Flynn Lives: END OF LINE?

It has been a busy two months for Flynn Lives, which has been a nice change of pace for players who had been growing anxious for activity following the two month lull post San Diego Comic Con. In early October players noticed a new puzzle on the Flynn Lives Facebook page that, once cracked, led to tickets for a screening of twenty minutes from Tron: Legacy in IMAX 3D in theaters across the country for Tron Night, October 28th.

Ordinarily such a screening would be prize enough for most players but Flynn Lives did not stop there. Just days before the Tron Night screening, the Flynn Lives website updated, letting players know that the game was back with a vengeance and that the endgame had begun. Players began frantically searching the site for updates, and it was quickly discovered that Zack’s popular Arcade Aid puzzle game from months past had been updated with new titles of classic video games.

Players worked together and beat the updated game, earning new achievement badges within just a few short hours, but it was the message with the final achievement badge that left the forums buzzing. Titled End Game, the unlocked achievement let players know that something was coming in the mail soon from Flynn Lives.  A screening and swag? Players speculated that this was surely the Endgame hinted at on the Flynn Lives main page and as Tron Night came and went, everyone anxiously awaited their package, their final parting gift from Flynn Lives.

In early November the first packages began arriving containing not one, but two pins depicting game titles found within the Arcade Aid Challenging Stage v.2.0. Players received either a Face Off, Punch Out, Tron or Tron Sentry pin and were prompted to wear them proudly as a badge of honor as a true gamer. Just as players began to calm down from the excitement generated by the arrival of the new pins, another discovery was made. The first 999 players to complete the challenge began receiving a second package that contained Arcade Aid posters that were hand numbered, reflecting what number the player was to finish the game, and embossed with the Arcade Aid logo.

During the weeks of activity with pins and posters Flynn Lives updated fairly regularly prompting new players to check out the updated Arcade Aid and even showing off the pin swag that had been sent out.  It was no surprise then for players to see an update following the poster discovery where FL mentioned their recent swag mail out. No, the surprise was the hidden code in the image attached to the post. Intimately familiar with the Arcade Aid artwork at this point, players realized immediately that the image depicted a new, previously unseen message. Once the code was deciphered gamers discovered a new URL that led them to the Arcade Aid: Bonus Level page, and a new puzzle.

It took the better part of a day but the group mind would not be denied and the newly discovered puzzle yielded even more information and URLs. Following the digital trail players found Poptech75, which quickly led to FlynnFrontier and Hydecker Designs. Within the three sites players also found codes that, once entered on the interface at HelloFlynn, offered a treasure trove of information that further explained the history of Kevin Flynn and the projects he was working on prior to his disappearance. Between the information found on the three websites and the media unlocked at Hello Flynn, players got to know more about Kevin’s wife Jordan and her past while also getting a chance to listen to audio of Kevin reading excerpts from his books. There was even a glimpse into the Flynn household through a video of the family playing at the beach that foreshadowed things to come for Sam Flynn.  A newly unlocked achievement badge let players know that the trail had been followed to its end, but Flynn Lives also offered kind yet cryptic words to players on the Flynn Lives Facebook page indicating that there was still more to come.

As December 17th rapidly approaches players have little time left with Flynn Lives. Judging by the past few weeks, though, it will be a thrilling ride that will give players all the game they can handle while preparing them for the true reward, the release of Tron: Legacy. There is still time to take part if you are a Tron fan, so sign up at Flynn Lives and get on the grid at the Unfiction forums before it’s too late to help your fellow programs, because the Endgame will soon be the END OF LINE.