The REAL game starts... (Puzzle Box 1)

[Rob2687]

Looks like a mushroom cloud or something.

Maybe you need some photochopping to reveal a hidden image or something.

[Panacik]

IF you downlod the video you can adjust the play speed in Window media player. Here is a screen cap

I have manipulated the video and played it backward and slowed it down to see if there are any extra messages... there are none.

The green in her glasses i dont know what that it. I have no way to zoom in.

I also think anyones fears of people just entering the codes and being entered in to the draw are not needed. I have a feeling she is expecting us to cheat like that and at the end of the game there will be a winner who completed everything themselves without a doubt... however i have no idea what that is yet.

[SuperRob]

Looks like a mushroom cloud or something.

Maybe you need some photochopping to reveal a hidden image or something.

No need to. It's a cup of tea, and she's looking down into it. The wisps of "smoke" is actually steam, and the dark center is the ... uh, whatever "tea grounds" are called. :)

[anonymousjon]

I also think anyones fears of people just entering the codes and being entered in to the draw are not needed. I have a feeling she is expecting us to cheat like that and at the end of the game there will be a winner who completed everything themselves without a doubt... however i have no idea what that is yet.

I think this is where the meta prize comes in as it will be won by the first person to find the answer/solution and contact her.

SuperRob: but where is the handle and isnt it meant to be the front of a watch?

[Panacik]

MAN :( I FEEL ALL SAD AND NOOB LIKE :/

IM JUST GONA READ BEFORE I POST ANYTHING FROM NOW ON :/

OH WELL ALL I COULD SAY IS

GOOD JOB

Dont worry mate. all help is appreciated. Although please stop shouting... we can hear you just fine thanks without the caps on :)

I think i have a theory... we have solved the puzzles to soon. We need to solve them again later in the week in order to release another video. Either that or try again in the week and another video may be available.

Either that, or there are more than one answer to the questions. Trying harder (looking at the questions from a different angle) may reveal a whole different answer to the ones we supplied. This will reveal another video or something to help us.

This is all guesses but it is my thoughts on the matter...

[Rob2687]

It could be like green tea in one of those Asian tea cups. Those don't have handles.

[anonymousjon]

at the end of the video for completing the first puzzles she says "we'll talk again" maybe this refers to actually talking not emailing, along with the "Hmmm. Not quite what I had in mind. Try harder - then listen closely" maybe we need to find a phone number, and listen to a message?

and i think it must be Microsoft she 'works' at, all the letters she sent out had here name and address on them.

[mikeking23]

at the end of the video for completing the first puzzles she says "we'll talk again" maybe this refers to actually talking not emailing, along with the "Hmmm. Not quite what I had in mind. Try harder - then listen closely" maybe we need to find a phone number, and listen to a message?

did anyone try calling aaron's number in the one reply. after all, loki was a shapeshifter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loki

[anonymousjon]

did anyone try calling aaron's number in the one reply. after all, loki was a shapeshifter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loki

yup you get his answer phone, and yup he's actually a real person. A manager at Microsoft.

[PricklyPoo]

It's Funny how neowin is ruining the vanishingpoint puzzles, the people who made these puzzles are probably mad because we are figuring them out too fast. :p People are too smart on here I got 2 done in the time it took everyone here to do all of them :D

[SuperRob]

It's Funny how neowin is ruining the vanishingpoint puzzles, the people who made these puzzles are probably mad because we are figuring them out too fast. :p People are too smart on here I got 2 done in the time it took everyone here to do all of them :D

You're joking, right? You do realize that the contest is to PROMOTE WINDOWS VISTA, right? And that it's not a contest, it's a sweepstakes, so by "ruining" the puzzles, we're just ruining our own chances? And that we don't care, because the community is the best part of the game?

Seriously, 42 took the "community" into account when designing the contest. I guarantee it.

[anonymousjon]

It's Funny how neowin is ruining the vanishingpoint puzzles, the people who made these puzzles are probably mad because we are figuring them out too fast. :p People are too smart on here I got 2 done in the time it took everyone here to do all of them :D

i don't think so, i think there is still more to be found, i expect the puzzles to get harder and harder each week.

[Apogee]

Hmmm. Not quite what I had in mind. Try harder - then listen closely.

We need to connect with Loki and we need to focus on the meta squares. :alien: But how do we initiate contact with her? She obviously isn't responding too well to our e-mails.

[anonymousjon]

or we're emailing the wonr gplace, but like i said before, perhaps we need to be phoning her

[Apogee]

You're joking, right? You do realize that the contest is to PROMOTE WINDOWS VISTA, right? And that it's not a contest, it's a sweepstakes, so by "ruining" the puzzles, we're just ruining our own chances? And that we don't care, because the community is the best part of the game?

Seriously, 42 took the "community" into account when designing the contest. I guarantee it.

Me too. It perpetuates the marketing for f-r-e-e. ;) THere are Loki bots working this board.

[anonymousjon]

what dya mean Loki bots?

[wintallo]

Robots? Search Spiders? what do you mean?

[DaveLegg Developer]

And we're back...

Could someone PM me a quick summary of what we have from the first box, and I'll update the first post.

Edited January 11, 2007 by DaveLegg

[swat21]

Here's what I've been thinking,

In the envelopes mailed out to participants came with a letter stating, 'You are now a decoder. There are only a few like you, but thousands more are looking for you. ...'

Could we have more then just the flash drives (containing Cipher Keys) which are most important to the game?

I can't help but think the stamps on our envelopes have some importance to the game.

I would assume so, since I have the same stamps in the same order. If they wanted to simply send out a mass amount of letters, any stamps would have done just fine.

[TheReaperMan]

the clock stamp is only for sale in batches of 10,000, that i do know

[soccrmastr]

someone mentioned about the "getting warmer" and "out of office" emails that maybe we had to wait until the right time... has anyone tried emailing/calling at 3:14? just an idea...

ive already posted on the last one about the stamps but i can find the stuff again

[funkymunky]

Hi

I know it's been covered however I'm stuck on the Calender puzzle.

I have typed Interrobang in, done it all caps etc.

However it won't accept it. it either shakes the text box or it says OTHER in the yop left of the screen :(

Help please guys :)

[DaveLegg Developer]

Updated the first post, Thanks Manish, that's a great summary you did :)

[TheReaperMan]

funkymunky, logout and logback in and try again

[soccrmastr]

someone mentioned the 10c stamp was only sold in batches of 10,000... anyway it was built by Simon Willard around 1805. heres the address for another pic of the stamps

http://www.oreillynet.com/windows/blog/200...#comment-421700