Month: May 2005 (Page 2 of 4)

Where’s Handy?

May 18, 2005 / Carie Ward

These days, you can take nothing for granted.

What seems to be a very well-researched feature article in the East Bay Express discussing 4orty 2wo Entertainment, I Love Bees, and what goes on behind the scenes in an ARG also seems to have its own secrets buried within it. The article, entitled The Buzzmakers, seems to indicate that Alex Handy (the article’s author) is missing. Clues to his disappearance have been hidden within the article, the paper edition of the weekly Oakland area East Bay Express, as well other real world mediums.

E3 Showcases Alternate Reality Gaming

May 17, 2005 / Steve Peters

Well, it’s that time of year! The 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles opened its doors this morning. This is where game developers, console manufacturers and anyone related to the electronic entertainment industry have a chance to showcase their newest and coolest products for all the world to see for the very first time. Next-gen consoles are definitely what everyone’s buzzing about this year, with new offerings by Xbox, Nintendo and Playstation at the forefront of virtually every conversation.

Rookery Tower

May 14, 2005 / Dee Cook

A recent post on the Unfiction forums indicates the start of a new ARG called Rookery Tower.

In 1851, conjoined twins, Eric and Richard, were born to a couple who lived on Rookery Hill. Tragedy after tragedy followed, leading to an apparent climax sometime in the late 1800s, details of which are yet to be discovered. Now in 2005, Layla Hardesty has moved into Rookery Tower and is encountering paranormal experiences ranging from a wandering dishpan to eerie knocks to strange messages appearing in her blog. The paranormal investigation firm called to work on the case is also encountering corruption on their web page. Players are attempting to help Layla and Morgan Paranormal find out the story behind Rookery Tower and the apparent haunting by the twins.

Film to Feature Text-Messaging Hunt

May 13, 2005 / Steve Peters

The recent trailer for the upcoming thriller “Cry Wolf” seems to be promoting an accompanying text-messaging game of some sort. The film, scheduled for an August 2005 release, revolves around a series of murders that are foretold by someone using AIM^Â®, giving warning about where the victims will be found.

At the end of the trailer, the following text appears:

“Use your cell phone to text your AIM^Â® screen name to CWOLF (29653) and use AIM^Â® on your phone to get in on the hunt!”

It looks like an interesting film, but we have no idea whether this will lead to anything beyond some spammy text messages, but time will tell. Watch for updates if this turns into something ARGish.

Surprise! OurColony Leads to Xbox 360

May 13, 2005 / Steve Peters

Just in case you’ve been asleep for the last 24 hours, it was officially revealed yesterday that the OurColony quasi-Alternate Reality Game was a promotional lead up to the new Xbox 360, scheduled to hit the stores for the 2005 holiday season.

As the countdown timer on the OurColony site expired yesterday, the page changed to reveal a link to a video file, which began with a CG OurColony ant scurrying across the floor to stand at the foot of J. Allard, Corporate VP of Xbox, who proclaims, “You are The Colony. You’ve found your way to the center, and you’re in control. This experience revolves around you. Welcome….to Xbox 360.”

BBC Announces Jamie Kane Beta

May 11, 2005 / Steve Peters

The BBC has announced today that it is accepting beta testers for its upcoming alternate reality game Jamie Kane. The game is aimed at a teenage audience and revolves around the search for a missing popstar.

Those who are familiar with alternate reality games may be a little surprised by the lack of stealth here, but Jamie Kane is treading into new territory in numerous ways. This game, while employing classic ARG elements, will be aimed at a primarily teenage market, so the plot and puzzles will be targeted accordingly. In addition, it won’t be played in real-time, so that players may begin at any time and all have the same experience. Nevertheless, Jamie Kane will employ numerous websites, emails, mobile phone alerts, videos and instant messaging to help players discover what happened to their favorite pop-star, Jamie Kane.