Our beloved Halo 3 ARG Iris is in a lull right now as no new info has been released, no new puzzles have surfaced, and no new contacts have been made for days. It's what ARG members refer to as an in-game lull. No, it doesn't mean Iris has been mysteriously canceled or that it sucks, because this is quite the normal occurrence in most ARGs. You see, these games go in cycles, sometimes there's a huge amount of info and work to be done while other times there's really nothing happening ... right now we're experiencing the latter. If you remember, Halo 2's ilovebees extravaganza started off rather slow with only an update once every week or so until things really got juicy and payphones started ringing. So, we just wanted to tell you that Iris is not dead, we just have to be patient, and hopefully more fun will be had when new servers are unlocked. But we agree with you, waiting stinks.Posts with tag arg
Halo 3 Iris ARG is experiencing some downtime
Our beloved Halo 3 ARG Iris is in a lull right now as no new info has been released, no new puzzles have surfaced, and no new contacts have been made for days. It's what ARG members refer to as an in-game lull. No, it doesn't mean Iris has been mysteriously canceled or that it sucks, because this is quite the normal occurrence in most ARGs. You see, these games go in cycles, sometimes there's a huge amount of info and work to be done while other times there's really nothing happening ... right now we're experiencing the latter. If you remember, Halo 2's ilovebees extravaganza started off rather slow with only an update once every week or so until things really got juicy and payphones started ringing. So, we just wanted to tell you that Iris is not dead, we just have to be patient, and hopefully more fun will be had when new servers are unlocked. But we agree with you, waiting stinks.Penny ARGade digging Iris
Wednesday's Penny Arcade shows Tycho's heavy interest in the current Halo 3 ARG, Iris. His news post goes into detail about how he was an avid follower of I Love Bees back in 2004, and this time 'round appears to be no different. That being said, Gabe's little gem of wisdom does ring true when you look at the grand scheme of things, though we're not complaining. What are you thinking of this ARG so far? Is it up to I Love Bees high standard of depth, interactivity, and attention to detail? Or is it perhaps too early to make that assessment?Open your eyes, Iris ARG continues
The Halo 3 ARG, Iris, is finally starting to get interesting. Yes, we've moved beyond mock websites and the requisite countdown clocks. Now we actually have something concrete ... sort of. The IP address revealed at Halo3.com/comic (206.16.223.65) now displays one of the "servers" pictured on Halo3.com. Incidentally, Halo3.com shows that the server is unlocked as well, though clicking it produces no results. On the IP address, the floating "server" (or whatever it is) rotates. Clicking on it allows you to rotate it manually and click on certain hidden symbols, which prompt you to download certain documents (including the image above). Additionally, a symbol on the front of the object causes it to unfold and display a movie which contains cryptic messages spliced with strange footage (and a few snippets from previous Halo games).
Right now, we're not certain what it all means. Hopefully, Iris will develop into a more concrete experience in the coming weeks. Check out some of the various new documents after the break, including the video.
Halo 3 ARG "Iris" update and it's getting good
Our once nameless Halo 3 ARG has flowered into a beautiful "Iris". Yup, that's the official name attached to our ARG per a Microsoft spokesperson who spoke with Eurogamer."'Iris' is a spiral campaign designed to take gamers on an incredible journey through the Halo Universe. Led by an 'unknown' hand, users will discover bits of previously unknown information about the Halos, the Flood, the Forerunners, and the true origins behind the Halo trilogy."
Sounds fun doesn't it? That description alone makes us want to play and learn more. So ... that's about it for ARG news. Wait, you want to know more? You want the dish on what has been happening with AdjuntantReflex and SOTA? Well, we're push-over bloggers and you sound sincere enough. Complete recap of what has happened in the Iris ARG (since our last update) is posted after the break. Enjoy.
Continue reading Halo 3 ARG "Iris" update and it's getting good
Progress is being made in Halo 3 ARG
After the AdjuntantReflux went to sleep, Halo3.com received a little update. The website now displays five servers that are "locked" leading us to believe that our goal must have something to do with getting these servers online. But this rabbit hole gets a lot deeper. A paper boy posted a URL on the Bungie.net forums that he found after paging through this Sunday's Circuit City ad. The URL links to a Halo comic on Halo3.com that hides a IP address. This IP address is a page featuring a standard ARG countdown clock and when it hits zero, we're expecting more fun. But we aren't done. After doing a little reverse whois search a new website was found that is home to the Society of the Ancients. This society looks to be where ARG players will be registering, finding evidence, and solving this mysterious Halo puzzle of confusion. The thing is that all this progress may have been found earlier than was intended due to the Circuit City ad URL being leaked days before expected. Keep track of the latest news and details over at the Halo 3 ARG wiki.
It's late, our heads hurt, but we still find ourselves pulled in by the "game". How about you?
[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Mysterious Halo 3 email makes us say ARG!
Ever since ILoveBees shoved Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) into the limelight, it seems like they're everywhere. Microsoft used one to promote the Xbox 360, one was used to promote EndWar, and now Microsoft is using it again for Halo 3. It began earlier this week with forum postings from one Adjutant Reflex -- the name of a Forerunner AI if we've ever heard one -- and it continues today. Subscribers to the Xbox Flash newsletter (including us) received a cryptic email this morning. The email warns of history repeating itself and an enemy closing in. It concludes by telling readers -- referred to as "keepers of the flame" -- to look out for signs that will lead them to victory. Given the dark, horrific description of the enemy and the warning of "history circling back upon us," we're inclined to believe the email is referring to the Flood.
The email contains three links, all of which lead to Halo3.com. Adjutant Reflex's postings noted that "Archives/Resources will be compiled" by 1:00AM this morning. Whether or not this email is tantamount to archives or resources, we don't know. On top of that, Halo3.com appears unchanged at first glance. Any theories? Read the full text of the email after the break.
Adjutant Reflex hints at possible Halo 3 ARG
Cryptic messages have been appearing on the forums over at Bungie.net and halo.bungie.org from a mysterious "thing" that goes by the name of Adjutant Reflex. It talks of data, hibernation, and events related to the Halo universe all while maintaining a veil of secrecy. Just what are we talking about? Well, simply put, things are coming together that make us believe that a new ilovebees style alternate reality game is about to begin, but Halo 3 style.Adjutant Reflex seems to be some sort of in-game AI who's data-mining the internets, responding cryptically to user's questions, and is connected to the Bungie.net and HBO forums. Communication, details, and knowledge about this whole Adjutant Reflex stuff is a little over our heads right now, which heavily favors the idea of a complex new ARG getting ready to begin. But what we can tell you is that this "thing" has stated that "Archives/Resources will be compiled" at around 1:00AM PST Thursday morning, so hopefully we'll get a feel for what's going on at that time. Until then, we advise checking out Hushed Casket's writeup of the events that have taken place including all kinds of links or checking out the UnFiction forums where experienced ARGers are looking into this.
If this is a new Halo 3 ARG similar to ilovebees you can count us in. We just loved the adventure and community behind the fun. But what about you? Did you follow ilovebees and do you enjoy this alternate reality gaming?
[Via Joystiq]
