Argus Corporation

Lore & Background

Argus Corporation's involvement in the GGO arc reveals a chilling aspect of the VR industry: the willingness to sacrifice individual well-being for corporate gain and scientific curiosity. The corporation provided the infrastructure and resources that allowed the Death Gun phenomenon to unfold, essentially creating a scenario where players believed they could be killed by virtual bullets.

Through their subsidiary involvement in game development, Argus maintained a veil of secrecy around its true intentions. They utilized the isolation and competitive nature of GGO to conduct unauthorized experiments on player reactions to perceived death threats. This manipulation blurred the lines between game mechanics and real-world consequences, pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in the virtual entertainment industry.

In Their Own Story

The neon lights of the Akihabara district flickered against the rain-slicked pavement, but inside the Argus Corporation headquarters, the air was sterile and cold. On a massive screen, data streams cascaded like digital waterfalls, each line representing a player's heartbeat in Gun Gale Online. A senior executive watched as a young man's avatar trembled in the virtual desert of GGO, his real-world vitals spiking in fear. 'The stress response is exactly what we predicted,' the executive murmured, not with concern, but with clinical satisfaction. To them, the player wasn't a person; he was data point number 402, and his terror was just another variable in their equation.

Reader's Guide

Argus Corporation was founded to pioneer advancements in virtual reality technology, eventually expanding into entertainment and psychological research sectors.

The leadership structure is opaque, with high-level executives making decisions that prioritize experimental outcomes over ethical considerations. They operate through subsidiaries, maintaining plausible deniability for controversial projects like the Death Gun incident.

Key members include unnamed executives who orchestrated the GGO experiment, leveraging their resources to manipulate game mechanics and player perceptions without direct involvement in the virtual world itself.

Their major conflict arises when players like Kirito uncover the truth behind Death Gun, leading to a confrontation that exposes Argus's unethical practices. This incident forces the corporation to face public scrutiny and potential legal consequences for endangering lives under the guise of game testing.

Did You Know?

• Argus Corporation is a multinational corporation.
• Argus Corporation is associated with the game Gun Gale Online (GGO).
• The corporation's status is active but under scrutiny following the Death Gun incident.
• Argus Corporation's primary interests include virtual reality technology and psychological research.
• The corporation's key location for real-world operations is Japan.