Halo hype turns viral again

Three-and-a-half months before Halo 2 lit up Xbox Live, ilovebees made its debut tagged onto the end of a Halo 2 trailer released in theaters. The viral marketing campaign and alternate-reality game piqued gamers' interests by sending them on a scavenger hunt for clues to unravel the mysterious quasi-real-world happenings that were steeped in Halo lore. Last week, again three-and-a-half months before the launch of its upcoming Halo game, Microsoft set in to motion its latest metagame, beginning this time with a mysterious message board "hacker."

Going by the handle Adjutant Reflex, the "compound intelligence" made initial contact on June 11 by way of posting on Bungie's forums. In much the same way as in the ARG surrounding Halo 2, the initial point of contact speaks in broken, robotic English, and appears to be from a point in the future that's associated with or has knowledge of events in the Halo games.

Thus far, as has been uncovered by the Halo community, clues for the game have surfaced in a Halo 3 comic, which eventually leads to a Web site with a countdown timer. Through the machinations of Halo sleuths, it is believed the timer currently indicates that the next phase may begin on June 21.

Elsewhere, the Halo viral campaign has for the first time entered the real world. First sighted on June 15 in New York's Times Square, members of the Society of the Ancients have been making public spectacles to draw attention to the group's Web site. According to the group's mission statement, its goal is to disseminate information relating to an ancient alien race. Symbols uncovered by this society also tie into the Halo 3 comic. The group has been sighted in other major cities across the globe, including San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, and London.

Speaking with Eurogamer, a Microsoft representative called the ARG "a spiral campaign designed to take gamers on an incredible journey through the Halo Universe," where they will learn bits of the series' backstory. The representative also revealed that Halo 3 scribe Frank O'Connor is masterminding the current effort. The ARG is set to culminate on September 26, the day after Halo 3 arrives in stores.

For more on Halo 3, check out GameSpot's previous coverage for previews and video footage of the game. Those interested in following the marketing campaign may want to check out the Halo 3 ARG Wiki to participate or see how the story is progressing.