A playtest group for immersive experiences.
In 2010, the late and beloved Dr. Jeff Watson and I formed PEG-LA (Pervasive and Environmental Gaming – Los Angeles). After meeting at the Come Out and Play Festival, Jeff and I wanted to do more to cultivate the immersive design community in LA, so we created a group specifically dedicated to prototyping and playtesting experiential work.
Over the course of PEG’s organizational life, we grew a community of over 100 designers, games academics, artists, and entertainment professionals. Together, we:
- Cultivated a community in LA of people with a shared interest in creating compelling pervasive and environmental games, including outdoor games, street games, ARGs and any other form of gaming that takes place in public space.
- Met on a regular basis to discuss pervasive games and critique and playtest each others’ projects. (Often in my living room!)
- Brought pervasive and environmental gaming to the general public through events such as Come Out and Play and IndieCade as well as stand-alone game activities.
Building this community with Jeff became foundational to my career. Members of our community included individuals who worked at (or would go on to work at) Walt Disney Imagineering, Two Bit Circus, Mobius Interactive, LEGO, Annapurna Interactive, Parsons, Wise Guys Entertainment, The Getty, Meta, Meow Wolf, MOCA and other prestigious play and experience creators around the world. Over the years, we tested games that would late become projects for CicLAvia, 826LA, The Getty Museum, the University of Southern California, IndieCade, the UCLA Labor Center, and lots more.
Here are some images of PEG moments throughout the years:
