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The Final Round of ILoveBees
Ensign Trolltalk writes "The Alternate Reality Game ilovebees (previously covered here and here) has entered its endgame, with the presumably final round of telephone calls taking place Sunday October 31st. Anyone wishing to get involved before it's over should check out the latest axon list (available here in more human-readable format with GPS coordinates, city, state, call time, and links to maps) and be prepared for anything. On Thursday November 4th, live "Combat Training Exercises" will be held in New York, Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco. It's believed that attendees will get to see and play Halo 2 before the game's official release. See the 404 page for details on these events."
oh no! microsoft's advertising! AHH!
jesus people, stop bitching about microsoft... no one's making you play, no one's making you buy anything, it's a game that people have been playing since the summer... so what if the evil m$ owns bungie, it's still an awesome game developer, and the story line for all their games (and this arg) have been good...
do you not watch tv because of the commercials? do you not drive because of bilboards? not read the newspaper/magazines because of the ads?
Nothing cheesy about it.
It's the next step in advertising - merging advertising with interactive stories. So one step beyond normal television programs; one step beyond games. Both tv and games have product placement and advertising incorporated into them - I bet you still enjoy those.
This is using those avenues to promote another game or tv program - so you get two-for-the-price-of-one.
I Love Bees/Haunted Apiary has been enjoyable, engrossing, provided a nice backstory for Halo 2 and helped expand the Haloverse provided by Bungie.
It's a good thing. And most ARGs are (from the BMW driver movies with an ARG ending in a car giveaway, to The Beast which promoted the movie AI) enjoyable just for themselves.
So don't hate it because it is marketing - enjoy it for being a free, somewhat engrossing interactive game. Most ARGs have very high standard - they aren't chessy or tacky. Try one and you might like it.
Actually they are an interactive game for those who appreciate quality games that are free.
They also happen to be a promotion for Halo 2.
Some people are just too retarded to realise that they have a dual nature - just like all television, movies, games etc. (which all have product placement and advertising in), or sports (which exist solely to generate profits through merchandising), or any other number of interests or hobbies which intersect with capitalism.
You have completely missed what is a good game. I pity you as much as I pity the morons who love to tell everyone they ever come across that "they don't own a television".
It's just sad that people like you don't realise the world isn't just black and white.
(Here's a shocker for you - have a look at the plays of Shakespeare, the art of Michelangelo, the works of Mozart. Now investigate just which of those were commissioned, and the messages the artists were paid to produce... and why.
Now come back and tell me they are worthless and have no value because they weren't "art for art's sake". This is the same - just because it is promotional, doesn't mean it isn't a lot of fun, and a damn good game as well.)