Jump to content

Home

Half-Life viral marketing?

IG-64

By IG-64
in Yoda’s Swamp

Recommended Posts

jebbers Newbie

jebbers

Posted
Posted

If you click different parts of the red ring, different things happen.

 

The top goes to the video, left shows you a news feed, the right shows newspaper clippings and the bottom has a password box.

 

In the top left newspaper clipping there is a picture of a man that looks to me like Dr. Breen

Link to comment
Share on other sites
True_Avery Newbie

True_Avery

Posted
Posted

Am I seriously the ONLY person who knows what this is? Seriously?

 

Ok, for starters this is not Half-life viral marketing. The sounds are used as a reference and as a clue, as well as other things that are hidden both within the site and the video.

 

So, seems I will have to introduce you to the world of ARG, or Alternate Reality Games:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game

 

On the internet, these are puzzles that are put together through videos, websites, etc that have users try and figure them out. Whatsinthebox is a popular new puzzle that has gotten more attention than the niche crowd it was aimed at, and the use of Half-life sounds seem to have confused a great many people.

 

Welcome to WikiBruce:

http://wikibruce.com/tag/whatsinthebox/

 

They have had babel updates on whats been happening, and if you follow the link...

 

http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27633&start=435

 

This is a forum thread dedicated to this particular ARG.

 

What does this consist of? If you go on the site, you can trace your mouse around and click certain parts of the site to unlock stuff. If you actually look in the code, you can find clues as well. These all link into the video as well, and some clues lead to dead ends while others start up a train of theories.

 

Think of it as organized conspiracy theories, but now as a game.

 

So no, this is not and has never been Half-life or Lost viral marketing. It is a game aimed towards a niche, and this has been one of the more elaborate ones done.

 

Sorry for raining on your parade everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
IG-64 Newbie

IG-64

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm well aware of what an ARG is. The thing is, more often than not, ARGs are used officially as a viral marketing tool (a la I Love Bees), something Valve has done before with Portal, and J.J. Abrams has done with Lost. Hence, when you start to incorporate Half-Life references and logos to a video that's highly styled to be like the half-life universe, you can see how there might be speculation. The ARG for Lost is much more elaborate than this one, and also involves the Hanso foundation, which was one of the logos on the site.

 

I'd like to mention that these logos are official art, so I was thinking that it might be more likely to be officially endorsed by Valve and/or J.J. Abrams than what it turned out to be: an upcoming director using an ARG and existing fan bases to get noticed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
True_Avery Newbie

True_Avery

Posted
Posted
I'm well aware of what an ARG is. The thing is, more often than not, ARGs are used officially as a viral marketing tool (a la I Love Bees), something Valve has done before with Portal, and J.J. Abrams has done with Lost. Hence, when you start to incorporate Half-Life references and logos to a video that's highly styled to be like the half-life universe, you can see how there might be speculation. The ARG for Lost is much more elaborate than this one, and also involves the Hanso foundation, which was one of the logos on the site.

 

I'd like to mention that these logos are official art, so I was thinking that it might be more likely to be officially endorsed by Valve and/or J.J. Abrams than what it turned out to be: an upcoming director using an ARG and existing fan bases to get noticed.

Yes, but with the multiple references being made who would it be endorsing?

 

It seems more feasible that its just a ARG borrowing from other groups, which is questionable in of itself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
IG-64 Newbie

IG-64

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Yes, but with the multiple references being made who would it be endorsing?

 

It seems more feasible that its just a ARG borrowing from other groups, which is questionable in of itself.

Well, that's apparently what it turned out to be, with this Timaceous guy as the creator.

 

The only thing that really made sense before I knew it was unofficial was that it might be a Half-Life film created by J.J. Abrams, and he was releasing it as viral marketing with a lower-budget launch trailer, much like he did with Cloverfield. I also thought it might have been something by Valve, only referencing Lost, which they've done before, to confuse people.

 

I was pretty excited by these possibilities, so I'm disappointed that it turned out to be unofficial (and, I might venture so far as say, a ripoff).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
True_Avery Newbie

True_Avery

Posted
Posted
I think Half-Life 1 sucked...

The game... yeah, I'll give you that.

 

The mods that grew out of that game and the community however... f'in awesome.

 

But I didn't know it was possible to play through Half-Life 2 and think it sucked...

Especially episode 1 and 2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kain Newbie

Kain

Posted
Posted
but I didn't know it was possible to play through Half-Life 2 and think it sucked...

 

Quite simple actually. No scientist is so badass that he can take on that many aliens using guns like he's a f'in marine.

 

Which is also why HL1 sucked; some post-grad scientist in theory taking on black ops marines? Riiiiight, and then reality struck and the scientists bit the dust like the rest of his brainiac collegues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
acdcfanbill Newbie

acdcfanbill

Posted
Posted
Key term: was.

 

At the time, it was the best damn thing ever. Looking back and playing back, it wasn't that fantastic but the mods that spawned from it are still holding up to time and that is impressive.

 

Well, I used 'was' because IG-64 used what appeared to me as the past tense verb 'sucked'. I probably should have said 'HL1 is the opposite of suck'.

 

I don't understand how something could be considered good, creme of the crop by many, and a few years later it's suddenly no good. Citizen Kane didn't suddenly lose the qualities that make it great simply because movies moved to using color and cinemascope. Dawn of the Dead isn't reduced in it's social commentary simply because the remake has pretty modern effects.

 

If something is good at one time, it should get better with age, or at least stay decent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RoxStar Newbie

RoxStar

Posted
Posted
Key term: was.

 

At the time, it was the best damn thing ever. Looking back and playing back, it wasn't that fantastic but the mods that spawned from it are still holding up to time and that is impressive.

 

Because of my history with the game, I still greatly enjoy playing Half-Life but I agree with you that in modern standards it's basically a convoluted maze.

 

Mods + Steam = Forbidden Roxy LOVE <3

Link to comment
Share on other sites
True_Avery Newbie

True_Avery

Posted
Posted
Quite simple actually. No scientist is so badass that he can take on that many aliens using guns like he's a f'in marine.

 

Which is also why HL1 sucked; some post-grad scientist in theory taking on black ops marines? Riiiiight, and then reality struck and the scientists bit the dust like the rest of his brainiac collegues.

Since when has logic applied to -any- game?

 

Call of Duty 4? Sure, you are a trained solider... but you could also heal from any wound. Not very realistic, as I don't think black ops training includes wolverine light healing ability.

 

This applies to any and all shooters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...