Category: News (Page 162 of 183)

Omnifam: Alias-Related Game?

May 10, 2005 / Steve Peters

Fans of the television series Alias have enjoyed supplemental online challenges since 2001, when the first Alias Web Puzzle appeared.

It seems that something may be starting up again. Players recently stumbled upon omnifam.org, which has been showing signs of life, although we haven’t been able to track down exactly how it was found in the first place. As a result, we can’t determine whether this is an ABC sanctioned game or a grassroots effort.

Regardless, if you’re an Alias fan, this may be for you, as quite an established following has developed for these Alias Web Puzzles over the years.

Trailhead
Discussion at Unfiction
Discussion at Joey’s Pizza Y! Group
Discussion at Alias Web Puzzle Y! Group
Chat in #omnifam (irc.chat-solutions.org)
Season 1 Web Puzzle FAQ
Season 2 Web Puzzle FAQ
Season 3 Web Puzzle FAQ

Ares Station Completes Its Mission

May 8, 2005 / Steve Peters

The indie Alternate Reality Game Ares Station came to a close on May 5th, with an announcement on its trailhead page. Although nobody likes it when a game ends, those who played the two-month long ARG seemed to be extremely happy with the game overall.

Ares Station was designed by Indiana University Bloomington graduate students Nathan Mishler and Will Emigh as a Telecommunications thesis project. Ares Station represents about a year of work, and included excellent quality design and multimedia elements, as well as a very effective “stealth” launch.

Helmets off to Nathan, Will and the rest of the Ares Station crew for providing a quality Alternate Reality Gaming experience. You can read a transcript of the post-game chat with the Ares Team here.

More Cowbell, Please: A Memoir

May 6, 2005 / Jackie Kerr

It was a sunny day â€“ the kind of day that springs forth from the drudgery of winter to blind you with its brilliant sunshine and pleasant breezes, imprinting itself onto your memory. The air was filled with the smells of cherry and tulip blossoms and the slight overtone of a diesel-fueled truck, while the thumping of nearby construction pounded out the rhythm of a downtown rave party, minus the fancy lights, drugs and half-naked dancing people thrumming against your leg.

I had decided to leave the lab early. The spring day called out to me, â€œJackie! Leave the window-less torture of a lab youâ€™re sitting in! Drop the data analysis and run and frolic in my splendor!â€ Not being one to ignore calls of nature in the off chance that I might end up with wet pants, I grabbed my things and snuck out. My sandaled feet skipped along the sidewalk, my toes happy to be wriggling in the air of spring and reveling in the vitamin D of the sun. As I waited to cross the street outside of the University of Maryland Medical Center, I felt someone sneak up behind me.

â€œMoooooo.â€

“I Love Bees” Wins Webby Award

May 3, 2005 / Steve Peters

It was announced today that 2004’s runaway Alternate Reality Game hit “I Love Bees” won the 2005 Webby Award for Best Games-Related website. The Webby Awards are the internet equivalent of the Academy Awards.

A complete list of the winners can be accessed at the Webby website. Congratulations to the entire 4orty2wo Entertainment Team behind I Love Bees! This award is well-deserved.

ARGN Adds Features, Staff

May 2, 2005 / Steve Peters

ARGN has turned an important corner, recently. For the past six months, the genre of Alternate Reality Gaming has continued to gain mainstream recognition, in no small part due to games like I Love Bees and Regenesis. As a result, traffic here and at affiliate sites like Unfiction has continued to grow swiftly, which is a good problem to have. The proliferation of new and ongoing ARGs, continued media exposure, and becoming widely accepted as a bona-fide news source has suddenly made it pretty obvious that we’re not just a little fan-site any more.

Success and Failure at Live Events

May 2, 2005 / Jonathan Waite

As reported Thursday, two seperate real world events occured this weekend within the ARG The Art Of The Heist. However, in an interesting turn of events, only one retrieval mission was a success. Players of the game were ecstactic as the New York interaction with DJ Will Star went off without a hitch, and shocked as the mission at the Coachella Music Festival was a complete bust.

Community members bagsbee and rose were front and center at The Scratch DJ Academy on Friday night to meet with Will Star, who teaches at the academy. The package was received and, once opened, another valuable SD card was available for the players to look over.