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[QuinceTheCarpenter]

Maddison Atkins newsy items:

1st: Maddison received a third coded postcard (this one points to a drop location in Tucson AZ). If anyone from near Tucson wants to join the fun and play a big role by collecting and documenting that drop, we may need the help. The discussion thread is here:
Tucson Post Card

2nd: Maddison Atkins creator/producer Jeromy Barber will be on a panel at ARGFest-o-Con,
Games By The People, For the People 8:45 - 9:45 Saturday July 18

(If you see Jeromy there, tell him QtheC sent ya, and get, well, a surprised look ).

I think the most recent video was Episode 23, but the story is only about half way done (by our best estimates). It is definitely not too late to catch up and get involved at www.maddisonatkins.com

[QuinceTheCarpenter]

Video from the Saturday morning ARGFest panel including Jeromy Barber is available here:

http://www.maddisonatkins.com/forum/topics/highlights-from-jeromy-at

(The ustream recording shows the entire panel, but is a little hard to hear in places. The three YouTube video clips have better sound and were filmed and edited by an MA player named Perky to just show Jeromy's responses. The audience member who asks the first question wearing a stick-on mustache and a maddisonatkins tshirt is known among MA fans as Acidfingers. He cooks pretty well, but he can't rap.)

[Brave777]

Wow, this seems like it's moving way too fast for me and is spread out to far. Or rather maybe that it's just at a different site I'm not familiar with. Good luck!

[Dmitri Stokes]

new vid uppp

[QuinceTheCarpenter]

Things are picking up steam now that ARGFest is over.

Maddison received a fourth postcard, this one from Brooklyn, NY, and a drop was found, but the letter was mostly blacked out. Following hints in what was visible, and doing some experimenting, rubbing alcohol revealed a disturbing letter from the mysterious woman Abby, who has been sending these messages via Thomas, who seems to be travelling around the country.

The 3rd drop letter (found in Tucson) told us that eight girls were being held captive somewhere, and that we need to locate Abby and Thomas to somehow save them. We are also still working on one music puzzle from the Tucson letter, and the holders of the first two letters (from Omaha and L.A.) are going to try the rubbing alcohol trick on them to see if previously blacked out text can be uncovered.

In the most recent episode (posted last night), Maddison and Adam launched the 2nd of the 5 pigeons they received at the start, and we are working on a message for the next pigeon to be sent soon.

We are also about 15 days away from what we think is a 60 day deadline, although what happens at that point is not yet clear. The first coded message we received said "Safe for 60."

27 video episodes so far - worth a look, even if you do not get more involved in the story, puzzles, etc. All the episodes, puzzle drops and discussions, links to character accounts, chat etc. can be found here:

http://www.maddisonatkins.com

The next couple of weeks should be exciting if you want to join in.

[ironnikki]

You know, after reading more about the first incarnation of this game, I'm rather interested in how this one progresses. Once I get a chance to go through the videos on the site, I may poke my nose in over in those forums.

Thanks for the periodic updates over here, QtheC. I definitely would not have known anything about this game without seeing your topic bumped every now and then.

[QuinceTheCarpenter]

8 days remain until the 60 day "safe for 60" deadline Friday Aug 7, and we still don't know what is going to happen!

This week started with the 28th episode, Showing her what's underneath, which was a turning point for the main characters. The strange messages from Abby have become very serious and real to Maddison, and Adam is seeing the end of his relationship with his girlfriend Emily while reaffirming his commitment to help Maddison through whatever is happening.

Since then, there have been 4 new episodes (bringing the total to 32 videos) starting with a postcard from Dallas and ending with Adam testing Maddison, rather humorously, for ESP powers ("not a Jedi"). For this fifth drop, Maddison and Adam went themselves to pick it up, creating a live event that players in the Dallas area were invited to join in. A player named Alex did a nice job on this summary response video, Maddison Atkins in Dallas.

The clues led from a Starbucks to an Irish pub, where a letter was found in a Charles Dicken's book. This letter from Abby to Thomas contained more hidden messages with additional information, seemingly about the captive girls (3 months pregnant!), a second mention of "thought planting" and now ESP, and indicated that time is running out.

We are still scouring the letters we have for additional clues or information. Not sure yet, but it looks like Maddison is trying to find a way to send a pigeon equipped with GPS in order to locate Abby.

To follow along as this story reaches it's climax, or just to enjoy all the videos, go to:

http://www.maddisonatkins.com

[QuinceTheCarpenter]

SPOILER WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF EVENTS DURING THE CONCLUSION OF MADDISON ATKINS 2.0
IF YOU WOULD RATHER SEE IT PLAY OUT FOR YOURSELF IN THE VIDEOS, GO STRAIGHT TO THE WEBSITE www.maddisonatkins.com AND WATCH THEM IN ORDER.

So much has happened since my last update here, that I feel I should have posted here sooner. This is a thumbnail sketch only.

The short version is that the story appears to have reached a climax with the drop in Dallas prompting Maddison and Adam to locate Abby by launching a GPS equipped pigeon. Then with the help of a rugged Texas detective hired by Maddison's dad, they were able to rescue Abby and several girls she was treating in a remote trailer hidden out in the woods.

(This sequence of events was presented in a series of six videos, bringing the total to 38 episodes over approximately 60 days, quite an accomplishment by a very small team, producing total video minutes equivalent to a feature length film.)

The rescue was successful, and although the reality of what they found was pretty shocking, Maddison seems safe having received a letter from Abby saying that her "files" have been destroyed. Presumably, something found in a recent spinal tap put Maddison on the list of the next batch of girls the baddies might "acquire" for spinal fluid draining (no, we still don't know what it's for, but appears to be of great value).

Maddison and Adam wondered if it was all over, but the day after the rescue, Maddison received one more coded postcard from Thomas, this time from Ames, Iowa. And that postcard led to a video cassette tape hidden safely in a locker in a gigantic rental storage facility near Sydney, Australia. (Amazing job this time by the players - it took about 6 hours from receiving the postcard scan from Adam online to getting a couple of runners en route to the drop!).

The video tape found in Australia was a 12 minute pre-recorded testament from Abby the medical researcher, and her husband Thomas who seems to have been involved in some sort of sales or aquisistion. It tells a tale of how they were recruited to work for a nefarious organization, agreed to be drugged to suppress their memories during the contracted work term for reasons of confidentiality, and afterwards resolved to return and find out what was happening. They wanted to find out why they both felt damaged with partial memories of being involved in something terrible, and to try to put a stop to it.

The entertaining videos showing the finding of the Sydney drop, and the contents of the VHS tape found there, can be found here

>>> Sydney Drop Info <<<

(those who attended ARGFest-o-Con may recognize the actors playing Thomas and Abby ... It's Maddison Atkins puppet master Jeromy and friend Vicki!)

This plan by the guilt-ridden couple led to the codes in letters from Abby to Thomas and postcards from Thomas to Maddison, though why exactly Maddison was chosen to help is only partially understood. Abby's options were very limited since she had been under constant guard, and Abby must have had Maddison's contact info. from her employer.

Yes, that's the short version. I hope it's enough to give a good idea of the story. What isn't provided here is probably at least as important, and that is just how well constructed the videos and associated materials have been, once again, and the particularly appealing personalities of the main characters, Maddison and Adam. For a sense of these aspects, I suggest that you at least watch the videos, and if you like, explore the website for more information. Very entertaining, and worth the time, even as this summer's story appears to be drawing to a close. There are some lose ends. We haven't seen the entirety of Abby's final letter to Maddison, and we don't yet know Thomas' fate, but it seems likely they are reunited and both cooperating with federal authorities to bring down the company.

That's a taste. To watch for yourself and see everything, visit www.maddisonatkins.com

[QuinceTheCarpenter]

Quick update:

Until yesterday, Maddison and Adam had been silent since Aug 8, the day after the rescue (visits to chat and a video posted by Maddison which included the Iowa postcard that led to the Sydney drop / video tape).

Yesterday, they posted two more videos bringing the total to 40 episodes, and probably the last videos of Maddison Atkins 2.0

One was security tape footage given to them by Detective Sloane showing a mysterious man walking into the room where the rescued girls were being held, and leaving with them. The description indicates that this happened without any authorities, police, agents, etc. asking any questions.

In the second video, Maddison and Adam posted a "Thanks" to everyone for helping them this summer, and saying they feel safe, it is time to turn the cameras off and return to their normal lives.

On facebook, Adam posted a copy of the four page letter that Abby handed to Maddison during the rescue last weekend. It may contain a coded message in dots on the page.

Adam also visited chat last night and said that he and Maddison would be in chat today, Aug 14 at 3pm CST. If interested, there is a chat tab at www.maddisonatkins.com

[QuinceTheCarpenter]

It appears that today's visit to chat by Maddison and Adam wraps up the in-game portion of Maddison Atkins 2.0 (barring any unexpected surprises to come).

There is going to be a live broadcast out-of-game Q&A session with the cast and crew held on USTREAM on Aug 27 at 8pm.

For details, and to submit questions, see the discussion thread here:
Post-Game Broadcast/interviews with Cast and Crew

All 40 episodes of Maddison Atkins 2.0 are currently available on youtube here:
www.youtube.com/maddisonatkins

For everything else, visit www.maddisonatkins.com