putting in their names for the Hunger Games, and sending cryptic messages from the capital. We had suspected that Lionsgate was running some sort of ARG (Alternate Reality Game — a great way to build buzz and draw in new fans), but it’s clear now that these sites, though ARGs, were fan-run.
The Gamemakers in charge of the two sites got in touch with the head of The Capitol Is Watching, another in-character site, and explained the situation:
The take down is not in-character and in fact, very much a surprise. They have no idea if they are coming back and they are waiting to hear from Lionsgate’s legal department. They’ll keep me updated on the issue, and in turn, you guys. This was a very sudden event and they were NOT anticipating it at all.
While I’m not a huge roleplayer, it’s fun to go along with this game and to witness people getting immersed in Suzanne Collins‘ world: Declaring district loyalties and planning to overthrow the Capitol. We even had the Mockingjay, the symbol of the Panem rebellion, call in to the Fireside Chat one night. It’s harmless fun, so why do the studios need to clamp down on it?
Maybe because they think that fanon (fans’ opinions on or additions to canon material) is infringing on intellectual property or dilutes the brand. Perhaps Lionsgate, like J.K. Rowling with the Harry Potter encyclopedia, was planning its own Hunger Games simulation and thought that fans were stepping on its toes.
The thing is, in most cases, any ARG or promotion that comes from a studio is going to feel canned and more like an advertisement than a game. The exception, of course, would go to the Cloverfield ARG, which was either J.J. Abrams‘ direct doing, or something that his team hired an outsider to produce. The deliciously cryptic clues in posters and trailers and on websites inspired the creation of Cloverfield Clues, an entire site dedicated to puzzling out the mysteries of Abrams’ monster movie. Never did his people or the studio try to shut down the site; they coexisted nicely and complemented each other, ultimately making the moviegoing experience so much more fun for the fans who had been along for the ride for months beforehand.
Unless they’ve hired fans, Lionsgate’s viral marketing can’t rival the #panemoctober craze that’s been sweeping Twitter and Tumblr. Here’s hoping they come to their senses and restore Hunger Games Tesserae and Welcome to the Capitol — if only because inquring minds want to know what the hell is happening in October!
