Blurring the line between games and life

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information that would help unlock pieces of the story.

Lee has been nominated for an innovation award at the upcoming Game Developers' Choice Awards ceremony. Both he and Stewart say they see the medium as a developing art form--even if it's equivalent to moviemaking in 1903--rather than simply a convoluted promotional vehicle.

"The Internet basically is about searching for things and gossiping, and we invented a way to tell stories that's about searching for things and gossiping," Stewart said. "It is a much nicer way to deliver art across the platform."

"The Internet basically is about searching for things and gossiping, and we invented a way to tell stories that's about searching for things and gossiping."

--Sean Stewart, writer

Indeed, game aficionados have already created a handful of grassroots games that have attracted a smaller number of players, training a generation of people who may be able to perpetuate the medium outside of corporate sponsorship.

It's too early to tell exactly how Perplex City will play out. Its story, as far as people now know, revolves around the theft of an artifact called "The Cube" from a civilization that may or may not exist in a parallel dimension to ours, and may or may not have been studying and visiting ours.

What information is known has come out during the last year or so in coded, teasing online puzzles. Nobody knows exactly who's behind it, or whether it's intended to sell something. According to a video posted on the game's Web site, clues will keep appearing in newspapers through March 21, and then it's anybody's guess as to what happens.

"Everyone in the community I'm involved with is quite impatiently awaiting the 'game' to start," May said. "People are analyzing and overanalyzing previous analyses and speculation for alternate answers to puzzles, fighting to believe that something has been missed."

Dawn of the Enigma

I just want to take a moment to give credit where credit is due and acknowledge those who have dedicated the last decade to the birth of this concept. The first "enigma" to grab noteable attention over the internet began in 1994 just after the most recent Pink Floyd album release titled "The Division Bell".

While the true origins of what we refer to as the "Publius Enigma" have yet to be formally acknowledged by anyone including the members of the band themselves, our efforts continue to this very day - 11 years later.

Another notable "enigma" known as "The Stone" was
taken from "The Division Bell" concept and the same person responsible for it's creation produced
the movie "Stoners" using Pink Floyd's album for it's the soundtrack.

I look forward to seeing you inside.

-DS




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[bhlang]

I Love Bees

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