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Slicing Code for PIE Theory: A Sun Microsystems ARG

March 25, 2009 / Michael Andersen

Baron Rude and Hector Macchiato are quickly establishing themselves as the arbiters of all things paranormal on YouTube. The pair of nerds offer caustically humorous analyses of paranormal sightings. These Paranormal Investigations Experts (colloquially referred to as “the PIE Guys”) are looking for evidence of legitimate paranormal activity to support their theory. The PIE Guys are part of a new alternate reality game sponsored by Sun Microsystems that promises to give programmers a chance to get out and play.

The PIE Guys have a theory about technological development. According to their research, strange events preceded many of history’s greatest developmental leaps in science, technology, and agriculture. Throwing everything we know about causation to the wind, the pair are convinced that recent sightings imply the next JUMP is quickly approaching. In order to prepare, they have created a website at PieTheory.com to track strange phenomena and debunk hoaxes.

According to the website’s Terms of Service Sun Microsystems is behind the game, offering free downloads of Netbeans 6.5 and the JavaFX Production Suite 1.1 as part of the “Recruit Toolkit.” The Terms of Service also implies that some of the challenges of the game will involve the development of source code.

PieTheory.com is rapidly churning out new content, so keep your eyes peeled for more wacky antics from the website’s dynamic duo. There are already a few clues that there’s something going on beneath the surface, so start searching for proof of the paranormal, wherever you may find it.

Click Here to check out the game at Pietheory.com
Click Here for the discussion at the PieTheory forums
Click Here for the discussion at Unfiction

The Architect – Israel’s First Alternate Reality Game

March 25, 2009 / Brandie Minchew

mysarona

A few weeks ago, the biggest mystery in Yoni Grishman‘s life was why the people of Tel Aviv so despise the members of his chosen profession – that of a parking attendant writing tickets for the hapless drivers of Israel. Now, he’s got a lot more to worry about. His girlfriend has disappeared, suspiciously soon after he started the Facebook group “Real Estate is Not a Game” to protest the purchase of her apartment building and impending eviction by a rich real estate developer.

After receiving threats from a mysterious group, Yoni, with the help of the people of Tel Aviv, has been attempting to uncover the group’s secrets, determine their connection with the mysterious Architect, and find his girlfriend.

Called “The Architect” and billed as Israel’s first alternate reality game, the story has attracted several hundred players across Israel. Two live events have already taken place in Tel Aviv’s Sarona district as players took to the streets to protest the building of My Sarona, a luxury spa featuring an anti-gravitation room in addition to other more typical spa offerings. (The My Sarona promotional video has English subtitles.)

Israeli ARGers meet to discuss the game in an Israeli gamer’s forum and have set up a wiki to keep track of their information. Most of the game content and discussion is in Hebrew, but don’t let that stop you from having a look around!

Although the game is set to end on March 31st, take a peek at the websites and video. Once the game wraps up, we’ll have a follow-up article for you on the puppetmasters behind the scenes of Israel’s first – but hopefully not last – alternate reality game.

Rachael Webster Is Calling Me a Liar: Meet Her at GDC

March 19, 2009 / Michael Andersen

Remember how I insisted a few months ago that Rachael Webster, the video game blogger behind PixelVixen707.com, was fake? The folks at GameSetWatch and I were convinced she was all part of an elaborate yet eloquent ruse to get people to buy JC Hutchins’ new book, Personal Effects: Dark Art.

Rachael Webster called us out. She’s real, and she’s willing to prove it.

Rachael Webster will be attending the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco next week shaking hands and passing out business cards. The first ten people to crack the puzzle on the back of the card and email a picture of themself holding the card to [email protected] will receive “something cool” from her friend Jessica.

During last week’s ARG Netcast, JC Hutchins talked about his work on the transmedia novel Personal Effects: Dark Art. Explaining the debate over Rachael Webster, Hutchins told us that “Rachael is Rachael. Rachael is real in a way that is really kind of brainbending and really cool…Rachael is as real as you want her to be.”

As for me, I’ll believe it when I see it. So if you receive the business card seen above from a snarky woman at the Game Developer’s Conference, convince her to take a picture with you, and send it to us at [email protected]. And if I’m wrong, I’ll commit myself to Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital.

Click Here for our previous coverage on Rachael Webster and Personal Effects: Dark Art

SXSW Interactive awards for TDK ARG, We Tell Stories, Lost Zombies

March 15, 2009 / Jonathan Waite

2009-sxsw-web-awards Image courtesy of the SXSW Interactive Web Awards site.

It’s a big night for three campaigns tonight, as the teams behind The Dark Knight ARG, Lost Zombies and We Tell Stories have won major awards at the 12th annual SXSW Interactive Web Awards. The awards were handed out earlier tonight at the Hilton Austin Downtown, and according to The Underwire blog at Wired, the major hardware found its way into the hands of the wonderful people behind these highly successful campaigns.

One of the biggest wins of the night came for We Tell Stories. This project was a collaboration between Six to Start and Penguin Books and, as reported here in March of 2008, was a way for media-savvy designers to retell classic stories through the use of technology. We Tell Stories won in the Experimental category, but as a bonus, also walked away with the Best in Show Award. This is a monumental win for the company, formed at the beginning of 2008 by former members of Mind Candy.

A novel idea: Dot Robot has its own secret website

March 15, 2009 / Jonathan Waite

doyouknowanysecrets

It was about a month ago when we received a game tip about the web site doyouknowanysecrets.com, which was found in the book Dot Robot by Jason Bradbury. In the context of the novel, which is geared towards a younger demographic, the web site is discovered by one of the protagonists. Arriving at the site, it appears (on the surface) to be a sounding wall for anonymous comments, and after poking around for a bit this afternoon, I can’t find anything for further investigation, but I may be missing something… obvious, having not read the book yet. Perhaps one of our intrepid readers can point us towards the more secret secrets in our comments?

The use of the Internet to expand the narrative of a book is nothing new, but it’s always encouraging to see it happening, especially with books for kids and teens. I’m a big fan of getting the young’uns more interested in reading, and tying the written word to the World Wide Web has worked for such properties as 39 Clues, Ice Shock and Skeleton Creek. Hopefully those that have been entertained by Dot Robot will enjoy the secrets discovered at the web site.

Stop TARP ARG protests to rock SXSW?

March 14, 2009 / Jonathan Waite

It would seem that there is trouble brewing at the SXSW Interactive festival in Austin this week, and it’s a very persistent kind of trouble – protesters. On March 11th, Steve Peters posted the following on his Twitter account: Hmm, some group is protesting our SXSWi panel?? RT @StopTarpARG Alternate Realities are set to destroy our children. Visiting the Twitter account for StopTarpARG leads to their web site, stoptarparg.com. Once your eyes have adjusted to the multi-font experience at that site, the message sinks in: there’s a new ARG set to launch at SXSW, called TARP ARG 2009 for the kids, and according to StopTarpARG, it’s a government-sponsored attempt at brainwashing the minds of America’s children in the face of hard economic times.

Of course, the folks behind TARP ARG 2009 for the kids see it differently, claiming to be part of the economic bailout assistance program in the U.S. while promising to build a “direct interface with [their] targeted child audience.” Brian Cain’s name is all over this, and a simple Googling leads back to Campfire, the company behind many of the most popular ARGs of all time. Brian is going to be at SXSW Interactive on the same panel as Steve Peters, so we assume this is related to the hijacking of the panel Steve alluded to in the recent press release about his new company, No Mimes Media.

For those curious enough to sort through this madness, StopTarpARG has set up a phone number (866-397-7406) where Brian Cain’s apparent manifesto can be heard, while the TARP ARG folks have an email address where people can ask their questions. It would also seem that events are starting already, two days before the scheduled panel discussion, as our own Michael Andersen has outlined recently in the Unfiction forum discussion thread for Stop TARP ARG. In my opinion, this should be a fun way of showcasing alternate reality gaming, and I’m sad that I can’t attend the event myself. We’ll keep up with the Tweets and the shenanigans leading up to and following the panel discussion, so stay tuned.