Category: Update (Page 10 of 41)

UPDATE: Flynn Lives ZeroHour is Live

February 24, 2010 / Celina Beach

flynnlives1 As previously covered, the fine folks at Flynn Lives, ever vigilant in their quest to find the lost Kevin Flynn, released a countdown 8 days ago.Â Yesterday, an email was sent to players who had previously signed up on the Flynn Lives site reminding them of the quest and a request for “operatives” in 25 cities, with a link to the countdown. Â The countdown expired today, and players clicked on the binary countdown flash which lead them to a new page on the Flynn Lives site, and contains a list of the previously revealed 25 cities, a grid with numbers into which codes can be entered (apparently similar to last July’s Comic-Con event), and a blank list for 66 “Operatives.” Â Currently, 3 cities are live: Chicago, Orlando, and Paris: directions have players heading to what are possibly arcades.

Players can now manage their profile information to provide contact information to “[g]et information, assignments and important artifacts through regular post/mail” and “[g]et quick updates via phone and text for important coordinated activities on the ground.”Â These profiles can then be linked toÂ players’ Facebook accounts to post Badges and Honors.Â

Stay tuned throughout the day as events unfold!

Repo Men: Countdown to the Hunt

February 20, 2010 / Michael Andersen

repomenhunt Lone Shark Games, Wired, and Universal have selected four applicants to attempt to disappear for the next month.Â According to the teaser page for the campaign, the hunt for these four volunteers begins February 25 at the stroke of midnight, Eastern Standard Time (Feb 24 at 9PM, PST).

As Repossession Specialists, hunters will be seeking out the four individuals previously selected, to “retrieve ‘artiforgs’ [Union-branded artificial organs] from the possession of users who are seriously behind on their payments.Â Successfully retrieving an artiforg results in a $7,500 cash prize.Â In order to hunt, however, prospective Repossession Specialists need to submit a job application. Â The site clearly states that “[o]nly registered Repo Men who follow all local and national laws and Union rules are eligible to receive cash for artiforgs.”Â The teaser page now links directly to Repo Men’s Union Cares website, so it looks like the contest will be at least partially integrated with the ongoing viral campaign.Â Registration to hunt as a Repossession Specialist hasn’t opened yet, but should become available any day now as the countdown approaches zero.

Clues for the game may come in unexpected places, so players are warned to keep their eyes open.Â The teaser specifically charges potential hunters to “scan our posters and media for valuable information,” so stay sharp!Â Maybe that string of numbers under the Repo Men title means something after all…

Click Here for MovieViral.com’s coverage of the Union Cares viral page
Click Here for the discussion at Unfiction.com

UPDATE: Flynn Lives Gradually Revealing a List of City Names

February 19, 2010 / Celina Beach

flynnlivescities Shortly after the countdown began at FlynnLives.com/zerohour, players noticed that what appeared to be a picture was slowly forming, pixel by pixel, beneath the binary countdown.Â That image, although not complete, has started to reveal a list of city names, a good portion of which can be deduced.Â Washington DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Raleigh, San Diego, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Phoenix are fairly legible, with more becoming so as the countdown approaches the zero hour on February 24th.Â Stay tuned in the coming days to see if YOUR city appears on the list!

Flynn Lives (Again): Countdown to Tron Legacy Viral

February 15, 2010 / Michael Andersen

Last summer, a number of movie bloggers received a flash drive along with two tokens for Flynn’s Arcade. By decoding and compiling code hidden within five different .gif files, players were lead to www.flynnlives.com, while text printed on the coins lead to www.homeoftron.com. These websites lead Comic-Con attendees on a merry blacklight-lit chase throughout San Diego to discover Flynn’s Arcade and a life-sized replica of the reimagined lightcycle for the upcoming Tron: Legacy film, scheduled for a December 2010 theatrical release.

According to Creativity Online, this viral campaign was created by 42 Entertainment. 42 Entertainment previously received numerous accolades for its alternate reality gaming campaign Why So Serious, which created a series of discrete live events and challenges to immerse players within the seedier side of Gotham City that had players finding cellphones in cakes, campaigning for Harvey Dent, and locating customized bowling balls.

ItÂ seems as thoughÂ 42 Entertainment is trying for a repeat performance, as ComingSoon.net has reported that Puerto Rican tipster Angel Bidot has received a package from Flynn Lives containing an origami a plastic Bit and the message “/zerohour.” RobMagus also reported receiving the package earlier today.Â AtÂ FlynnLives.com/ZeroHour, a binary countdown is counting down the seconds until February 24 at approximately 11AM EST (8AM PST, 4PM GMT).

Click Here for the discussion at Unfiction.com
Click Here for the Tron wiki at Wikibruce.comÂ

Image courtesy of RobMagus

Speaking of countdowns, remember you only have until 11:59pm ESTÂ tomorrow (Tuesday, February 16) to enter to win an iPod Touch, courtesy of Running Press Books.

“Something” Is Here, and the Contingency Foundation Wants You!

February 4, 2010 / Jane Doh

In April 2009, Staff of the Magi Productions (SotM) opened their second project, “Something Is Coming”, set in Harperâ€™s Ford, a fictional town in the Pacific Northwest trapped under some kind of barrier with all manner of ravenous plants and beasties. With Harperâ€™s Ford under martial law, Dave Dolan runs a pirate radio show, sending over 30 transmissions in about six months. We find that the entire United States has been put under quarantine. A possibly alien, possibly government paramilitary group, the Contingency Foundation, has enlisted us to some mysterious end.

Since Fall 2009, “Something Is Coming” has moved into a more location-based form of gameplay, localized exclusively but broadly to the continental United States. In September, representatives were chosen for each time zone, and these four teams competed, secretly racing through clue solves that eventually led to a dead drop. These first runners each received a live psychic reading (check out the wiki for player videos) and a â€œCompass,â€ a hardware-encrypted IronKey USB flash drive engraved with the Contingency Foundation logo. IronKey drives can be remotely managed and feature a permanent self-destruct sequence, triggered after so-many failed password attempts.
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Looking Back at Scholastic’s Transmedia Efforts for 39 Clues

January 31, 2010 / Michael Andersen

39cluesbooks On September 9th, 2008 Scholastic published The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The book debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and marked the beginning of Scholastic’s 10-book experiment in transmedia publishing. On February 2nd, Scholastic is releasing the seventh installment in the series, The 39 Clues: The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis. February 2nd will also mark the premiere of The Viper’s Nest audio book and the corresponding set of collectible puzzle cards inÂ Card Pack 3: The Rise of the Madrigals.

39 Clues tells the story of two children, Amy and Dan Cahill, who are thrust into a global hunt for clues that will reveal the secret to the Cahill family’s power. The series is a cross between The Westing Game and The Amazing Race as the two children compete against members of four branches of the Cahill family to uncover the secret histories of famous Cahills including Benjamin Franklin, Anastasia Romanov, and Amelia Earhart. Although the series initially portrays their competition as cutthroat caricatures of their respective family houses, the series gradually reveals the complex motives of their fellow competitors.

While the story is primarily told through the books, each novel serves as a launching pad for further exploration, as a number of clues are hidden within each book’s pages. For instance, in The Maze of Bones, a series of apparently misnumbered pages spells out a secret message that aids the reader in solving a puzzle on one of the six collectible cards that came with the book. By going to the 39 Clues website, the reader can complete a puzzlesolving mission culminating in an online game that explains the message. Alternatively, by buying and solving puzzle cards expansion packs from the series, players can discover the 39 clues for themselves and reveal more of the Cahill family history. The story also branches through products ranging from a board game to Madrigal Maze, an iPhone application. Continue reading