Do you want a ride into sub-orbital space? You’re going to have to work for it. If you haven’t heard about the Vanishing Point Game, you’ve been living under a rock. Microsoft and AMD have created a collaborative puzzle game to celebrate the consumer release of Windows Vista to the public (Vista has already been released to businesses). Talk about a lot of product buzz in a very unusual marketing scheme.
Expect competition to be fierce, however, as players attempt to decipher online puzzles and solve clues from all over the world. On a weekly basis, twelve new puzzles are posted on the site. An answer for every puzzle can only be solved using information from an online element and a real world element. Physically being present at every location is not necessary as footage of the unusual real world event is always posted. Loki, the mysterious Microsoft Puzzle Master and “host” at these events, is the character to watch out for. Earlier this week, the first real-world event took place at the fountains outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
There is nearly $500,000 in prizes. The first prize gets a ride into sub-orbital space in 2008 courtesy of Rocketplane Limited Inc. – the ticket is estimated to be at a value of $250,000. The Rocketplane XP Vehicle, powered by both turbojet engines and a rocket engine, is a four-seat fighter-sized vehicle fitted with a delta wing and a V-tail. The vehicle is able to reach speeds just over 2,386 miles per hour, and reach altitudes in excess of 330,000 feet, or 100 kilometres. If you win first prize, tell me how it feels to be weightless for three to four minutes.
View: Vanishing Point Game | Forum Discussion
News source: Microsoft Watch
Expect competition to be fierce, however, as players attempt to decipher online puzzles and solve clues from all over the world. On a weekly basis, twelve new puzzles are posted on the site. An answer for every puzzle can only be solved using information from an online element and a real world element. Physically being present at every location is not necessary as footage of the unusual real world event is always posted. Loki, the mysterious Microsoft Puzzle Master and “host” at these events, is the character to watch out for. Earlier this week, the first real-world event took place at the fountains outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
There is nearly $500,000 in prizes. The first prize gets a ride into sub-orbital space in 2008 courtesy of Rocketplane Limited Inc. – the ticket is estimated to be at a value of $250,000. The Rocketplane XP Vehicle, powered by both turbojet engines and a rocket engine, is a four-seat fighter-sized vehicle fitted with a delta wing and a V-tail. The vehicle is able to reach speeds just over 2,386 miles per hour, and reach altitudes in excess of 330,000 feet, or 100 kilometres. If you win first prize, tell me how it feels to be weightless for three to four minutes.
View: Vanishing Point Game | Forum Discussion News source: Microsoft Watch
BTW, There are several Microsoft contests where Microsoft is giving Ultimate keys.
Try your luck in one of them.
Wow pictures/video contest for example : http://showusyourwow.msn.com/
Also participate in Microsoft betas on Connect and submit suggestions and bug reports.
I have got quite a lot of gifts from Microsoft over the years.
Depends. What operating system will the Rocketplane be using?
Depends. What operating system will the Rocketplane be using?
Currently it looks like "Rocketplane XP Vehicle" I hope they at least get it to "Rocketplane XP SP2 Vehicle" and I doubt a "Rocketplane Vista Vehicle" would give me any extra feelings of safety.
Depends. What operating system will the Rocketplane be using?
Currently it looks like "Rocketplane XP Vehicle" I hope they at least get it to "Rocketplane XP SP2 Vehicle" and I doubt a "Rocketplane Vista Vehicle" would give me any extra feelings of safety.
That's just too funny.
Depends. What operating system will the Rocketplane be using?
I was going to post that!
Rocketplane XP - I'm afraid, the system is steady, yet has no shielding whatsoever, so has the potential to break up on re-entry
Rocketplane XP SP2 - The system is stable, tried and tested, and has enough shields to allow a safe re-entry, just.
Rocketplane Vista - The ship looks ace, and has enough shielding to withstand a rocket attack, yet its dubious whether the ship will be able to travel fast enough to leave the earths atmosphere, and poor driver support can lead to the controls not working at random times through the flight
Rocketplane Linux - Build the ship yourself ffs!
Rocketplane Mac - Just enjoy the flight and dont ask any questions, you really dont need to know any of the answers...
Rocketplane ME - Run, that beast is going to blow!
Mod - please delete this
Depends. What operating system will the Rocketplane be using?
Currently it looks like "Rocketplane XP Vehicle" I hope they at least get it to "Rocketplane XP SP2 Vehicle" and I doubt a "Rocketplane Vista Vehicle" would give me any extra feelings of safety.
Well if you left it to Apple you would end up dead by furry cats. And natural death is I think better than being eaten by a tiger or leopard.
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