On January 27, something is happening at Alcatraz…

After JJ Abrams’ new TV series premiered on January 16th, visitors to LegendsOfAlcatraz.com were presented a short puzzle. Solving this puzzle revealed a cryptic announcement for an event that would take place at N37 49.6062 W122 25.3793907 – Alcatraz Island.

The announcement [image] indicated a time of “9:14″, and the dates January 27, 28, 29. On Wednesday, more details were provided:

We now know that the event will take place Friday evening, of January 27th. “It Begins.”

Dr. Soto has arranged exclusive night-time access to the Rock for those interested in helping him solve mysteries for his new book – “Legends of Alcatraz”.

The first 302 volunteers to check in when and where we say on Friday are selected.
Don’t miss this special once-in-a-lifetime adventure!

What to bring:

• A flashlight
• Warm clothes
• A comfortable pair of shoes

Note:

• This event will last approximately 2-3 hours. Food and drink will not be permitted on the island so please eat before you come.
• Parking is not provided.
• If under the age of 18, you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• Valid ID required.

302 people – that’s number of guards and prisoners who ‘disappeared’ from Alcatraz in 1963.

Diego himself posted a new update to his comic shop’s tumblr, linking to an organization that re-enacts history. Could this be a hint of something we might see Friday night?

I can’t wait for them to do this again. Fort Point has a “Civil War Living History Day,” organized by the Friends of Civil War Alcatraz.

http://www.friendsofcivilwaralcatraz.org/LHD.htm

Attendees to Friday’s event will likely experience quite a memorable adventure, even if only for the visit to Alcatraz Island itself, at night. If “Diego” is indeed there, then expect more than just a simple tour of Alcatraz.

Can’t be there and want to see what happens during the event? Wikibruce will also be there!

• Follow @Wikibrucethere for live updates from Alcatraz Island.
• Follow the hashtag #legendsofalcatraz to see what people are saying.
• Connect to IRC and join the channel #alcatraz on the server irc.chat-solutions.org to chat with others in the community — or use the Mibbit IRC interface embedded below.

Hopefully we can share the experience as best we can for those who won’t be there.

The fun starts Friday evening…

IRC Chat via Mibbit: #alcatraz on irc.chat-solutions.org
follow @Wikibrucethere for updates!

Campaign links

• Doc’s Comics
• @SotoDoc
• @AlcatrazLegends / #LegendsOfAlcatraz
• legendsofalcatraz.com

Other related links

• Discussion at Unfiction forums
• Alcatraz TV series fan wiki at Wikia

Tags: alcatraz

Categories: ARGs General, TV Series, Viral General

How well do you know your Alcatraz history?

After the 2 hour premiere episode aired last Monday on Fox, the website hinted at in a puzzle from the mailed rabbit hole packages (and tweeted by @AlcatrazLegends) – LegendsOfAlcatraz.com – was updated with a message and input prompt related to the spaghetti riot of 1950.

Alcatraz Spaghetti Riot, 1950
Inmates had to find ways to communicate under the watchful eye of the prison guards. Scholars still wonder how they managed to coordinate exactly what time to stage their uprising.

Users were prompted to provide the correct answer… but how?

Looking closely at the blackboard message, there are a number of letters missing:

These spell out “CMXIV”, or converted from roman numerals: 914

Entering 914 into the prompt leads to an event announcement.

9:14 01_27.28.29_2012
IT BEGINS.
N37 49.6062 W122 25.3793907
STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS:
@ALCATRAZLEGENDS
#LEGENDSOFALCATRAZ

Clue: Coordinates

The GPS coordinates N37 49.6062 W122 25.3793907 point to Alcatraz Island, and some have even attempted to narrow it down to a specific location within the prison. If the precise coordinates are indeed of any importance, here’s my estimate:

(diagram courtesy alcatrazhistory.com)

Clue: Time

“9:14″ – Is this in the morning? At night? As of this posting, no further details are known, but likely more will be revealed this week through @AlcatrazLegends and the hash tag.

What we do know

Something is happening at Alcatraz at 9:14am or pm, on the 27th, 28th, or 29th.  If you’re in the area, make sure to plan your trip to the island soon – Visit AlcatrazCruises.com, with ferries launching from Pier 33 regularly. Let’s hope we get some more details before Friday!

Tune in tonight on Fox at 9pm EST for the latest new episode of Alcatraz – and don’t forget to bookmark LegendsOfAlcatraz.com!

Campaign links

• Doc’s Comics
• @SotoDoc
• @AlcatrazLegends / #LegendsOfAlcatraz
• legendsofalcatraz.com

Other related links

• Discussion at Unfiction forums
• Alcatraz TV series fan wiki at Wikia
• Fan site: alcatrazonfox.tumblr.com
• Fan site: therockmysteries.blogspot.com
• Fan site (Italian): welcometoalcatraz.com

Tags: alcatraz

Categories: ARGs General, TV Series, Viral General

What do a dying white flower, a Ford Mustang lapel pin, and a comic book store have in common?

They’re three of a hand-full of cryptic items received by a number of media and community outlets, including Wikibruce.com, tied together only by the historic – and mysterious – prison island of Alcatraz, as portrayed in the new TV series from JJ Abrams.

Alcatraz is historically known as the “The Rock” – an island situated in San Francisco Bay converted to a maximum-security prison, touted essentially as an impenetrable, and inescapable fortress. Supposedly.

In 2007, I had the privilege of visiting the prison when the ARGFest alternate reality gaming conference took place in San Francisco. The tour was a chilling, exciting look into history, providing a glimpse at the troubling and unsettling lifestyles of those who were sentenced and trapped within its walls.

It’s not surprising that Alcatraz has greatly interested creator JJ Abrams whose TV series premiered January 16th, which explores a mystery about the island and its inhabitants. And of course, JJ with his metaphorical mystery box has once again begun a viral/transmedia campaign to help extend the show and its story beyond our television set.

On Friday the 13th, Wikibruce received this package, laid out below, containing some mysterious artifacts from Abrams’ world of “Alcatraz”. If this extended experience is planned to be anywhere as expansive as the LOST Experience, it’s a good bet there is certainly much more to come during the life of the TV show.

The Package

Diego “Doc” Soto is also the owner of a comic book shop called “Doc’s Comics and Collectibles”, which appears a few times in the show. He’s a somewhat social author, in that he’s also set up the twitter account @SotoDoc, though hasn’t used it in months. Additionally, he set up a very minimalistic tumbr blog for his store at docscomics.tumblr.com. Inside, we find an embedded commercial for his Inmates book — watch here:

From the episodes themselves, keen-eyed observers noticed a number of easter eggs and potential leads. For example, one of JJ Abrams’ staple easter eggs is the inclusion of the name “Kelvin” in his projects – his way of dedicating his work to his grandfather who influenced him as a child. Two instances have already been spotted.

Additionally, in episode 2 a QR code was spotted next to Jack’s new cell block’s label “AZ 2024″. As of this writing, no one’s recreated a scannable replica of the code to determine what it reads.

We’ve also been led to an official twitter account and hash tag to follow – @AlcatrazLegends / #LegendsOfAlcatraz

Viral Verdict

Having watched the 2 hour premiere, it’s clear that the package contents were intended to tease at elements of the 2 episodes’ plots – from Jack Sylvane and Ernest Cobb to the very minor role of the young girl on the prison tour. The fact that much of the box content is available today for anyone visiting the island doesn’t lead me to believe that there any additional hints or unresolved threads. I’ve even combed over every artifact with a black light, hoping to find a hidden message, somewhere, but come up blank.

The existence of the (abandoned?) twitter account, and Diego’s tumblr blog implies that transmedia- possibly ARGish- content was, and likely still is on the drawing board. However, where LOST’s campaign provided mysteries and clues from the get-go, it seems that this rabbithole package has been fully resolved, being simply a teaser for the 2 hour premiere episodes.

The show itself has interested me, however, with a healthy dose of crime action, humour, and mystery (though somewhat diluted by preview videos and detailed looks at the series plot), but it left with a decent cliffhanger, beckoning me to return and watch the next episode.  My primary hope though, is that with the apparent structure of the plot dealing with returning inmates – and guards – the extended experience will provide an independent parallel plot with its own characters and real-world mysteries and events tied in to the show, akin to the extended experience provided by the creators of Heroes.

Are authors Nancy Gleinen and Gretchen Juerera just one-offs? Will we see Diego’s book “Inmates of Alcatraz” appear in full for sale on Amazon or in book stores? Will Susie and Nana make a reappearance? Will we have more of Diego’s comic-book store activities entertain us? Will we help solve an inmate mystery and track down a criminal in the real world?

Stay tuned! — Since the show aired, LegendsOfAlcatraz.com has revealed something new…

Alcatraz on FOX

Some official Alcatraz lore guide videos:

• Diego “Doc” Soto‘s character profile
• Rebecca Madsen‘s character profile
• Emerson Hauser‘s character profile
• First look featurette
• Preview #1, Preview #2, Preview #3
• Interview with JJ Abrams

Other Alcatraz transmedia experience links

• Package received at FirstShowing.net
• Package received at ComingSoon.net
• Package received at MovieWeb.com
• Package received at BadassDigest.com
• Package received at LA Times’ HeroComplex
• A fan site takes a look at the package content: WelcometToAlcatraz.com (italian)
• Discussion at Unfiction forums

Tags: alcatraz

Categories: ARGs General, Rabbit Hole, TV Series, Viral General

The Black Helix is a project that began one month ago with a mysterious kidnapping, and the promise that the events that followed would be written by the players, culminating in a live finale event, all to published in a followup eBook online. That finale event is upon us – here’s the official word:

Black Helix is drawing to a close this weekend with 527 participants on Facebook (and over a thousand players who over the last four weeks have joined the hunt both online and offline to find Jess Harrington and discover the meaning behind the Black Helix.

On Saturday 26th March at 3:30pm GMT they will have their last chance to affect the final novel and find the truth. The unique role playing event will unfold LIVE over the internet and players decisions will dictate the closing outcome. Four players have been chosen and will have a once in a lifetime chance to interact with the story characters in a real world role playing experience. These chosen players will also work together with online participants in real time to help solve the last few puzzles together, uncover the truth behind the Black Helix and possibly find out why Jess was kidnapped. Its still not too late to join the hunt and take part in this unique LIVE event! To watch and take part visit http://www.theblackhelix.com

There’s a video of the story so far [below] and the ebook of the story that will include the gamers taking part will be published in the summer.

• If you haven’t already, create a profile and get involved at theblackhelix.com
• Don’t forget to check in on the community discussion at Unfiction!
• And catch up at the community wiki

Tags: blackhelix

Categories: ARGs General, Books, Viral General

Beginning Friday February 25th, 2011 at 8:00pm GMT, players will have a chance to participate in and “become a part of an unwritten story”

The Black Helix is an ambitious project being launched by The Design Zoo.

This is an ARG that’s scheduled to run for a full month, the goal being to have players effectively create and become a part of this “unwritten story”.  Then, as the culmination of the ARG, The Design Zoo intends to publish the final story online in the summer of 2011 in what they believe to be the “world’s first crowd sourced ARG novel/story”.  The final story will integrate all the players, players’ actions, research and sub plots from the ARG, forming a unique “transmedia book” that all players will feel a part of.

The Black Helix is being touted as being one of the largest Alternate Reality Games to come out of Northern Ireland, and will incorporate online and offline elements, with an interactive narrative, games, phone calls, real world tasks, and a “final role playing event”.

What is The Black Helix? Block the following text to read a sneak-peak of the starting plot.

The story starts with a 27year old PHD science student being kidnapped from her apartment and her whereabouts is now under investigation.

We are looking for individuals and friends to help uncover the truth behind the kidnapping. You must join the hunt both online and offline to discover her whereabouts, but don’t be fooled into thinking that your actions won’t go unnoticed. All is not as it seems.

Do you feel you have what it takes to uncover the truth and become part of an unwritten story?

Word is already spreading — bookmark keep an eye on these websites and resources:

• Primary website – www.theblackhelix.com
• Facebook page – facebook.com/theblackhelix
• Youtube channel – youtube.com/user/theblackhelix
• Community wiki – blackhelix.wikibruce.com
• Twitter account – @blackhelix

The project is supported by the Creative Industries Innovation Fund from the Northern Ireland Arts Council.

The Black Helix is scheduled to launch at 8pm GMT, Friday Feb 25th.

UPDATE!

The Black Helix has launched. And with it, the kidnapping:

• You can now create a profile and get involved at theblackhelix.com
• Don’t forget to check in on the community discussion at Unfiction!

Tags: blackhelix

Categories: ARGs General, Books, Viral General

TRON: Legacy is now in its box office infancy, and still pushing forward. Its promotional ARG “Flynn Lives” has effectively come to a close with players receiving in the mail a special delivery from Zack consisting of a very appropriate collectible pin bearing the phrase: “FLYNN LIVES”. A subdued, yet meaningful ending to the campaign within which many of us spent the last two years immersed.

Wikibruce was along for the ride, hosting and providing an informational resource and guide wiki – for the community, and by the community. As a thanks for your collaborative maintenance, and because the community is simply an awesome group, I was able to put together this raffle to distribute a few of the remaining items I have to give away – but not without a bit of a verification to ensure the recipients were fans who would treat these items with the love and respect they deserve!

Below you’ll find the answers to the (supposedly simple) trivia questions posted each day last week (except the 3rd day when plans were sabotaged by some sort of…rogue process, or something).

Below the answers, you’ll find the list of winners, and a collage of some of those daring enough to be TRONitized on opening weekend in a strive to earn entries for the final raffle items.

Enjoy!  And congratulations to all the winners :)

TRON Week Raffle Trivia Answers

Day 1

End of line club Coaster (2)

Q: What is Yori’s user’s name?

A: Lora Baines (accepted just Lora, or Laura, but not Laurie!)

FAX Expo blue ID disc (1)

Q: Who directed the original 1982 film Tron?

A: Steven Lisberger

Operation Tron profile badge code (12)

Q: What is ‘Tron Guy’s real name?

A: Jay Maynard

Day 2

Samtracker / 89 Pin + Stickers (2)

Q: A) What business had its home in this building?

A: Flynn’s Arcade (also accepted real world answers as the question wasn’t clear: Culver City’s first hospital, or now a restaurant called Akasha)

Space Paranoids pin (7)

Q: B) What vehicle is being driven in this scene?

A: Light Runner (there was a surprising number of ‘light car’ answers, but that is wrong :) as is just ‘runner’)

FLYNN LIVES T-Shirt (8)

Q: C) What’s the name of this character?

A: Gem (a Siren played by Beau Garrett)

Day 4

The following questions required two answers each, but as some only gave a partial answer, I counted up to two entries for each answer.

FLYNN LIVES lapel pin (10)

Q: Who is heard in the audio clip, and to whom are they speaking?

A: Dumont, to Tron

‘Home of Tron’ Flynn’s Arcade token (5)

Q: Who is heard in the audio clip, and to whom are they referring?

A: Tron, about his user Alan1 (or AlanOne, but also accepted just Alan Bradley)

Encom Guest Badge (San Francisco press event) (5)

Q: Who is heard in the audio clip, and what’s the significance of this scene?

A: Yori, as heard in the deleted love scene from the original Tron (required Yori, and either that it’s the deleted scene or the love scene; not just what they were discussing!)

Opening Weekend challenge

FLYNN LIVES blue poster (5) and No Bit (1)

For this draw, fans were required to photograph their trip to see Tron: Legacy during opening weekend, earning entries into the final draw by how TRONified they were with those around them.  The winners have been selected and will be asked sequentially if they want a blue poster or the No Bit. Once the No Bit is claimed, the rest will receive the blue poster.

Click here to see some tronitized fans (big image!)

Raffle Winners

If you’re on the list below (first names or aliases provided with your entries), you will be contacted by the email address you supplied. If I don’t get a response in a timely manner, or you wish to pass your win, the next name drawn in line will be contacted.

And the winners are…

If you are a raffle winner…

Congratulations!

If your name is listed above, I’ll be contacting your for a mailing address. If you’ve had a change of heart, or you’ve perhaps come into possession of the item you just won since you entered, you’re more than welcome to pass up your item to the next name in line to be drawn.

And finally…

Thank you for your support of Wikibruce.com, the Tron/Flynn Lives wiki, and other ARG wikis. You are what make the community an amazing place to hang out in! (dangling participle’d!)

• Go and connect with more of the community at the Unfiction Forums
• Happy holidays!
• Merry New Year!
• Now, go and see TRON LEGACY again! :)

See you on the grid…

Tags: 42E, disney, raffle, tron, wikibruce

Categories: ARGs General, Movies, Viral General

TRON week becomes TRON weekend! Day 5 is here, along with the Tron: Legacy opening weekend. To finish off the week of raffling Tron and Flynn Lives paraphernalia, the final challenge will be more..challenging.

As noted on Day 4, entries for these items will be accepted through Monday evening. The challenge: Take a photo when you go to see Tron: Legacy this weekend, but make sure you capture in it as much TRON-related content and as many people as you can muster! The more you get in the photo, the more entries you earn for the draw!

Day 5/Weekend photo challenge/raffle instructions

Here’s what you need to do to have a chance to win one of the items up for raffle…

1. See TRON: LEGACY over the weekend (up to and including Sunday night screenings).
2. Earn entries into the raffle by submitting ONE photo (and not a collage) as evidence. The photo must contain something as visual proof of being at the theater for the this film (ticket stub, something Tron-branded, etc). You can submit as many photos as you like, but only the most recent will be considered for the draw.
3. You can earn multiple entries into the raffle by qualifying for any of the following ‘achievements’:
   1 entry: for submitting a qualifying photo (identifiable as being taken at a Tron screening at some point over the weekend)
   1 entry: if the photo clearly contains at least one piece of TRON-themed clothing (eg, a costume)
   1 entry: if the photo includes at least one piece of FLYNN LIVES ARG-specific paraphernalia
   1 entry: if the photo shows a waiting line to buy tickets or enter the theater
   1 entry for each person: in the photo wearing TRON or FLYNN LIVES gear and posing for the photo (you included if you’re not taking the photo)!

Photos should be submitted to raffle@wikibruce.com
Submissions will be accepted through
Monday 6pm Eastern (3pm Pacific)
Include your name and your contact email.
Only one photo per person will be considered, so shoot and choose wisely!

Sample photo contents:

Here are some sample photo submissions, so you have an idea of the challenge and how you earn:

• A photo taken in the theater holding your TRON: LEGACY ticket stub will get you 1 entry
• A photo of you at the theater with someone dressed in a Tron costume will net you 4 entries
• A photo taken by you at a midnight premiere screening showing a long waiting line, as well as a group of 10 friends (or random people) posing for the picture, including someone dressed in a Tron costume, a few people wearing Flynn Lives T-shirts and everyone else wearing a pin (clearly visible) from the ARG (whether their own or borrowed), will net you 14 entries!

Simply put, take as Tron-themed and creative a photo as you can when you see the movie this weekend! Did you already see the movie and feel like you missed out on the photo op for the draw? Simple:
Go see the movie again! (and take a camera this time)  ;)

Disclaimer: I may post your submitted photo in a subsequent article here, unless you inform me otherwise not to.

If you have any questions, do feel free to ask!

Raffle Items

The best were saved for last, of course!  There are multiple of the following items available to be won.  Names will be drawn sequentially, and given the choice of one of these:

Names will be drawn randomly and contacted as long as supplies last. There are at least 5 posters, and at least 1 Bit.

Good luck, and HAPPY TRON WEEK!

The other draws are also still available and entries (comments to the relevant articles) will be accepted until Saturday at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern:

• Day 1: End of Line Club Coaster, FANExpo Blue ID disc, Operation Tron Profile Badge code
• Day 2: Samtracker 89 pin+sticker, Space Paranoids pin, Flynn Lives T-Shirt
• Day 3: Sabotaged!
• Day 4: Flynn Lives pin, ‘Home of Tron’ Flynn’s Arcade token, Encom Guest Badge

Above all else, have fun!

See you on the grid…

(some sample raffle photos already submitted)

To catch up on the Flynn Lives ARG, visit the community wiki at tron.wikibruce.com and join in with the community at Unfiction!

You can also connect with Flynn Lives on Facebook.

Tags: 42E, disney, tron

Categories: ARGs General, Movies, Viral General