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'The Lost Ring' ARG players discover 'lost' Canadian sport

Over at The New York Times on Tuesday, Stephanie Clifford has a piece (Free registration required) pointing out that McDonald's is the main sponsor of the new Olympics-themed alternate-reality game, The Lost Ring.

The piece quotes McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer Mary Dillon as saying, "The Olympics in Beijing are a very big event for us, and we have a lot of different types of activation, with The Lost Ring being the most creative. Our goal is really about strengthening our bond with the global youth culture."

I appreciated that The Times got someone from McDonald's … Read more

Jane McGonigal at SXSWi: Game developers can induce happiness

AUSTIN, Texas--Game designers may be the professionals best suited to help humans find happiness in the future.

That was the thesis of world-famous alternate-reality game designer Jane McGonigal's Tuesday keynote address at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) here.

McGonigal began her talk by looking at the idea that happiness is something scientists and sociologists are increasingly studying and that embedded in the mechanics of games may be the very things that people need to be happy. And quality of life will likely be a key consideration of many interactive media projects.

"Because positive psychology will be a principal, … Read more

At SXSWi, Jane McGonigal talks about 'The Lost Ring'

AUSTIN, Texas--To players of alternate reality games (ARGs) like I Love Bees, Tombstone Hold 'em, A World without Oil and others, Jane McGonigal is a household name.

If the people at the International Olympics Committee, McDonald's, and worldwide brand experience firm AKQA have anything to say about it, the list of people who know McGonigal and her work will soon expand geometrically.

That's because she's the lead designer on The Lost Ring, a new ARG that launched earlier this month that is tied to this summer's Beijing Olympics and which McDonald's, AKQA and the IOC … Read more

McDonald's is lead sponsor of Olympics-themed ARG, 'The Lost Ring'

For anyone who follows alternate-reality games (ARGs), it should come as no surprise that the latest entry in the genre, The Lost Ring, is the brainchild of, among others, Jane McGonigal.

Until now, it was only suspected--though with extremely high levels of confidence--that the game, which is centered on helping a fictional amnesiac woman named Ariadne discover her identity, was a promotional vehicle for this summer's Beijing Olympics.

But McGonigal, who is keynoting at the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin on Tuesday, confirmed to me that the game was in fact designed in collaboration with the International … Read more

Olympics-themed alternate-reality game goes live

As I predicted Sunday night, the Web site for a new alternate-reality game that seems to be tied to the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing went live Monday.

The game, known as Find the Lost Ring, is built around a story line in which a young woman named Ariadne says she woke up on February 12 in a South African corn maze with amnesia and knows nothing about who she is or where she comes from.

The game's conceit will be to have players help Ariadne find her identity through a complex series of online and, most likely, real-world … Read more

Where we didn't start the fire

EPISODE 46

After a contentious morning with an almost late Wilson Tang and a false office fire, the 404 hosts kick off the show with a look at billboard defacing, MyVu already showing up on Woot, prizes given away, and not so fantastic movies coming out this weekend!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

The real 'High Fidelity': The little record store that could

UPDATE: I just heard the sad news that Future Legend will be closing its doors later this month. I have personally bought more than 200 CDs over the years from that little shop, but now I'll have to go elsewhere for my weekly fix. If you're in NYC drop by and pick up bargains, starting today, 2/6/08, Future Legend will begin selling all merchandise at 50% off the sticker price.

I want to tell you about my favorite record store, Future Legend. I drop in every week to see what's new, and talk about music … Read more

A site for the three little kittens

For children, it can lead to tear-rimmed eyes. For adults, it can lead to swearing. And for kittens, it can lead to the loss of pie privileges.

Yes, it's the lost mitten--or glove.

But have no fear. According to a story in the New York Daily News, a new site for New Yorkers slipped on to the scene earlier this month: OneColdHand-NYC.com.

The purpose of the site is to reunite found mittens and gloves with their rightful owners. Will New Yorkers warm up to the concept? Who knows. But the site's appearance does follow last month's … Read more