Midnight Fantasy

I had assumed the classic Snakes on as Plane cell phone dialer would be an app-killer for Varitalk. Sure, on the one hand it gave the mobile agency immediate national recognition. But it was unbeatable – how could you surpass the camp genius of having Samuel L. Jackson personally invoke your friends to “hop on your trendy little scooter and go see… the one summer blockbuster that will take a big nasty bite out of your butt”? It was unfortunate, too: the app itself is great. So good that we decided to use it in our Hungry Suitcase campaign – but as a fun additional tool (one of many little gems hidden throughout the site), not as a centerpiece of functionality.

Midnight Fantasy has proved that any application can be revitalized with a genius concept. You can have Britney Spears “personally” call one of your friends and regale him or her with a fairytale fantasy.

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Vanishing Point and Vista

ARGs seem to be on the ascendance these days. The Live Games Network just launched, and we’re actually working on a few over here. And, as you’ve probably heard, Microsoft is using an ARG (or, technically, an ARG hybrid) to help launch Windows Vista.

It’s called Vanishing Point. I just checked it out and it’s elegant, complicated, and involving; though I’m naturally averse to puzzle games, I’m still tempted to play. Another enormous feather in Jane McGonigal’s already over-burdened cap.

But apart from being a fun diversion for a few thousand people, does this actually help Microsoft move products? According to CNET, there’s some debate:

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