SkynetResearch appears to be having some technical difficulties. From an email sent earlier today:

ATTENTION: ALL VISITORS TO SKYNETRESEARCH.COM

Skynet Research is experiencing technical difficulties on our corporate website. A networking error has generated interference in the audio presentation. Do not be alarmed. Skynet Research is doing everything in our power to resolve this technical issue as quickly as possible and resume normal operation.

Visitors to the SkynetResearch.com website should ignore this interference entirely.
Do not attempt to discern, repair, or otherwise tamper with the audio signal broadcasting during this time. Failure to follow this command can lead to further corrupting of the impacted data and cause further difficulty.

Skynet Research is also aware of rumors circulating that there is another explanation for this interference on the website www.ResistOrBeTerminated.com. This is false information. Skynet Research has no affiliation with this particular URL, and Skynet Research suggests all Internet users avoid www.ResistOrBeTerminated.com altogether.

Thank you for your patience, and you can be rest assured that Skynet Research will soon return to providing services that improve life for all human beings!

We are committed to making your life different,
Skynet Research

Visit SkynetResearch.com and you’ll find a strange distorted sound in the background.

Some quick audio manipulation to slow the sound down to a fraction its speed reveals a radio transmission from what sounds like a resistance ground assult team.

Listen
(1.2MB)

An attempted transcript of the audio reads:

This is recon team (—- three) to base. Base, do you read? Requesting extraction. (pause) I say again – we’re overdue by three days. We’re (—–) and we’re ready to debrief. Say (again) – we’ve completed reconnaissance. We’re prepared to (set) all tech comm units on (skynet attack). Current coordinates: (Romeo 2#####). Repeat. Immediate extraction for four man team. One (injured). We’ll attempt next contact at 0900 hours. (——) *cut*

Update: Full transcript revealed and added below.

This update has revealed a new website, ResistOrBeTerminated.com, which looks to be updating with news about Skynet Research.

Things are starting to heat up, it seems!

• Join the discussion over at Unfiction
• Visit SkynetResearch.com
• Add SkynetResearch to your Twitter, and subscribe to the Youtube channel!
• Hop over and help manage the community Terminator viral wiki

And now, more ‘behind the scenes’ information… 

Some clever users at Unfiction have uncovered some preview content from ROBT.com, that wasn’t yet supposed to be available for the public.

…Content that indicates this ARG may very well be tied to the upcoming video game Terminator: Salvation (Wikipedia), scheduled for release May 29, 2009 on all major consoles and PC – as well as the Terminator: Salvation movie opening May 22, 2009.

Nevertheless, while the video game is looking very nice, and the movie even moreso, there’s certainly something going on with Skynet Research here and now!  So go check it out!

UPDATE:

Here is a leaked video clip from the Terminator: Salvation movie…

UPDATE x2:

Unfortunately, the leaked video clip has been removed from Youtube by request. In other words – expect to see it again soon!

UPDATE x3:

ResistOrBeTerminated.com has been updated with an image containing single frames from the leaked video:

As well as a new video from Bre Pettis

UPDATE x4:

ResistOrBeTerminated has posted an analysis of the reduced audio, filling in the holes:

This is recon team Strider Three to base. Base, do you read? Requesting extraction.   I say again – we’re overdue by three days. We’re (garbled) and we’re ready to debrief. Say again – we’ve completed reconnaissance. We’re prepared to set all Tech Comm Units on Skynet Attack. Current coordinates:  Romeo (garbled). Repeat. Immediate extraction for four man team. One injured. We’ll attempt next contact at 0900 hours.

Tags: terminator

Categories: ARGs General, Movies, Video games

As if ARGs blurring the line between fantasy and reality weren’t enough, a new mystery is being uncovered, blurring the line between fantasy and reality about a writer whose line between fantasy and reality is blurred!

Wednesday, march 18th: Wikibruce received a package with a bulge in the mail from one “P. Martin” on Mission Blvd. in San Diego.  It was mailed March 13th.  Inside – a riddle wrapped in an enigma…well, a newspaper at least; the San Diego Union Tribune, of March 10th, pages A3-4,9-10.  If that’s important at all.

Contained within the neatly folded newspaper was an old, rattled audio recorder.  Taped to its front was a sticky note (redundancy for the win) with the phrase “Play me” teasingly scrawled across its face.

Some clarification on the instructions would have been nice, but I went with the easy answer and pressed play on the recorder. Success! For once, batteries were included.  Immediately, a recorded interview began playing betwen a man and woman.  The nature of the conversation appeared to be one of a doctor / patient relation.

Based on the discussion ensuing at Unfiction, it’s been determined that this is an ex-novelist, discussing her problems with her therapist. Put on your crazy pants!  Characters in her stories come to life. Most recently, a character Charlotte, whose story the writer chose to leave incomplete, appeared to her – on the street, supposedly as the cause of a large multi-car collision.

The writer’s first episode, however, starring one of her other characters – Julia – would have been enough to traumatize most people. But I’ll leave you to discover that story.

This doctor / patient interview has been getting pieced together segment by segment by people who’ve received similar packages in the mail.  At the time of this writing, 5 segments have been reported, spanning (what is believed to be) two and a half sessions.  This tape was labeled “2/2” (2nd session, part 2). You can hear below.

Download (1.3MB)

What’s known so far? The story is very reminiscent (well, undoubtedly related) to the novel Therapy, by Sebastian Fitzek, released March 17th. From the website:

A twelve year old girl, Josy, has an inexplicable illness and vanishes without a trace from the doctor’s office during treatment. Her father, Viktor Larenz, a well-known psychiatrist, withdraws years later to an isolated North Sea island in order to deal with the tragedy. Here he receives a dangerous visit from a beautiful stranger. Anna Spiegel is a novelist and she suffers from an unusual form of schizophrenia: all the characters she creates for her books become real. And in her last novel she has written about a young girl with an unknown illness who vanishes one day without a trace. …
Is the inconceivable possible? Do Anna’s delusions describe Josy’s last days? Viktor Larenz begins the therapy in an attempt to uncover the horrible truth.

Below is the full compiled audio from the currently reported session segments: 1/1, 1/2, 2/1, 2/2, and 3/1. Take a peek…

• Join in the discussion at Unfiction, where people are actually trying to determine where the recordings took place and where the locations mentioned are!
• Transcripts are listed at Wonderweasels.org

Tags: charlotte, sebastian fitzek

Categories: ARGs General, Books, Rabbit Hole, Viral General

As a followup to my previous article covering JC Hutchins’ Personal Effects: Dark Art novel / ARG hybrid, I’d like to direct you to the ARG Netcast, episode 81.  JC Hutchins graced the panel with his presence. It was he, Jonathan Waite (ARGN), Sean C. Stacey (Unfiction/Despoiler) and I, shooting the breeze, discussing all things Hutchins.

You can download the Netcast directly via this link (29MB), or listen to it below.

Download

If you were watching the live video stream of the netcast, we were also privileged to have the first stunning PE:DA video trailer air Live!

Don’t forget to visit JCHutchins.net to get the skinny on Personal Effects first hand.

Tags: jchutchins, netcast, personal effects

Categories: ARGs General, Books

Horror thriller novelist JC Hutchins is at it again. This time, he’s taking his dark art cross-media. Coming in June, a hybrid Book/ARG supernatural thriller called Personal Effects: Dark Art. I was introduced recently to JC when he blogged his experience at the mobile FEAR lab for the video game F.E.A.R. 2, being the recipient of a mysterious silver briefcase. Since then, he’s been tirelessly promoting his upcoming novel Personal Effects: Dark Art, and the immersive online experience coupled with it. Published under St. Martin’s Press, and co-created with Jordan Weisman of Smith & Tinker (who also created Book/ARG experiences in Cathy’s Book and Cathy’s Key), Personal Effects: Dark Art is scheduled for public release on June 9th, 2009.

JC has been forging his way into cross-media storytelling recently with his previous, and very popular podcast thriller trilogy 7th Son, which paved the way for the fan-powered community The Ministry of Propaganda Online. He also maintains a series of additional podcasts to boot. JC’s been busy!

J.C. Hutchins’ new horror thriller novel, Personal Effects: Dark Art, chronicles the story of Zach Taylor, a young art therapist. Taylor works at Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital, a facility with a dark, bloody history. Locals call it “The Brink.”

And now, J.C. Hutchins and Personal Effects creator Jordan Weisman are opening the doors of their bloody creation, and allowing you to step inside. You’re not getting a guided tour of The Brink. You’re … being committed.

Welcome to a first-ever in publishing called Commit Yourself To The Brink. Here, you’ll find ways to inject yourself into the Personal Effects universe and become a patient of art therapist Zach Taylor. Create a patient profile (complete with backstory), receive your admittance papers, contribute artwork, video and more … and earn the horrifically cool privilege to appear on Brinkvale’s official website.

Get creative. Get crazy. Get committed.

From the book:

Brinkvale Psychiatric was not built over the [brownstone] quarry, but in it. Nine stories of howling, brain-boiling madness, stacked two hundred feet into the bedrock. If you’re at The Brink, you’re at the end of the line. Only dead-enders need apply.

The physical Personal Effects novel includes a number of ‘personal effects’ such as photos, business cards, and other eerily realistic items that will help you, the reader, truly enter the world of Zach Taylor and Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital. Explore the mystery and immerse yourself in the thrilling fiction created by these masters of the storytelling experience. The book is now available for pre-order via Amazon, and they’re promoting frantically to keep it rising in the Amazon best-sellers list, even before the book’s release!

To keep the promo train rolling, JC is also planning a podcast-exclusive prequel novella, for release in May titled Personal Effects: Sword of Blood.

Back in November, ARGNet sat down with JC Hutchins for an interview about Personal Effects, which can be viewed here, but others in the industry also have many good things to say about his work:

“So compelling is the journey, … readers may scarcely recognize their own transformation from passive to active, as they pick up where the text subsides and become the protagonist.”
–Gore Verbinski, director

“This is the future of storytelling, and it’s a thrilling ride.”
–Anthony E. Zuiker, Creator/Executive Producer of the CSI: franchise

“[A] rocking genre-mash that mixes mystery with psychodrama and serves it up in a high-bandwidth torrent of terror.”
–Scott Sigler, author of Infected and Contagious

Get Committed!

Have a listen to the audio promotion for Personal Effects…

Download
(3.2MB mp3)

The online experience for Personal Effects has already begun, but it’s certainly not too late to join and get committed at The Brink. You can begin by visiting JC’s site The Brink and reading up, or by directly visiting Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital. Take a look at the “flagship alternative therapy program is the art therapy program headed by Zachary Taylor“. Check out some of what’s already happened by visiting Zach’s girlfriend (GameSetWatch has a good overview as well). Read up on past news at the New York Journal Ledger. Visit Back From the Brink and chat with ex-patients in the process of healing. Or jump right in and commit yourself to the Brink and complete the first art assignment:

Are you a visual artist, graphic designer or photographer? Want to show Brinkvale’s staff (and the world) the madness in your head? Perfect. Grab your paintbrushes, colored pencils, Wacom tablet … however you best express yourself … and get cooking on a piece of art worthy of The Brink’s patient gallery.

You’re welcome to use artwork you’ve already created, or whip up something brand-new for this assignment. Create your patient profile by filling out the form, upload your artwork, and become a patient at The Brink!

Get creative. Get crazy. Get committed.

Links:

• JCHutchins.net (and on Twitter)
• “The Brink”
• Personal Effects: Dark Art
• PE:DA Facebook group
• Pre-order Personal Effects: Dark Art now!

Tags: jchutchins, personal effects

Categories: ARGs General, Books

You stumble on a blog, one created by a high school student a few days ago who received a mysterious package in the mail and videoblogged it on Youtube. The package contains a small memory card with some pictures and mp3s, and a crumpled paper on which is written a scratchy message to this person by name, saying that something’s coming – something big.  ‘Cool! A new ARG rebbithole!’ you think.  You pass the link around to some friends and let your immediate ARG community know about it… some even secretly wonder what it would be like to get a hold of this note to add to their ARG swag collection at some point.

Yes, this is an ARG, and the blog creator is a puppetmaster; the student is an actor.

Now what if this person were real?  What if the creator of the blog were a real person who received this real package, which was sent to them, and no one else, which even mentioned them specifically by name?  What if this were you?  Is that still cool?  Many would reflexively say yes!

Over the years I’ve been in the ARG scene, I’ve seen a few mysteries like this crop up occasionally.  Anywhere from personalized contact containing mini puzzles like secret santa riddles, to friends pranking friends or creating special birthday experiences. It’s rare that a lot of time and effort are actually put into producing a complex, deep experience, drawing them ever deeper down the rabbit hole, with no other target audience than a single individual. Actually, the only other example I can personally recall to that extent is fictional – depicted in the movie The Game, with Michael Douglas.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: are

Categories: ARGs General, Grassroots, Puppetmasters, Rabbit Hole

Update! – (March 23, 2009)

“Xi has begun!” says the official US Playstation blog. Clearly stating:

The world’s first console-based Alternate Reality Game starts today in PlayStation Home.

Called Xi , the adventure takes place in a series of secret areas in Home – and beyond – changing day by day, week by week, in real time. Anyone with a PLAYSTATION 3 can join in the fun for free – in English, French, Italian, German or Spanish.

To discover the mystery of Xi, simply log on to PlayStation Home and look for the graffiti on the wall in the main square. Find that, and all will be revealed…

So, if you’ve got a PS3, go check it out!  See what the hype is about, and whether this really is an “Alternate Reality Game”.

• US PS discussion forum
• Xi Project Mission step-by-step overview (spoilers)

Sony is beginning to make good use of their communal Playstation Home virtual space for the PS3 community. While still in an open Beta phase, it’s being adopted by many, many players.  But all is not static and ordinary in this organic, virtual utopia.

North America and Europe have both been receiving odd messages, and finding short, strange video clips eerily displaying a symbol or logo of the greek letter Xi, and what looks like robot head.  At first glance, they may look like bugs in the system, little holes in the code from developers that haven’t been fixed yet.  But… that seems too easy an explanation. Especially since it’s happening world-wide, they’re not getting fixed in a timely manner, and well, the videos are blatantly placed for optimal viral effect. :)

In Home, the player has a PDA that is viewable at any time. That’s the interface to community updates, news, locations, general commands, etc – a typical ‘start’ menu.  In the Community section, however, the News tab has been showing strange text messages; but these don’t seem to be aimed at players, but rather mistakenly placed messages between… well who knows?  The Updates tab has also been showing some odd Java-based code content.  These updates have only shown for short periods of time, but they’ve coincided with discoveries of hidden video clips found in various locations of Home spaces.  It appears these updates have occurred on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Discussion of this mystery is spreading, but the primary sources of player sleuthing are at the Playstation forums for Europe and the US, and at Pandemic Studios.  One user has also set up a Google site to help track the updates.  It’s not easy when the pieces of the puzzle vary from place to place and don’t match up between the US and Europe regions.  So the mystery must be in the content, not the context.  What can you make of these snippets?  I’ve done my best to try to organize what’s known, but dates and locations are hard to nail down.

“AlphaSpace/AlphaZone”

News:
ACCESSING RECORDS…1 ENTRY RECEIVED…FILE
PARTIALLY CORRUPTED…Date…unknown.It has
been days since we had an accurate report from the
computer.The CPU is…failing. Fast. Communications
are…too erratic. External is down. Internal is patchy at
best. Core life-support functionality…that’s restricted
but still working. For now.
Update:
–Open Alpha Test Space–
if s==”AlphaZone3″ then
OpenDoors(AlphaSpace[8])
end
(Video-EU-robohead) at the end of the Redbull video
(Video-EU-zone1) ‘AlphaZone 1’ (EU)

“Barrier”

News:
Visual recognition confirmed.
Security barrier now open.
Update:
— r =
Validate(cSecurityAvatar[g->MAINTENANCE_DATABASE]);
if (r) then bBarrierOpen=true;
Trigger(AudioSecurityOpen);
else
–Transmit(AlertSecutity) //jess :)
Trigger(AudioSecurityFailed);
end
(Video-EU-hallway) at the end of the Redbull video

“Water Pressure Valve”

News:
Three weeks ago there was a significant drop in water
pressure – too large to be explained by any leak.
Yesterday, another drop in pressure was noticed.
Update:
–Home maintenance Aqua – 3/cs:1
svalve=GetWarningSource();
if sValue==’FEC819′ then
–Home Square
CallEngineer(t1);
elseif sValue==’A76bC1′ then
–Central Plaza
CallEngineer(t2);
else
–Apartments
NotifyMaintenanceControl();
end
Return 0;
(Video-EU-stairway) at the end of the Redbull video
(Video-US-hallway) at the end of the Bowling alley “I Love Ninjas” video

“Xi_S93”

News:
jess are you there? ————- Xi is almost ready.
Update:
function Xi_S93() {
MemCpy(&Stapler,&35623,sz);
for ctr=1,MAX_EXP do
SecureWrite(exp[ctr]}
end
Wipe(&Stapler); }
(Video-US-robohead) after the movie theatre previews

“Maintenance Elevators” UPDATE!

News:
HELPFUL REMINDER
Maintenance elevators serve as vital conduits for
Maintenance personnel only, not as a short cut for
alpha testers. Please respect Maintenance rules.
Update:
–Maintenance Power Usage – period to 20th February
2009.
 
% change on previous period
————————————————–
Security +2.1
Repair  -3.8
Manufacturing  +0.6
Staff areas  -7.2
Elevators   +28.4
(Video-EU-underground) after the Redbull video
(Video-US-underground) after the MLB video, Central plaza

An additional mystery (and it’s uncertain if this is related to the strange code, messages, and videos above) has been discovered only in the US Home, where if looking out to the upper-left-most area of the Central Plaza from the right side of the exit doors still within the bowling alley, you can make out the corner of an ad billboard that looks like the latter half of a “KILLZONE 2” title banner. Some have also found a very low-resolution, blurry clip of what looks like a screenshot from the game.  Could this be a hint that a Killzone 2 space is coming to Home soon?

My theory is this: Sony is brilliantly using mystery within the tool itself, to hint at upcoming additions to available content (it seems to me the timing of new spaces and content is related to the updates above) – rather than just announcing updates, this viral aspect increases hype and discussion, getting people into Home who may not be already.  Well, it worked for me: after hearing about this mystery, I decided to check it out myself.   Home is still in open beta – but third party content spaces have been added already, including spaces for Far Cry 2, Redbull, and Uncharted.  I think people who are speculating at upcoming Spaces with these snippets as clues are on the right track, and the current mysteries may very well be pointing to a new space soon, such as for Killzone 2.  But it’s just a theory.  The significance of Xi, however, remains a mystery. The announcement of a new game would certainly be a strong possibility as well.

UPDATES!

This area will be kept up to date with news on this mystery…

• (2/24/09) A ninja named Locust_Star could be heard/read shouting “sensootaka sannyuu mokuyoubi” – or, “sensou taka sannyuu mokuyoubi” which translates directly to “war hawk coming thursday”, confirming the arrival of a Warhawk game space with the v1.11 PSHome update Thursday.
• (2/24/09) A new daily message indicates that there will be certain ninjas running around between 9-10am PST (12-1pm EST) within PSHome, carrying messages to their masters, which could be intercepted.  Version 1.11 of PSHome will also be rolled out on Thursday.
• (2/23/09) TheSixthAxis has a new entry that’s quite suspicious… The RSS summary for this entry reads: “XI, My Friend. Open Up. I remember when all this was just grass. Sorry, glass.”  TSA has previously posted entries hinting that they have inside info.
• (2/23/09) The recent video shown on the EU server Redbull video is now available in North America’s Central Plaza.

Whatever the mystery is, however, it’s creepy enough, vague enough, and enticing enough to have people going bananas over this “Xi” the world over.  Suffice to say, they want answers…

Tags: PSHome, sony, xi

Categories: ARGs General, Video games, Viral General

South by Southwest Interactive has just announced the finalists for the 2009 Web Awards. The 12th Annual SXSW takes place March 13-22, with the awards ceremony on Sunday, March 15.

A number of familiar names appear in the list of finalists this year, including:

• Six to Start‘s “We Tell Stories” under “Experimental”
• The community-generated zombie documentary “Lost Zombies” under “Community”
• 42 Entertainment‘s campaign for Batman: The Dark Knight “Why So Serious” under “Games”
• And a personal favourite of mine, “I Am Second” under “Activism”

(full list of finalists below)

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: awards, sxsw

Categories: ARGs General, Puppetmasters

In an attempt to cover quite a number of running projects and games, here are a few launches, news items, and announcements to pore over.

Serious Games

Akoha – Come play it forward!
Self-labeled as a “social reality game”, Akoha is physical card-based game with ‘act-of-kindness’ missions to carry out on or with friends. You can get cards by buying decks, or by being given a card by someone who just completed a task. The visual explanation explains how players registered at akoha.com can see each card’s history of good deeds (including video blogs, testimonies, etc), who’s done what, when and where, and players can also earn karma points for carrying out these tasks. With enough karma you can begin creating other missions for people to carry out. Akoha is currently in a beta testing phase, but it’s a “big, bold and crazy kind of idea”, and it’s Canadian!

• TheExtraordinaries.org reports

Ruby’s Bequest
Ruby’s Bequest is a new game from Institute for the Future telling the story of the (fictional) town Deepwell and its residents, and providing “a unique immersive experience in which thousands of people will help forecast the future of caring in the United States.”. Sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy and AARP, the game will play similarly to World Without Oil, where 7 years will pass between the month starting from launch, March 9th to the April 10th conclusion. Find out more information and join in at RubysBequest.org

• Reported via A.R.E.

Movies/TV

Terminator: Connor Chronicles or Salvation?
A website has recently appeared on the radar: SkynetResearch.com. Little to nothing is known about it besides what’s currently visible. More weight seems to be placed on this being related to Terminator: Salvation, slated for May 22 release, as the site is owned by Warner Bros, according to the Privacy Policy linked in its footer. What do you think?

• TerminatorFiles.com report
• Terminator ARG wiki
• Unfiction discussion

Who’s Watching the Watchmen?
Much has been revealed since TheNewFrontiersman.net was discovered and its contents opened. The New Frontiersman, reporting on ‘hero’-related news in a very mid-20th century manner, also has a twitter account you can follow, a Youtube channel to watch, a Flickr account to view, and a newsfeed to read. Content galore! A true alternate reality – Nixon on Mt. Rushmore?
Watchmen is slated for release March 6.

• Unfiction discussion
• Watchmen viral wiki (needs populating)

Video Games

FEAR 2 Level III Testing
FEAR 2’s viral campaign recently executed a live event in New York City, with the Armacham Mobile FEAR Lab experience. Silver case recipient J.C Hutchins was on the scene to record the report the entire experience. Read about and watch his test and experience at JCHutchins.net. Visit Armacham.com (don’t be afraid!) and see what upcoming dates are listed on the calendar… FEAR 2: Project Origin is slated for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, February 10th.

• Unfiction discussion

Singularity’s Mir-12
Russian spies, conspiracies, sci-fi, gorgeous women, it’s all here: visit MIR-12.com to find out what happened to Natasha Norvikov, and follow the ongoing investigations. If you can read Russian, you’ll have a much easier time! Raven software is releasing their first person shooter Singularity on Xbox360, PS3, and PC soon.

• Unfiction discussion

Halo Mysteries Return:
Mbaraki.2552 – Reported yesterday here at Wikibruce, new mysterious content has appeared in Bungie’s weekly updates in the Halo 3: ODST sections. The latest insert: “IDENT PROC 13262.0 MBARAKI.2552” appeared in Jan 30th’s news.
* B.Net group Compound Intelligence discussion (membership req’d)
The Way Their World Ended – a twitter account named intimation, believed to be run by a form of AI, made contact with some people earlier this year. A dream-style puzzle was solved leading to the website thewaytheirworldended.com with weekly updates. Explicit references have been made to Halo, and past ARGs Iris, and I Love Bees. Speculation is mixed as to whether this is official or a grassroots ARG.
* Unfiction discussion

• Halo: Iris/viral wiki

More Mirror’s Edge?
Hot on the heals of EA’s release of Mirror’s Edge, a new mystery has arisen hinting at an upcoming Mirror’s Edge 2 (confirmed to eventually become a trilogy). Pirandello/Kruger teases a red door… which soon after led to Newstream Energy. The investigation is ongoing!

• Unfiction discussion
• Mirror’s Edge on Wikia

Grassroots / other

Are you 23?
Disney’s launched a countdown of their own, located at Disney.com/23, for March 10, 2009. What’s so special about the number 23? (Besides Jim Carrey’s movie of the same name) Speculation, as it pertains to Disney, makes note of points such as Disney’s founding in 1923, or Steve Jobs’ purchase of Pixar in 1986 (23 years ago). The leading speculation which seems to be gaining ground is that it’s related to the March launch of Disney’s “Club 23” (or D-23?) program. A revealing post on a Disney site has since been removed, but you can read the message here.

• Unfiction discussion

Ice Shock – Descendant
M.G.Harris was fairly open and public about an upcoming ARG for her book “Ice Shock“, which I reported on via ARGN.com back in November. She has now revealed the name: The Descendant, in a recent blog post. You can watch a 60-second trailer for the upcoming ARG at TheMGHarris.com fan site. Harris has slated its launch for March this year.

• Unfiction discussion (are things already under way?)

Yellow Curtain returns!
The Yellowcurtain wiki was recently updated with the news: “ATTENTION: Countdown for Yellow Curtain Episode 3 is ON!” While Episode 3 was apparently scheduled for launch January 15th, it may have been pushed a few weeks. Visit Yellowcurtain.com, watch anashel’s channel, or join the Facebook group for updates.

• Unfiction discussion

Tags: akoha, armacham, bungie, disney, fear2, halo, ice shock, iftf, intimation, mg harris, microsoft, mir-12, mirror's edge, rubys bequest, singularity, terminator, watchmen, yellow curtain

Categories: ARGs General, Books, Grassroots, Movies, Video games, Viral General

Suspicious content in two of Bungie’s recent news updates have started the rumour mill turning once again.

January 24 Update
First line in the section titled “Halo 3: ODST”:

IDENT PROC 13217.0 MBARAKI.2552

January 31 Update
Again, in the section titled “Halo 3: ODST”:

IDENT PROC 13262.0 MBARAKI.2552

What’s going down in Mbaraki, and what do 13217.0 and 13262.0 represent?

These updates are much in line with Bungie’s style. Other instances similar to this occurred surrounding ‘The Superintendent’ (a series of posts by a mysterious username on B.Net, and Weekly Update news inserts by the AI seen in the full ODST trailer) and ‘The Smuggler’ (Weekly Update news inserts before the release of the Halo 3 map Cold Storage)

With both Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST being released in 2009 (March and 3rd Quarter respectively in North America), expect a lot of mystery and commotion to build in the ARGish/viral rumour-mill.

• Visit the Bungie/Halo 3/viral wiki at halo.wikibruce.com
• Join in ARG specific community discussion at args.bungie.org
• Members of the Bungie.net group Compound Intelligence can join the discussion here.

Tags: bungie, halo, microsoft

Categories: ARGs General, Video games