unfiction.com

While this isn't an ARG, it looks interesting enough to have an overlap appeal to the ARG audience. The Game Neverending is being developed by a company called Ludicorp and, according to the website, is scheduled to begin alpha testing of the prototype this month. From the site:

The Game Neverending is a web-based massively multiplayer online game of social, political and economic interactions. It's pretty interesting.

Thanks to Stewart Butterfield and Eric Costello of the5k.org for the sideways tip-off via their email about changes in store for the estimable 5k.

Well, for far too long Unfiction.com has been lacking in the ability for you all to quickly and easily provide feedback. I thought about moving to a content management system so that I could add individual commenting ability for each article but it turns out I don't like content management systems. 😉

So I'm opening up a forum with specific areas for discussion, feedback, suggestions, criticism, and general tomfoolery related to Unfiction.com and the ARG community. I'd appreciate any feedback you might have about this site or the forums themselves, so that Unfiction can continue to be a popular destination for news, rumors, information, and resources important to you.

—SpaceBass

Note: In light of yesterday's announcement by ARGN, I have added a Push, NV, category. Same request for feedback applies, and if y'all want to play anything else here, just let me know.

I'm a little behind the curve on these, but TimeHunt is now fully active (and the website is absolutely gorgeous) and Second State has also opened registration to the subscription version of the beta-game that many ARGers came to love. Instead of getting all depressed and weepy about the lame ARGN news, why not get caught up in the adventure of a new game?

Looks like all ARGN forum members have received the following email, quoted in its entirety:

Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 00:49:24 UT
From: admin@argn.com
Subject: ***ARGN Forums to Close***

The following is an email sent to you by an administrator of "Alternate Reality Gaming Network". If this message is spam, contains abusive or other comments you find offensive please contact the webmaster of the board at the following address:

admin@argn.com

Include this full email (particularly the headers).

Message sent to you follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARGN Forums to Close

ARGN will be closing its forums section effective Thursday, Sept 26th, 2002, due to numerous issues, including but not limited to lack of adequate bandwidth/traffic capacity, and our sincere desire not to compete with www.collectivedetective.org.

However, the hard work of all our members will not be lost. All message threads will continue to be accessible as is, for reference as an archive into the foreseeable future, but no new content will be added after this Thursday.

This decision has not been an easy one to make, and we hope that our members will understand and support this decision. It is the members that have made the community a special one and we would like thank each and every one of you for your support of ARGN. We've had a great run, and it's been a privilege to serve you all. As for now, I need to take a break 🙂

Please refer to the ARGN Terms of Service before posting any questions or comments in response to this announcement.

Sincerely,

Steve Peters
ARGN Site Administrator.

We are really going to miss the wonderful resource that Steve provided to the ARG community. Thank you Steve, for all of your hard work and generosity, and for giving us all a place to gather and feel welcome. I have a Bass Ale here with your name on it, dude.

An "anonymous" tip:

From: "GuysGuise.com Security Division"
To: <rumors@unfiction.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 20:04:38 -0500
Subject: rumors can be very wrong

But this time you've got it right on. But as for the argn stuff floating about, the numbers are not ordering anything.

Let's just say that a little birdie is telling you that there were 9 emails sent out to 9 people.