Microsoft has begun to market the next-generation Xbox console via a type of viral advertising
campaign that has come to be known as "alternate reality gaming."
Such campaigns involve a series of clues that turn web surfers into sleuths. After a long trail of clues, surfers are allowed to "discover" the advertiser's product. Microsoft previously employed this tactic for the launch of Halo 2 via the site ilovebees.com, which initially appeared to be a hacked beekeeping site.
This time, net sleuths have been lead to ourcolony.net. Joystiq sister blog Ad Jab has synthesized a bunch of the information that lead to the conclusion that what we're seeing here is the launch of the next-gen Xbox marketing campaign.
Updates in the works. Keep your refresh button close!
Update: Get in on the discussion over at unfiction.com. The people on that forum are scary! They'll have this thing cracked in a few hours.
Update: Ourcolony.net is down right now. They've been Joystiq'ed! (Err, ahem, maybe Slashdot contributed a little traffic).
Update: New screenshot posted by reader geonex in the comments below shows us the Xbox 2 power button, perhaps. Now when people get excited about seeing just the power button on your new product, your viral advertising campaign is probably paying off.
[via Ad Jab and Engadget and tipster Fady too.]
