Drone HOAX... Smoking gun?

I feel this deserves a thread of its own.

Well, I'm not deeply into video games, but yesterday, I picked up my nephew's freshly arrived issue of the magazine Game Informer. I scanned through it, flipping pages quite casually and eventually, I set it back on the table and continued on with my coffee... Sometime later, through the corner of my eye, the page it had landed on caught my attention. It was a full page ad for the new game, "The Universe at War" being developed for Sega, by a company called Petroglyph, whose logo is a spear wielding caveman standing next to an alien saucer. The ad contained a massive land based alien vehicle of some sort with a massive "crown" of spokes similar to our little Chad drone. Fighting the craft, was a transformer of sorts, all white and also, bearing similarities to the Chad drone. At the shoulders were donut holes with "arms" radiating outward. In my mind, I imagined the robot transforming into our drone and speeding away. Anyway, it remained in my mind and this morning I looked up the game page on IGN. To my astonishment, nearly every screenshot contains similarity in design to our beloved drone. There are even indecipherable alien text on one of the shots. Make sure not to miss that shot. It is screenshot number eight. (Second row on the first of five pages.) I urge you to study every shot carefully on every page! Gosh the similarity is amazing!

The Universe at War: Screenshots

This is intriguing!



Great find!

[edit on 7/19/2007 by yuefo]

Wow, while that game looks really cool, I don't see more than a cursory resemblance of any of those objects to the drones. Especially lacking is the alien font. None of the things depicted in the screenshots had the font plastered on them as with the drones. Also, that looks like a game, whereas the drones seem photorealistic. IMO, they're not related at all.

What about the image 1, that has the funky font/typing down the sides of the towers. I'm on the wrong computer to do a screen shot of this, besides, I don't know how to put it in a thread anyway. If anyone could do this, that would be nice.

It's in image one of the gallery, on the poles running vertically down the right and left sides of the image.

Originally posted by keeb333
Especially lacking is the alien font. None of the things depicted in the screenshots had the font plastered on them as with the drones.

Um, if you read my post, you'll see that I specifically point out screenshot number eight. The fourth one on the second row of the first page of screenshots. (There are five pages full.) That particular screenshot shows some alien technology sticking out of the ground and has the "alien font" written from top to bottom. IMHO, the font, though small and blurry appears to be very similar if not not identical.

Originally posted by keeb333
Also, that looks like a game, whereas the drones seem photorealistic.

These are "in-game" screenshots. Of course they look that way. If there are pre-rendered CGI sequences in this game, I assure you, they look much more photorealistic than these do.

I have to disagree. This looks quite similar to the drone writing.





[edit on 7/19/2007 by yuefo]

For the drones to have been a viral marketing campaign for this game the font would have to be the same, not similar, surely? Otherwise, what would be the point?

Hm, yuefo, I entirely missed that. Definitely not identical, but the closest I've seen since the Transformers font...

Originally posted by Karilla
For the drones to have been a viral marketing campaign for this game the font would have to be the same, not similar, surely? Otherwise, what would be the point?

Not necessarily. The viral portion of it could be more polished since the game has been previously developed and awaiting release. The meantime, the viral images could be produced independently, and bear resemblance, but not necessarily an exact copy. Look at the drone I posted above. Now the text. Quite coincidental!

And what would be the point of a viral campaign that had no link or even name to associate it with a product. Seems like a waste there too. Altho the drone is a hoax 100%..

Originally posted by Karilla
For the drones to have been a viral marketing campaign for this game the font would have to be the same, not similar, surely? Otherwise, what would be the point?

I definitely see linkage here. The Chad drone would fit right in with the general artistry of the game images. I think think Metis is really on to something here.

Originally posted by keeb333
Wow, while that game looks really cool, I don't see more than a cursory resemblance of any of those objects to the drones. Especially lacking is the alien font. None of the things depicted in the screenshots had the font plastered on them as with the drones. Also, that looks like a game, whereas the drones seem photorealistic. IMO, they're not related at all.

Agreed. The language doesn't really look very similar in my opinion. Here are the caret symbols-



I think you may be exaggerating a wee bit when you say this is "smoking gun" evidence. Possibly.

I seriously doubt that this game has any ties bro.

Set in 2012, Universe at War will tell the tale of an extraterrestrial invasion. In fact, there will be multiple alien factions, but the only one revealed thus far is the "Hierarchy," an imposing faction that's easy to recognize in the early screenshots thanks to its enormous war machines, known as walkers.

uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com...

So only the "walkers" are revealed so far. Now translate a flying version of the walker drone, and basically you have the chad drone. Set to be released in the fall.

I think you may be exaggerating a wee bit when you say this is "smoking gun" evidence. Possibly.

Cut me a break. If you didn't notice I followed the title with a question mark, which I imagined would soften the blow of the smoking gun phrase. Psh. So anti.

Originally posted by housegroove23
I seriously doubt that this game has any ties bro.

OK I'm easily offended. I do promise however, this is the last reply where I will retaliate. I despise when people use a patronizing word after an insult. That is so condescending. You just insulted my intelligence by suggesting that I took my time to write that all up and include a link and a story, without any comfort in my mind that there could be any relation whatsoever. And then you called me BRO after that. I would never post something so blindly. That's just insane. I studied the images for a while and I made a definite connection in my mind, which in turn gave me the confidence to post it here. Well let me tell you something. I'm not your bro. If you're gonna insult my intelligence, do not follow it with a friendly word. Instead of bro, you could have said BUB. Or dumbass. Or any number of other words would have been more appropriate. I am also quite sure that you didn't look at every screenshot nor did you study them closely because anyone who does would no doubt see at least the possibility of a tie in. Come on man, cut me a break here. Don't give me a one sentence insult followed by the word bro. That's just ridiculous.

The similarities keep on coming. Check out this glyph. Look familiar?

sounds like a great way to advertise a new video game. kind of like the way cartoon network advertised for their new show with flashing tags everywhere.
fake a ufo flying around and when every body is watching or when its all over the news and internet have the ufo flash your games name and when it comes out. For real publicity do it in Boston get arrested for it and you'll have more exposure then you wanted and sales out the wazzoo. ufo's as a marketing scheme... wow i think i'm on to something now.
now if only we could get are little gray friends to lend us there keys.

I don't see it. And the pic looks like a crop circle not the drone. I see zero resemblance.

Originally posted by yuefo

Set in 2012, Universe at War will tell the tale of an extraterrestrial invasion. In fact, there will be multiple alien factions, but the only one revealed thus far is the "Hierarchy," an imposing faction that's easy to recognize in the early screenshots thanks to its enormous war machines, known as walkers.

uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com...

So only the "walkers" are revealed so far. Now translate a flying version of the walker drone, and basically you have the chad drone. Set to be released in the fall.

Hehe, it's set in 2012.

Honestly I don't think the drone hoax is a viral marketing campaign. First it was Transformers, Then it was Halo 3, Now its Universe at War. If it's a viral campaign, its probably for C2C, Earthfiles, and indeed all conspiracy sites. The internet hits/commerce generated by this whole thing is a boon to conspiracy sites.