Server #1 at HALO3.com has been unlocked. We have also been given a new IP address and Flash-based website. Are we being given clues as to the beginning of the Flood? Check out the image below that was hidden on the new Flash-based website. A lot is going down on the new page. Recap of tonight’s events:

1. The countdown has stopped.
2. New countdown page at http://206.16.223.65/.
3. Countdown timer was removed and replaced with text box and 4 letters and numbers.
• 
4. Visitors could submit text back through the web form.
5. Keys were given out to some users.
6. I tried and got a bunch of errors.
7. Now the page refers us to: http://206.16.223.61/E5h2JK/flash/web/index.html
8. An .mp3 was embedded on the key entry page.
9. .mp3 is of a weird voice set to background "sounds".
• One possible translation done by BoonIsha on the UnFiction forums :
• This is how it all begins
  
  Just in time to do the dance again on the knife’s edge of oblivion(probably wrong)
  
  To relive what the Halos had hoped to destroy and more
  
  For two enemies now stand where before there’s only one
  
  A fate we escaped, and a fate you may relive
  
  I had almost convinced myself that no one was listening
  
  That the waves of the past would roll through once again
  
  But a chance remains to change the Universe anew
  
  Learn of our past
  
  Take these keys and dip from the wells of history
  
  Perhaps through others of us you may find how to save us all
10. I guess someone figured out the code?
11. Server 05 Open
• 
12. Click on your country and type in your birthday and you can play.
13. You’ll see a rotating machine (a Sentinel?).
14. Clicking on the machine will stop the rotation.
15. You can then drag the machine to rotate Left and Right.
16. Note that a glyph can be seen on the back.
17. More icons can be seen on the surface of the machine.
18. Clicking on the icons allows you to initiate downloads from the website.
19. Let the machine rotate until it is pointed straight and you and stop it.
20. Click on the icon in the upper right.
21. Be amazed as you watch the Flash movie play.
22. Glyph. Starry Night? A monitor? The "bacteria background" from the countdown page. A spinning moon or planet? More?

Watch the video on YouTube:

Here are screen captures from the Flash movie:

Are there more downloads than I’ve found? I’ve found four (two images and two text files):

1.  Slide_Ref070107.jpg
• 
• Notes. Uploading this image to my Flickr account automatically added a title and description to this image.
• Title: BC3779-001
• Description: SEM of Streptococcus pyrogens bacteria,causes sore throat x2,000
2. StarImage1.jpg
   • 
   • click for larger version on my Flickr page.
3. Log5_Transcript.txt
   • THIS IS MY FINAL ENTRY, AND I AM LEFT WITH ONE HOPE
     
     THAT ONE DAY, SOMEONE, ANYONE IS AROUND TO WITNESS THIS WARNING
     
     {//}
     
     KNOW THAT A THOUSAND OTHER PLANS WERE TRIED AND FAILED
     
     {//}
     
     KNOW THAT ENERGETIC AND TENACIOUS AS LIFE IS
     
     IT HAS AN ANTITHESIS JUST AS POWERFUL
     
     IT IS THAT THING THAT WE MUST OBLITERATE
4. Array_Recorder_Data.txt
   • Halo array –System Data Recorder
   • [<array-sdr.> 3 minutes 5 seconds]
     
     {c-match-reconfirmed}. Sphere secure to .1889 of passing fleet. Offensive tactics confirmed.
     
     Feint tactics in limited push.
     
     <Array sync commence>
     
     Sys//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{online}
     
     Index: {check}
     
     {D-com} There is no peace left. No place where the parasite cannot reach. You were right about it
     
     all. Let us hope the final measure is not too late.
   • [<array-sdr.> 1 minutes 12 seconds]
     
     Confrm: Array burn radium {check} 3.0
     
     Confrm: Array sync …1…2…3…4…5…6…7…{check}
     
     Commence…_{ }
   • [<array-sdr.> 60 seconds]
     
     Commence…_{check}
     
     Confrm: -00-00-00-59-0999-
     
     {c-match-line-hold} acceptable losses confirmed
     
     {D-com} It’s done. By my hands. The pyrrhic solution is ignited. All I have left is the quiet of
     
     space to lull me to sleep. I will dream of you.
   • [<array-sdr.> 49 seconds]
     
     Authorize -00-00-00-48-0999-
     
     Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array
     
     Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_
     
     Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_ Array
     
     Authorized…_ Array Authorized…_{check}
   • [<array-sdr.> 23 seconds]
     
     fire: -00-00-00-22-0999-
     
     Confrm: wpnt {auth}
     
     Core sequence <%> <%>
   • [<array-sdr.> 11 seconds]
     
     fire: -00-00-00-10-0999-
     
     {c-match-burn} effectiveness of enemy core fleet negligible
     
     {D-com} I feel no peril.
   • [<array-sdr.> 5 seconds]
     
     fire: -00-00-00-04-0999-
     
     <enter reversion sequence to deactivate>
     
     {D-com} No pain. No remorse. Is that normal?
     
     
   • [<array-sdr.> 0 seconds]
     
     fire: -00-00-00-00-0001-
     
     Reversion Sequence…{negative}
     
     Array Authorized…_{Activate}
     
     Rings online…_{Activate}
     
     <Fire>
   • [<array-sdr.> 7 seconds]
     
     +00+00+00+07+0001+
     
     

Wow. Lots of information on this new site. Who’s found more clues?

__________________________

currently playing: Shadowrun
on the back burner: Catan, Guitar Hero II, HALO 2 (PC)
Shadowrun rocks!

First off, a quick apology for the lack of updates around here. Mrs. Narcogen and I have been moving all our worldly possessions crosstown in cardboard boxes, suitcases and backpacks over the past two weeks, and the job now is nearly done. For me, that makes… eleven apartments in thirteen years. The new place once again has a separate room for all the gadgetry, so that’s where the New Rampancy Towers is located.

Iris Reaches Out And Touches… The Wrong Person

The Hushed Casket has quickly become, along with the CompundIntelligence group at Bungie.net and the ARG forum at Bungie.org, one of the best places to keep up with the alternate reality game promoting Halo 3, which is apparently called “Iris”. There’s still no hint of whether or not Forty Two is involved in this game, although it does seem that Bungie is a bit more involved this time around, and things are more clearly focused on the game. The Halo 3 comic, for instance, is a far more straightforward bit of storytelling with a direct connection to the game, as compared to the I Love Bees audio drama. This has led to a predictable criticism– that if the game only attracts fans of Halo, as opposed to fans of ARGS, what’s the point, since Halo fans are going to buy Halo anyway? I’ve wondered that myself more than once. Clearly the sales benefits of ARGs are indirect at best.

Those benefits are likely no comfort at all to college student Michael VanderZand, whose mobile phone number was concluded to be related to the game because of its resemblance to a number in an Xbox Live profile. For the full story, read rapture‘s piece at THX.

As for the game itself, the friendly (if a bit terse) AI called “Adjutant Reflex”, mistaken by many as a monitor despite his lack of a numerical designation, has apparently been taken over by a more powerful and less friendly entity– perhaps that is a monitor?

We’re In For Some Chop

Yesterday I read at HBO that Louis Wu was linking to a purported list of Halo 3 achievements, but was a bit suspicious at first. Then, the authenticity of the list was seemingly confirmed when it was also located at a very official source– xbox.com itself.

Imagine my disappointment, since I had just finished writing a long piece on how the achievements couldn’t possibly be the real thing, but were just a hoax perpetrated by a fan with too much time on his hands. I posted the thing and deleted it within five minutes.

Even now, looking at the list, I hold on to a desperate hope that it’s a red herring or perhaps a placeholder of some sort. If it’s real, it’s a spoiler, so click “read more” below for my look at the list.

read more

This week Cryptoflix takes us back through some more Halo 2 mastery with a thorough runthrough of the single player map Outskirts on legendary difficulty. Thanks Crypto, we look forward to more!

This week Cryptoflix takes us back through some more Halo 2 mastery with a thorough runthrough of the single player map Outskirts on legendary difficulty. Thanks Crypto, we look forward to more!

This week Cryptoflix takes us back through some more Halo 2 mastery with a thorough runthrough of the single player map Outskirts on legendary difficulty. Thanks Crypto, we look forward to more!

That’s right, this week we’ll be talking all about the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) known simply as “Iris.” Bungie calls it “spiral marketing.” We call it a whole lot of fun. What is this crazy game you ask? Well that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about on this week’s show with CapnKrunk, who as you can tell has been following the latest developments pretty closely. He and some experts from the Bungie.net forums will be explaining Iris to us and the story so far. If you’ve got any specific questions about the game, let us know! Send them in by clicking Submit News and Tips on the right side of the page. Be sure to tell us your gamertag so we can give you credit. Deadline is Thursday night at about 6pm EST so get those tips in early!

A few weeks ago when I went to my local EB games to pre-order the limited edition of Bioshock for Xbox 360 I perused the bargain bins as usual. I found a new copy of Quake 4 that was marked $29.99 and had been clearanced to %50 of that price. Having been a fan of Quake 3 Arena for PC I decided to finally purchase the title and give it a shot, as I had never done during it’s initial release. I am very pleased with my purchase, and I can’t think of another $15 better spent on a game. Furthermore, it came with a bonus disc containing Quake 2. Click “read more” for details.

As a fan of Quake 3 Arena I quickly felt at home with Quake 4. I don’t know whether it is the plodding first-person view, the ability to hold a half-score of weapons with just two quasi-human hands, or the weapons themselves, but it just felt natural. Not having an internet connection at the time I started working on the campign on “Corporal,” the medium difficulty. “Private” is the difficulty below Corporal with “Lieutenant” above and “General” unlockable by beating the game on Lieutenant.

The campaign is good–very good. Sure, the plot is a little trite: Marines in space fighting to save earth. However, the twist of battling the Strogg, an alien race that consumes its enemies and uses them to build more hybrid aliens, and the utter gore of it all give Quake 4 a flavor all its own. I really couldn’t have guessed where the plot was going when I began the first few level.

The use of techs and medics is interesting as well. If there is a tech around just approach him and activate him to repair your armor. Same story with medics and your health. The Marines and techs of Quake 4 have very interesting, sometimes comical personalities. The variety of weapons is a lot of fun, as well as the ability to upgrade the weapons at different points in the campaign. My primary complaint is the atrocious load times. I estimate that the average load time for a game save is 10-14 seconds.

Quake 4’s achievements are mediocre. Not bad, but not spectacular either. There are achievements for completing each of three acts on each difficulty. However, completing an act on a harder difficulty does not unlock the achievement for completing the act on a lesser difficulty. I’ve completed the campaign on Corporal, but the achievements for completing it on Priavte are still locked. There are achievements for completing a level with a single type of weapon, and those are fun, but it’s sometimes difficult to tell when a new “level” will begin and end, making it difficult to pace yourself. There are many online achievements, including a few that require you to achieve a certain rank on the online leaderboards. I thought we figured out a while back those aren’t a good idea.

I have yet to dive into multiplayer, but I expect it’s a good time. I never see anyone on my friend’s list playing Quake 4, so I assume it wasn’t spectacular enough to become a FPS mainstay, but it might be worth a jaunt. Next time you’re at EB/Gamestop take a quick look for Quake 4 in the clearance bin. It’s a no-brainer for $15.
__________________________

Major news in the HALO 3 alternate reality marketing game yesterday. Adjutant Reflex, the persona of some HALO-related character who has been posting messages and clues in the Bungie.net website, apparently has been terminated. Some old posts from Adjutant Reflex have been deleted entirely. However, a post made from AR’s account yesterday reads:

Adjutant Reflex is terminated.

Attempt no further communication.

I am utilizing its matrix.

Everything is within protocol.

Tomorrow, things may be clearer but I will not be here to witness the clarity.

I am for another place and another time. On my terms.

Be seeing you.

Additionally, Adjutant’s Reflex’s profile has been updated to read:

This entity has been terminated, its matrix comandeered.

Finally, Adjutant Reflex has a new avatar in his profile. The avatar is named "MB05032_09_25_07.gif". We know what "09_25_07" means. That’s the official launch date of HALO 3. What we don’t know is if "MB05032" has anything to do with the story. It probably means something. But what?

The countdown timer from http://206.16.223.65/ has stopped. It is stuck on

001 012 034 053

Do those numbers mean anything? Perhaps. A user on the Unfiction fiction forums notes that when you read those numbers as Lat and Lon coordinates they point to a huge volcano just west of Kenya in Uganda. The location is very near the places near Kenya where HALO has some roots.

With the countdown stopped, we wonder if in fact anything will happen tonight at midnight. Midnight will usher in the 21st of June – a date in which the countdown appeared to be counting down to until it stopped. The 21st of June is also the summer solstice – a day in which has significance to the mysterious Society of the Ancients.

What’s the next step in this ARG? Will the countdown start? Have we discovered everything there is to discover? Or are we overlooking clues that will lead us to unraveling more of the viral marketing campaign? Is this the last of Adjutant Reflex?

__________________________

currently playing: Shadowrun
on the back burner: Catan, Guitar Hero II, HALO 2 (PC)
Shadowrun rocks!