Get Equipped with ARG Watch!

Warning! New challen- er, I mean, section!

In ARG Watch, I'll point out possible trailheads for Alternate Reality Games. Go wiki this stuff if you don't understand it or check out the guide at UnFiction.

What's behind this, you ask?

ARG Alert: Channel 51, Part 2?

Channel 51 was an ARG about, oh... four years ago or so. It was Nintendo's counter to ilovebees and it promoted Metroid Prime 2. It centered around a company called Orbis Labs creating Metroid-syle weaponry and using astronauts from a company called Athena Aeronautics (or Astronautics or something... it's been four freakin' years, gimme a break) to create Samus-esque bounty hunters. This was all reported through channel51.org, the website of one Samantha Manus (which is TOTALLY not Samus with an "antha Man" in the middle). Her contact was a character by the name of YX455, which later changed to KA054 when the YX455 AIM account was compromised.

The remarkable thing about Channel 51 was that even after Nintendo ended the game via some job postings on Monster.com, the players, including one who had gotten not only the YX455 AIM account but also the blog yx455.blogspot.com, actually extended the life of the game, the player assuming YX455's identity and keeping the game going for another few weeks.

I was always a big fan of Channel 51. Look at my profile, click on my interests and see who shares them. I use YX455 as my Brawl name. You can understand my surprise, then, when I saw that a user under the name of YX455 had posted in a Bungie.net topic.

You: HOLD IT! Couldn't this just be another fan of Channel 51?

*headshakes, tapping index finger on forehead* That's what I thought initially, but explain this. Later that day, the Wikipedia article for Metroid Prime 2 had a link added to the body of the page. It said only "it begins again" and linked to a Gamertag... that of YX455!

You: OBJECTION! This is just some lonely fan of Channel 51 trying to meet other fans or something!

*headshakes yet again* No. His profile links to http://echoesofthetruth.blogspot.com/ where it appears that he's posting in character as YX455. It also appears that he's traded Metroid for Halo. I mean, the posting on Bungie.net, "my fight to finish"...

Judge: Mr. SP, unless you can stay on topic, I'm going to have to penalize you.

No! Not the gavel of doom! Noooo! *loses 1/8 of HP bar* Why must this hurt with pain?!

*ahem* Back on topic, I've also been told that someone is trying to buy the channel51.org domain name. Also, this new person is not the original YX455. The original has an email address of yx455.truth A7 gmail DAW7 com, while this one uses yx455.echo at the same domain... which is also a valid MSN Messenger account.

Whatever's happening, something's happening. I've contacted him via email, and this is what convinced me something in the ARG alley is up.


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I know not this game of which you speak, but I rarely have time for games any more. The truth does not wait.

I am glad to hear that not all of the Seekers [Seekers of the Light, a Channel 51 community named after a recurring line from YX455 -MM] have given up hope. When the time comes, I will expect you to be ready to join us once more.

Awaken more of them from their slumber.

Our hour is at hand.

Seekers and Templars [users of Luminoth Temple, a now-closed forum revealed at the official end of the game -MM] will join together once more.

It is your duty to ensure that.

Seek the light.

--YX455.echo

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A rather heavy duty, yes, but something rather interesting nonetheless. Wonder what YX would say about this. Probably something roundabout and unhelpful, as always.

Well, that's all I know. More info as it comes in.

Until next time, remember, the Metal Blade can fire in eight directions.

MegaMatt SP, signing off.