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'Murdered' teased by spooky Square Enix ARG [Update!]
This morning, Square Enix initiated a guerilla marketing campaign for something apparently new and murder oriented, slated for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, with potential ties to Eidos Interactive and confirmed connections to us being super creeped out by the whole thing.It started with the Twitter account @Murdered tweeting the message "What is ..." followed by a link to the above picture, which appeared to be a section of a photograph of a tree with something carved into its bark. Attempting to navigate to one of the picture's "files" parent folder results in being automatically redirected to an eidosinteractive.com subdomain. Ah ha!Minutes later, we received an email from a Square Enix e-mail address (masquerading as an "@murdered.com" address) with the subject header "What is the hardest case to solve?" Contained inside was a second image, which combined perfectly with the image that had been tweeted earlier.Naturally we decided to check out murdered.com, and were met by an image of the symbol scrawled on asphalt in chalk, accompanied by a link to the official twitter account and icons revealing the project's related platforms. A whois search revealed that the domain is registered to Naoto Sugiyama, a senior manager at Square Enix., and a glance at the site's source code revealed certain assets as being hosted on Eidos webspace.Furthermore, Square Enix registered a Japanese trademark for "Murdered: Soul Suspect" back in December of last year, Siliconera reports. We've contacted both Square Enix and the murdered.com address and will update with any new discoveries we're able to make.Update: Well, that was fun while it lasted. Square Enix has confirmed to us that Murdered: Soul Suspect is "an exciting new game from Square Enix which challenges players to solve possibly the hardest case of all," which obviously wasn't this case, since all we had to do was send an email and ask. Eidos' potential involvement, however, does remain a mystery.
The Game Archaeologist: EA's Majestic
"This is not a game. Or is it?" Conspiracy theories and paranoia were hot with pop culture in the 1990s, largely thanks to movies like The Net and TV shows like the X-Files, which had the tagline of "I want to believe." With the rise of the internet during the decade and the fantastic leaps and bounds technology had been making, people were not only experiencing new ways to play games but also growing suspicious that these tools could have a sinister side. It was into this niche that EA stepped to create an ambitious $20 million project that would fuse massively multiplayer interactivity, the growing variety of technological mediums, and conspiracy theories together. The project was Majestic, an alternate reality game (ARG) that would be the most expensive and highest profile attempt to date. It generated great amounts of interest and publicity, had a promising start, and then flared out hard by the end of 2001. Considering how ARGs and MMOs have crossed paths since, most recently with The Secret World, I wanted to take a closer look at an attempt to develop a game that would run parallel in many ways with the industry that we love today.
Chaos Theory: ARG expands The Secret World
If there is one thing that many MMOs have in common, it's in-game events. Just about every title has a least one event, often centered around holidays, where players do special tasks in-game and receive special gifts. The Secret World is no different, most recently running an apocalyptic event with Mayan zombies for players to trip over. But who says all events have to actually be in-game? Certainly not Funcom. Among the other hooplah over the supposed end of the world last month, The Secret World fans were participating in the game's latest Alternate Reality Game (ARG). Set out in the real world, the ARG let anyone -- player or not -- experience the ambiance of TSW investigation missions by solving a set of conspiracy-laden tasks and receiving in-game rewards. While the first ARG was via Facebook, this one utilized email, a special website, and even text messages and tweets. Some missions were solo events, while others required the world-wide community to band together to complete. And there's nothing like a common goal to bring folks together (even in some unexpected ways!). Didn't have a chance to play all the way through? It's not too late; the situation room is still open. Go ahead and put your thinking cap on and prepare to be drawn into a world of conspiracies, whether you play TSW or not.
2012: The year of the MMO Kickstarter
Kickstarter is perhaps the biggest story in the world of gaming since the birth of the home video console or the integration of online components into consumer entertainment. No new product, innovation, or invention has carried with it such immense potential for shifting the way the industry plans, builds, and delivers its products. And with projects covering everything from hardware to companion apps, it's almost impossible now to imagine a gaming world without Kickstarter, even though it was our reality just a few short months ago. The legacy of Kickstarter is one that we're witnessing in real-time. Most of the major successful projects are slated for late 2013/early 2014 releases, giving us plenty of time to speculate on what may or may not go wrong with the crowd-funding model and the products it bears. Over the next year, games will either make it to market or they won't. Developers will squander their budgets or release on time. It's all up in the air. With that in mind, we thought now would be a good time to look back on some of the biggest MMO Kickstarter projects of 2012. The fate of some of these titles is inexorably tied to the fate of Kickstarter as a viable game-creating platform -- and maybe even crowd-sourcing as a whole.
The Secret World ARG heralds the end of days
With the end of the world almost here (it's December 21st, don't you know), who else would be on top of the apocalypse than The Secret World? Funcom's conspiracy MMO is preparing to launch another alternate reality game (ARG) themed around the end of days and TSW itself. Players and visitors alike are invited to sign up for the upcoming game. At the very least, you'll need to surrender your email address, although Funcom would like your Twitter handle and cell phone number as well. While you're on the website, check out the creepy whispering going on. Could this be the first clue? While we don't have specifics about what the ARG will entail, we do know that there are several in-game rewards for participants. These rewards include a monk outfit, XP potions, a survival outfit, and an invitation to a special celebration event with the devs.
Minecraft Reality AR app takes your game from the screen to the streets
The Minecraft Reality app for iOS devices tracks the living world around you and then places your Minecraft creations directly into it, to scale and in cool, augmented reality 3D. The video above does a better job of demonstrating how this turns out than we could with flimsy words.Minecraft Reality is developed by 13th Lab, with the blessing of Minecraft developer Mojang. On top of checking out your creations alone, Minecraft Reality allows you to save them in specific locations for others to look at, at their leisure. The app runs $2 on the App Store and is universal, though optimized for iPhone 5.We expect to see a range of blocky Gundams, Pokemon characters and, of course, a deluge of dicks in our real-world spaces soon. We know you so well.
Introducing Ingress: The MMO by Google
Google has joined the MMO scene. The company revealed its new massively multiplayer online alternate reality game, Ingress, yesterday. Players of this new game will be able to capture and defend virtual control points known as portals, but they have to actually get themselves to the proper meatspace location in order to do so. According to the game's trailer, which you can check out just below the cut, scientists have unleashed havoc on the world in the form of a mysterious energy source that gathers around certain locations -- and it's up to players to choose a faction and try to set things straight. Ingress is currently in closed beta and available only to Android users at the moment. There are plans for an iOS version to come. You can sign up for a beta invite and get more details at the official site.
Valve and Adult Swim are planning big things together
Valve and Adult Swim have come together in a glorious union of witticism, snark and something else that they're not telling us until next week. Adult Swim has a promo page decked out in Team Fortress 2 images and hashtags, and it promises this partnership will beget "something that you'll probably enjoy."The surprise is "coming next week," with more information to be disseminated in the newsletter, apparently. Clicking "Sign Up" leads to a registration page with this image of TF2's Pyro, who is due for a "Meet the" feature from Valve any time now.Valve is running a summer ARG at the moment that may be connected to this Adult Swim deal, or it might just be another thing that Valve may never finish.
Ask Massively: You guys have strong opinions on gaming laptops edition
I really didn't expect the sheer volume of comments last week about getting or not getting a gaming laptop. That's my own fault for using a picture of a laptop as the header, I suppose. For the record, I bought a laptop, an Asus X54C as pictured above, to replace my netbook. Any games that I can run on that machine are essentially a bonus. I'm looking to replace my desktop, which is my preferred platform for gaming for several reasons. But I do appreciate all of the feedback! That was then, this is now, and now is all about a new set of answers in Ask Massively. This week, we're talking about the old standby of internet games, the games that were viral before "viral" was a thing: ARGs. If you've got a question for a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Funcom kicks off new Secret World ARG with strange video
Everybody loves an Alice in Wonderland metaphor, and Funcom is no exception. The studio kicked off a new alternate reality game for its upcoming MMO, The Secret World, and it's littered with White Rabbit references. The game starts with a very short video in which a woman on a cell phone talks about a six-year-old case. This is followed up with the instructions to go to Funcom's website, click on the background, and type in "33" to start the ARG. Just... be prepared for anything if you do. We don't want to spoil it, so we'll leave it at that and encourage you to watch the video after the jump. [Thanks to Kaitlyn for the tip!]
The Secret World ARG launches as social experience winds down
The Secret World's Secret War social experience has run its course and come to a close after an exciting five weeks. More than 250,000 people participated in the war, rallying to the cause of their chosen secret society, filling forums with discussion and theories and welcoming each new War Challenge as it was rolled out. Along the way, players have been unlocking items for use in TSW, with a special few winning the opportunity to have their name in-game and an even more special few winning a trip to visit the dev team. But that's the past, and now the glorious present awaits you. Three new videos have made their way onto The Secret War's page and each one holds a clue. The clues lead to different puzzles (one for each secret society) for players to solve. That's about all there is to know about these puzzles so far, but we're promised that they are "the start of a very exciting adventure" for participants -- so pull out your tinfoil hats and get crackin'! [Source: Funcom press release]
Trion dev posts ARG messages on RIFT forums
Trion is taking a page out of The Secret World's ARG book if a new dev post on the RIFT forums is any indication. A company representative has taken to posting poetry, cryptic messages, and even a numeric user handle on the title's official boards. Thus far, RIFT fans believe that the user name 3 3228466 787 is code for three-faction PvP (or possibly three-faction RvR). Is this a herald for a third RIFT faction, factional changes, more races, or something to do with the mercenary system? We're not sure. We are sure it's entirely coincidental that Trion is doing this on the same day that Funcom has lifted part of its press embargo for The Secret World, a three-faction MMO that has been marketed via similar ARGs since 2007. We'll update the post as more info becomes available. [Thanks to Jeff for the tip!]
Amnesia follow-up teased with ARG, more clues
Fans have been working around the clock since a new teaser site appeared for Frictional Games' suspected follow-up to the acclaimed indie horror title, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Not only has the blurred image been revealed as a freaky tunnel entrance, with what looks like a limbless corpse (ew), but fans have tracked down the latest hint, which leads to a tower in Seattle called Smith Tower. Inside that you'll find The Chinese Room, named after the furniture it houses, donated from the Empress of China herself. Speculation suggest the new game may have some connection to China and its history.Fans have also uncovered an interactive feature on the site, which has since revealed the picture above (called "fragment_ebola.jpg"), and a coded series of letters: "P F C I N C M I O I S G G."Some guess it to mean "GIF PICS COMING," which would suggest more clues are on the way. Research is being headed up on this forum thread, so have at it. Our contribution? The letters above can also be rearranged into "SICCING OF GIMP." You should probably download everyone's favorite image editor posthaste!
New Secret World ARG puzzle hidden on Funcom website
Have you figured out Funcom's newest brain-teaser for The Secret World? We haven't, and we'd take kindly to whatever tips you have to offer. What's that, you say? You didn't know there was a new TSW puzzle? Well, head to the official Funcom website. Once you're there, single-click on something that isn't a link (the red title text that says The Secret World should work), and then type in the number 33. If you do it correctly, you should eventually see a bunch of glyphs, and we're assuming they're written in some sort of Runic script. That's about where our knowledge stops, though, so check out the forum thread and let us know what you find out!
PAX 2011: Funcom discusses The Secret World's PvP, ARG, and more
Funcom had an impressive presence at PAX Prime 2011, and along with that presence came a wealth of information about its upcoming horror MMORPG, The Secret World. In addition to showing off the Polaris five-man instance, the team also highlighted a new solo mission demo and revealed some new information about the title. From missions to PvP to character progression, the team had a lot to say. For the full details on both small- and large-scale PvP, skill progression, and the game's ARG and puzzle elements, head on past the cut.
The Secret World's beta signup postponed
Those of you all hot and bothered for the start of The Secret World's beta registration event will need to avail yourselves of a cold shower (or at least a couple of tall, cold adult beverages). Funcom has announced that its ARG-infused signup event is not quite ready for prime time, and there's no time table on the rescheduling, either. A blurb on the game's website delivers the official "we're deeply sorry for the inconvenience" yada yada and also goes on to say that the registration for The Secret War event is delayed "until further notice." We'll keep our eyes peeled, and our heads on a swivel, as it's no doubt the fault of those dastardly Illuminati. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
The Secret World offering players beta access via the Secret War
In spring of next year, players will get to enter The Secret World and start facing off against all of the horrors lurking just beneath the surface of modern life. But if you're intent on delving into the game as soon as possible, you probably want to be in the beta more or less yesterday. Funcom is giving players a chance to do just that after they sign up for the beta via the Secret War ARG, which will let players explore the factions and start to rise in ranks... and, of course, secure a beta spot. Following the registration process, players will be taken to a portal that offers a personality test to determine which of the three major factions fit their outlooks. (Or said players can pick outright.) From there, the game is on... but in the shadows, as always. You don't need to do anything else, but you can start taking part in your society's efforts to recruit others, and players who reach the highest rank in the chosen society will be granted automatic access to the beta when it goes live. Sounds mysterious and underhanded -- just the sort of thing you'd expect from a game about the dark days ahead.
'Blow your minds': The Secret World dreams of large-scale PvP
While the big news from The Secret World out of Gamescom was its April 2012 launch window, that's not all the developers had to say about this creeptastic title. Ragnar Tornquist opened up to Ten Ton Hammer about the game's epic large-scale PvP fights between the three factions of the Dragons, the Illuminati, and the Templars. Unlike The Secret World's smaller PvP battlefields, the warzones are persistent with a much larger population. So instead of waiting for a match, experienced players can hop right into a warzone for the glory and honor of their faction. In the warzones, players can capture respawn points to help out their faction and work on their secret society ranking while doing it. Tornquist said that the first warzone is in a Chinese city, although it doesn't have a name yet. Tornquist stated that the game should provide players with "several hundred hours" of PvE experience, not to mention the title's PvP and optional internet quests that will have the dedicated hunting through websites for arcane clues. Funcom's project lead thinks the total sum of The Secret World will be unlike anything we've ever seen before: "When the story and the respective events are ready to show off, we are going to blow your minds."
What is Citizen Skywatch?
Citizen Skywatch has all the earmarks of a placeholder site (zero information, zero content, great font, etc), but a placeholder for what? A whois search reveals that the domain is registered to Take-Two Interactive, and that its listed physical address is the same address listed for Rockstar's official site, so we can safely infer that it will at least be tangentially related to games. Probably. What do you think? Is Citizen Skywatch an unannounced IP from the folks that gave us Red Dead Redemption? Perhaps it's the fledgling seed of an ARG, silently waiting to bombard us with quadruple-encrypted photos and cyphers? Only time will tell, but for now, join our rampant speculation by voting in this here poll:%Poll-67654%
Ragnar Tørnquist discusses The Secret World's history, factions, puzzles, and more
Funcom's Ragnar Tørnquist, project lead of the upcoming The Secret World, sat down with John Walker over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun to chat about everything TSW. The interview is delightfully in-depth, and is actually only the first part of the entire interview, so TSW fans have something to look forward to as well. In part one, Mr. Walker talks with Tørnquist about the history of The Secret World and how it arrived at the point it's at today. They also spend a bit of time discussing the game's three factions -- particularly the enigmatic Dragons -- and their potential motivations and interactions. And lastly, of course, they talk about the game's ARG-esque puzzles, which blur the line between game and reality for a more immersive experience. For the whole first part of the interview (which is really a must-read for fans of TSW), head on over to Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
