Category: Update (Page 37 of 41)

E3 Wrap Up: ARGs Hit the Airwaves…

May 21, 2005 / Steve Peters

…the Exhibit Floor, and Each Other

Now that E3 2005 has become history, we can step back and take a look at what a remarkable event it really was as far as Alternate Reality Games are concerned. While most of the world was mobbing the Xbox 360 and PSP exhibits, some were reporting that E3 was just more of the same from years gone by: First-Person Shooters, games aimed at young males, nothing new or original. Despite new and shiny things with amazing graphics and fluid rendering, one BBC reporter lamented that there was nothing really innovative this year.

But amid all of the spectacle, noise, swag and Booth Babes (not that there’s anything wrong with Booth Babes), those who were observant might have noticed something a little different going on. They might have noticed a trio of gamers surrupticiously following a smarmy-looking game designer, snapping candid photos and talking quickly into their phones. They may have been approched by a friendly Brit in a grey t-shirt, offering them a card with a puzzle on it. They may have noticed a sticker on a Playboy bunny’s tail, announcing a Lost Cube with a $200,000 reward. They probably were startled by a crowd circled around a road-weary hacker fighting with a couple of bodyguards. And oh, didn’t I see that game designer guy on VH-1 earlier in the day?

E3 Report: Alternate Reality Games Bust Out

May 19, 2005 / Steve Peters

Greetings from sunny Los Angeles! This year’s E3 is proving to be a landmark occasion in the world of Alternate Reality Gaming. Not only is there a veritable ARG Development Team (Puppetmaster) Summit going on, with representatives from five different teams in attendance, but this whole ARG thing is creating quite a stir, especially on the exhibition floor.

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€

The Art Of The Heist: Atlanta Update

April 17, 2005 / Jonathan Waite

Yesterday’s real world event in Atlanta, part of the Art of the Heist ARG, turned out to be an adventure of sorts, as three ARG community members played crucial roles in the story and provided more drama and intrigue in the game that continues to blur the lines between reality and Alternate Reality.

The three ‘retrievers’ who play on the Unfiction forums (Valkyros, Meghan, and j5) met with in-game character Nisha at a restaurant early in the day, where they were given a mission: obtain an SD card from the inside of an Audi parked at a nearby dealership. The three players devised a plan:

Excerpt from Valkyros’ account of what happened:
The plan was straightforward, I was to proceed first to eyeball the site and provide security overwatch. Meghan was then to saunter in and corner the salesman posted near the A3. Nisha suggested that Meghan steer him to the $129,000 A8 parked in the northernmost corner of the show room. Once this was accomplished, J5 would enter showroom and get in the relatively untended A3. From there he would rifle the car and hopefully locate the SD card.

The actual retrieval process by j5 was like something from a James Bond movie, while online players watched the scene via webcam:

Excerpt from j5’s account of what happened:
I did a once around and entered the driver’s side door. Once in, I immediately started looking in the obvious places. I opened the armrest, found an accordion panel and slid it open, â€œnothingâ€ I felt around the steering wheel â€œcheck under the floor matsâ€ Nisha suggests in my earpiece. Right about the time I start lifting floor mats, a tall man in a white dealership shirt approached and introduced himself, holding out his arm at full length to shove his hand into the window of the car. I took him to be the GM of the store based on his presence, so I shook his hand and introduced myself. He asked If I had any questions or needed help with anything or if I was interested in a brochure. â€œAs a matter of fact, a brochure would be great, can you locate one for me?â€ Once he was gone, the search began again in earnest; I was sliding seats all the way back in their tracks, removing ashtrays, pulling off panels. Nisha continued offering suggestions and asking where I had looked.

The mission was a success, as J5 found and retrieved the SD card and then met up with Nisha and the other players at their rendezvous point.

With the high profile theft of an Audi A3 from a car show, and this intense mission, this game has quickly become one of the most impressive games in ARG history. We can only hope that Art of the Heist continues to blow our minds as the story unfolds.

Trailhead
Discussion at Unfiction
Trail
Chat in #heist

Audi’s Art of the ARG

April 4, 2005 / Steve Peters

With more and more evidence cropping up around the internet, it seems that the newly discovered ARG “The Art of the Heist” is most likely sponsored by Audi of America. Heist began with a bang on April 1st, with the supposed theft of a 2006 Audi A3 (VIN# WAUZZZ8P65A045963) right out of a New York City showroom, a fact that has created quite a stir on various car afficianado boards across the internet.

Today, Audi posted a special announcement on their US website, stating that “this is an ongoing INTERNAL investigation by Audi of America.” Add to that the fact that they’ve hired one of Heist’s characters to find the car, and the conclusion of who’s behind all this becomes pretty inescapable.

Audi’s doing things up right, that’s for sure. Advertisements for Virgil Tatum (whose website is the game’s main rabbithole) are showing up on too many websites to count, and while the game’s only been public for less than a week, interest in what’s going on seems to be growing at an exponential rate.

To remove any doubt about who’s backing Heist, it seems that the Financial Times let the cat out of the bag last week, with Aline van Duyn’s article about Audi’s foray into what she (mistakenly) refers to as Blog Advertising. From her article:

“If all goes according to plan, more than a million Americans will soon be gripped by the mystery of the missing car. The hunt for a stolen Audi A3 – a sporty hatchback that will hit US showrooms in May – will begin next week with a launch party in New York.

“At the event, the thriller’s first scenes will be shot, with pictures and clues about the theft then distributed on the internet.

“From there, participants in the chase will use interactive tools to choose alternative plot endings. How will the publicity be generated?

“With the latest weapon in the ad man’s arsenal – blog advertising. Blogs, web logs or journals, which cover topics from politics to parenting, have such enormous followings that marketing and advertising executives can no longer resist advertising in them.”

The article goes on to state what a vast, untapped resource blogs are for advertisers to buy space on, and that this whole Audi campaign is about getting bloggers to think of an A3 next time they want to buy a car.

We here at ARGN prefer to see this particular instance of “blog advertising” for what it really is: the tip of the ARG iceberg. Props to Audi for joining the ranks of those who realize the potential of Alternate Reality Gaming. In true automotive spirit (as it is in Alternate Reality Gaming), the ride’s the thing, so get behind the wheel, buckle yourself in, and get ready for a trip you won’t soon forget.

Trailhead
Discussion at Unfiction
Trail
Chat in #heist

Still Life Prelude Begins

March 26, 2005 / Steve Peters

It seems that the Extended Reality Game that was announced to accompany Microids’ new adventure game Still Life has begun. A look at the website now reveals a link to Still Life Prelude, which leads to a brief introduction and then to Victoria McPherson’s Liberty 1.3 OS desktop (nicely provided by Lombartech).

There, the player will find tons of hints in the form of emails, to-do lists, links to other in-game sites, and even various crypto tools. From the intro:

“You will be playing Victoria McPherson…..and instead of watching her move through streets and corridors, you will be seeing what she sees every day as she works from her desk, investigating, gathering information and puzzling through clues in a race against time to prevent a killer from striking again. As you and Victoria do this together, you’ll have to deal with the Press, your supervisor, trouble with friends, and a mysterious ally.

“All of this is going to happen on Victoria’s desktop, through journal entries, news reports and email interaction. Remember: You’ll be Victoria’s eyes and hands, so you’ll be opening her journal every morning, responding to her email and piecing together the clues that will bring a killer to justice.”

Additionally, Still Life Prelude is aimed at a global audience, being made available in English, French, Italian and German.

This looks like it could be a lot of fun. Oh, and for those of you familiar with past ARGs, check out the Credits page for some familiar names.

Discussion at Unfiction.