Author
Message
Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 4751 Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth
I've directly contacted the artist that did the images posted related to Alpha Omega earlier this year. I wanted to do that anyway - I do have a software development shop and I need good artists - but I figured I'd ask about MSL.
His partial response...
Quote:
In regards to the Mind Storm Labs project, I haven't spoken to them for months. The work I did for them was preliminary work only. I can't forward any contact information your way as I'm still, potentially, involved in the project and as such am bound by the NDA I signed. That being said, from what I know of this project it is an RPG for publication in book form only. I do not believe they are moving towards any computer based gameplay. Sorry I can't help out more...
So the ONLY person we know of that has done any actual work for them isn't an employee, is all "preliminary", and has been out of contact for several months.
_________________"Omne ignotum pro magnifico"
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:17 pm
Whitenoise
Veteran
Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 93
hm interesting find. Has any one found anything about mindstorm labs that dates from 2006 back? The earliest ive been able to find is a single post dated back in january by an artist who didnt work for mindstorm labs but had random concept art that he made for them.
Edit: think who ever is behind this arg has been planning it for a while? Also nice blog... it made my feed list.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:24 pm
brimstoner
Boot
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 54
Again I want to point out the obvious. First if you spend your days looking for fish, you see fish everywhere. Seriously, try it some time. I am sure Mindstorm labs is thankful for the exposure and thus I have no problem with you all promoting it so fervently. I would like to point out once again that this is very very obviously not related. Mindstorm did attend a convention, they are attending GenCon for the release of a game. There are (as previously pointed out) tons of press releases on all kinds of independent sites about this game. Yes they do pull press releases from a general pool, but posting fake news without letting the company know you are doing it is really really bad business practice (my grandfather owns a newspaper). Anyway continue to doubt and speculate as you will, I will be at Gencon and will be stopping my Mindstorm to discuss the free publicity they are recieving for what looks to be an ok game, but not related to this ARG in any way. I just want all you new folks who flocked here for this to take a step back and smell the fishies.
_________________Playing: nuttin
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:48 pm
Whitenoise
Veteran
Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 93
brimstoner wrote:
but not related to this ARG in any way.
Which ARG? Ethan Haas? I dont think you get what this thread is about. the discussion seems more to be about the legitmacy of Mindstorm (I.E. does the game end with them or is that website just another part of it?) not another drawn out factless Cloverfield-Ethan Haas connection thread.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:54 pm
Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 4751 Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth
"smell the fishies"?!?
OK then... Well, we'll see what more is provided on 8/1.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:55 pm
pondrthis
Veteran
Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 86
I searched for everything from tomm to tomm[ b]SPLAT[ /b]mindstormlabs.com and nothing came up, but if I'm being troutly to the limit please go ahead and give me a heaping helping.
Other forums have noted the following in the "The Open Press" report on A/O published on Jun 1st (This is before EHWR.com if I'm not mistaken, though I'm not 100%.):
Quote:
Published Contact Data:
Name: Tom McLaughlin
Phone: 407-625-2666
E-Mail: tommSPLAT mindstormlabs.com
ZipCode: 32820
The zip is not in canadian A1A 1A1 format, and is in Orlando, as is the phone # (which is a cell, didn't check Canadian since it matched with Zip).
We know the Orlando fact, but why has no one on uF posted about the email address? tommSPLAT mindstormlabs.com could give us lots of META information, yet we're ignoring it. Who knows, maybe I just have no clue about how to search. Everything I see though says "info@msl.com" not "tomm@msl.com"
I'm not the first to see it, but I'm surprised uF hasn't already had five locked threads about it.
_________________
CHARON
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:56 pm
brimstoner
Boot
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 54
pondrthis wrote:
I searched for everything from tomm to tomm[ b]SPLAT[ /b]mindstormlabs.com and nothing came up, but if I'm being troutly to the limit please go ahead and give me a heaping helping.
Actually I was referring more to the noble Herring than the populous trout.
_________________Playing: nuttin
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:28 pm
theonetruebix
Unfettered
Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 409 Location: Portland, OR
Whitenoise wrote:
hm interesting find. Has any one found anything about mindstorm labs that dates from 2006 back? The earliest ive been able to find is a single post dated back in january by an artist who didnt work for mindstorm labs but had random concept art that he made for them.
Edit: think who ever is behind this arg has been planning it for a while? Also nice blog... it made my feed list.
The artist thing was from I think March. The January thing was MSL posting seeking artists.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:33 pm
Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 4751 Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth
Sorry, I stand corrected.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:35 pm
Whitenoise
Veteran
Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 93
Quote:
The artist thing was from I think March. The January thing was MSL posting seeking artists.
Bix, since you've done more research for this ARG than any of use could you point me in the direction to any evidence of their existance before January? They still seem awlfully young to me to have thoroughly tested and proofed a full book based RPG(alotta math, lore comparission,balancing, and play throughs go into making a RPG) .
Thanks.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:13 pm
brimstoner
Boot
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 54
Whitenoise wrote:
Bix, since you've done more research for this ARG than any of use could you point me in the direction to any evidence of their existance before January? They still seem awlfully young to me to have thoroughly tested and proofed a full book based RPG(alotta math, lore comparission,balancing, and play throughs go into making a RPG) .
Thanks.
Actually in this I have experience. Quite often smaller games will just be built using a local gaming group for testing, sometimes branching out into a few people they know in the industry. For instance I have tested for White Wolf and Margaret Weiss productions and in the case of White Wolf (the big company) there was no process for applying to test, they just selected people from their fan club or convention running staff. In the case of MWP, we tested Serenity and it wasnt even known til just before release. This is due to NDA mostly, especially from smaller companies since with no clout that product idea can be stolen in a hearbeat. I have done lots of Video game beta testing too, and some for Microsoft. I can tell you for sure that the game I have an NDA for right now, you have never heard of. Just because there is no public press release or call for testers doesnt mean the company is not legit. Even Kenzer keeps its games close until nearer to release, they dont hire testers they just play with friends or a few NDA guys.
_________________Playing: nuttin
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:53 pm
Whitenoise
Veteran
Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 93
[quote="brimstoner]
Actually in this I have experience. Quite often smaller games will just be built using a local gaming group for testing, sometimes branching out into a few people they know in the industry. For instance I have tested for White Wolf and Margaret Weiss productions and in the case of White Wolf (the big company) there was no process for applying to test, they just selected people from their fan club or convention running staff. In the case of MWP, we tested Serenity and it wasnt even known til just before release. This is due to NDA mostly, especially from smaller companies since with no clout that product idea can be stolen in a hearbeat. I have done lots of Video game beta testing too, and some for Microsoft. I can tell you for sure that the game I have an NDA for right now, you have never heard of. Just because there is no public press release or call for testers doesnt mean the company is not legit. Even Kenzer keeps its games close until nearer to release, they dont hire testers they just play with friends or a few NDA guys.[/quote]
Interesting and all but I would like to know where the first apperance of mindstorm labs was-- it would help clear up how much further the Ethan Haas game will go if it turns out that mindstorm is legit and they are the puppetmasters.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:58 pm
Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 4751 Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth
Quote:
Interesting and all but I would like to know where the first apperance of mindstorm labs was-- it would help clear up how much further the Ethan Haas game will go if it turns out that mindstorm is legit and they are the puppetmasters.
We have no trace of MSL existing prior to January, and even then it was only through the posting of artwork from an individual that he himself states he hasn't spoken to them in months.
The Internet Archive Wayback Machine for the MSL website only has a page from March.
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:26 pm
brimstoner
Boot
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 54
edit : posts gone crazy.. please to ignore this
_________________Playing: nuttin
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:41 pm
theonetruebix
Unfettered
Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 409 Location: Portland, OR
Whitenoise wrote:
Bix, since you've done more research for this ARG than any of use could you point me in the direction to any evidence of their existance before January?
I have nothing on them prior to January.
(I'd have answered this sooner but for some reason these forums have stopped sending me email notifications in posts I'm subscribed to.)
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:06 pm
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