xbox360news.com escribió: Xbox 360 News
Origen Xbox 360?
08.20.2005 07:31 | Dusty | Xbox 360
Xbox360News.com
A very odd Xbox 360 website has just appeared online, with a clock counting down, but to what!?! We have no idea what this means, only that the site is indeed made by Microsoft and in 37 days, 22 hours, 36 minutes and 39 seconds something big is going to happen for sure! If I have done the math right that would be september 27th. I have looked up the whois info about this site to see if it could be fake, but all the info is correct so the site is real and owned by Microsoft. Click here to visit the website.
....................................................................
Domain Name: origenxbox360.com
Created on..............: Tue, Aug 09, 2005
Expires on..............: Wed, Aug 09, 2006
Record last updated on..: Tue, Aug 09, 2005
Registrant:
Microsoft Corporation
Domain Administrator
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
US
...................................................
Note that the tree looks like one of those Japanese bonsai trees, which could hint at something to do with Japan. The sculpture to the right of the tree looks like a rabbit, Alice in Wonderland anyone? Please post your best guesses in the comment section below so we can work this one out together!
Update 1: One of our readers have calculated that it counts down to September 27th at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time to be exact!
Update 2: The name of the site is Origen Xbox360, so what hints could be hidden in the word Origen. The word Origen is a spanish word for Origin, which comes from the latin word Origo which means "beginning". Here is a link to the Wikipedia description of the word Origin below if anyone one wants to dig for clues. If I am not mistaking Microsoft has promised earlier to reveal some big surprise for the Japanese market this fall, so could this be it? Will the Xbox 360 be launched in Japan first? I doubt it as September 27th is way to early, as developers will need more time to complete their games.
Update 3: It apears that the word Origen also is the name of a great Christian theologians. Don't know yet if we will find any clues here but here is a link for more info about Origen.
Update 4: I have added another screenshot which shows what will appear on the site when the clock reaches 0.
Update 5: One of our readers is in fact part of the team that made the site, and he has given us some clues.
Clue one -
"i can provide you guys with some info, im on the team that designed this site, is something related with circles. thats all i can say. NG
Clue two -
"ok, what do you find when yo cut tree in half and see it by the top?(HD) another detail,youll see something different with the rabbit(HD)so check it from time to TIME(HD), the team which worked on the ourcolony website are involved on this. Clue: 2 systems, and a entire universe to explore. NG "
Update 6: Ok let's sum things up. We think it has something to do with Japan because of the bonsai tree. We can also draw connections to Alice in Wonderland because of the rabbit. Which makes the comments about the circles and "universe to explore" even more interesting when you think of the phrase " "spiraling down the rabbit hole" . And if you look at the console packaging it does indeed look like the rabbit hole. But what does it mean?
Update 7: More clues posted by the MS guy.
"We are living in a world of digital entertainment, in a world were all reality is going to be virtual and the only thing needed to create at that time would be our own imagination" -Tree RINGS reveals the years of the tree while he is also the CENTER of that virtual world. -[J].A.E* 11=fun for A,J and E* 9=fun for J not for A or E* *(important) NG"
Update 8: A suggestion from one of our readers is getting some attention.
Wes wrote,
Hang on a sec. If you use the thing the MS guy said, and use the numbers as month dates, ie: 9 = sept, and 11 = Nov. Then use A, J and E as the continents: A =America, J = Japan, E = Europe . 11=fun for A,J and E* 9=fun for J not for A or E This could be saying that 11 (or November) is when something to do with the 360 will be in all 3 places. and that in 9 (or sept), something is happening in Japan, not America or Europe. 9th month (sept), is when the countdown will end.
Update 9: When you right click on your mouse and click forward a couple of times the new pic appears as posted earlier. First I thought the word that came up also was Origen. However, looks like it also could be Ougen (this is the pic where the rabbit is gone). Note :Most of our readers thinks it is Origen, and that it only looks like it says Ougen because it is written in another font. So the whole Ougen clue is most likely miss-leading.
Update 10: Who wrote this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origenxbox360? Note : Wikipedia.org can be edited by anyone so don't trust it!
Update 11: You can now also discuss this in our Xbox forum at ZTGD
Update 12: Latest interesting comments by our readers:
Kimble 08.20.2005 05:28
The word origen unscrambles to region. The rabbit almost looks like a map of different regions (countries) squished together with two dots marking cities.
Wes 08.20.2005 07:03
Im still hangin on the idea of origen linking to the word origin - meaning beginning. this links somewhat to japan, as japan was the beginning of videogaming.
JNW911 08.20.2005 08:16
Hey Guys, I'm not sure if this is at all relevant, but the rabbit is the zodiac symbol for both chinese/japanese for the year 1999. The first xbox was in beta status during this year in october. And isn't the xbox360 in beta status now?? I dont know.. plus the source code has a link with 1999 in it(leads nowhere though). Maybe the rabbit zodiac/1999/beta thing is coincidence
Anyone? Wes??
Wes 08.20.2005 08:24
JNW, you could be onto something. the meaning of zodiac is a 12 band eliptical thing in astrology. Each band is 30 degrees in this zodiac. This possibly ties straight to the XBOX 360 bein the rabbit. (30 times 12 is 360)
Update 13: Some sort of log in page has been discovered - Note: We have logged in to the site and it is just the old Xbox press site. The two sites are on the same web server which explains this.
https://www.origenxbox360.com/default.aspThanks Matt / PlanetXbox360
Update 14: There is strange hidden text on the log in page -
"DURING THE BUILD UP TO THE RACE THERE WILL BE 1000+ LONDON WIDE, RUNNING CLINICS. NINE SWAT TEAM THAT TURN UP, MORNING (GYMS), LUNCHTIMES (TUBE STATIONS), EVENING (TUBE STATIONS). THEY'LL LOOK AFTER YOUR BAGS, SPLIT THE GROUP UP INTO VARYING STANDARDS, GIVE ADVICE AND THEN GO ON RUNS" What does this mean?
Update: Seems to be a connection
http://www.runlondon.com/nikeruns/ Most likely same web designer that just used some random text on the log in page , it was most likely put there to look cool and nothing more.
Update 15: The last clue -
MS 08.21.2005 01:47
"When you didn't capture the attention of someone in the past, next time in the future, do it bigger and smarter, then they will put attention on what you are trying to offer" J.A "People rising up while the sun is still shinning, on 9 something big is going the happen and you will be surprised" Some of you guy has already the answer to all this and even some extras, so you guys just need to wait and find it out, no more clues for now, maybe next week. I'm in a big trouble people at the xbox marketing sector is already searching my person, just, dont forget, this is not a joke, really trust me something BIG is going to happen.NG
Update 16: Strange clues hidden in Wiki ?
MS guy 08.21.2005 07:04
*The Wikipedia articles are puzzles from the company in question. It is up to you to decide if you believe them or not.*
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/5675/wikiorigen4cj.png Update 17: The rabbit has changed, the number 8 has appeared, could be fake as I can't see it myself
http://img398.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bunny80015zx.jpgSummary :
Microsoft is counting down to something, and it must be something at least a little bit interesting or else they would never have made the site. The designers of the site didn’t put the tree and the rabbit signpost there because it looks cool, it has some meaning, and I think it has something to do with Japanese tradition
We know the timer show a different number depending on where you are located and the right one I believe counts down to September 27th at 12:00 midnight in Japan.
Bill Gates has stated from the very beginning that Japan is their number one priority, and that they will have a big announcement for Japanese gamers this fall
Here is a quote from Peter Moore, marketing and publishing corporate vice president of Microsoft's home and entertainment division,
"I've always said Japan is a vitally important market for the Xbox platform and with this next generation Japan is right at the center of the Xbox 360 universe," he said. "Now, as many of you will remember, I have stood before you in previous years and acknowledged our past challenges. Since then we have been taught lessons that only the world's most developed gaming market can teach. We have applied the resulting Japanese education to the development of Xbox 360."
"Let me be clear, this time the rest of the world is starting to realize that Xbox 360 is a real contender right here in Japan. That is a very important point because I know success in this country is the ultimate tribute to the compelling power of our platform," Moore said.
So we can be pretty confident about that the Origen website is dedicated to Japan and what Microsoft plans to reveal to the Japanese market September 27th at 12:00 midnight.
My best guesses to what MS is trying to communicate with the Origen website based on the comments from our readers and my own gut feeling is either that the tree represent Japan, the green rabbit represent Microsoft and the Xbox 360. The tree symbolizes age and experience/wisdom and the center of that virtual universe that the MS guy mentioned. So I think MS wants to show Japan respect and they are approaching Japan in a humble and respectfull way. As hinted we should see the rabbit move closer to the tree as we approach September 27th. Or it could be that the rabbit is our/player's guide (signpost) and that the tree will open the rabbit hole ( Alice in Wonderland ) and the player will enter a new universe to explore.
The next and biggest question of course is what on earth is Microsoft planning to announce to the Japanese gamers? Many of you have guessed that Microsoft will announce HD DVD for Xbox 360, which could of course be a real possibility.
Or maybe they have been working on something that is completely unknown, and made with the Japanese gamers in mind. Something similar to Xbox Live, but for something completely different, something that would prove very popular in Japan? Seriously who plays train simulator games in US or Europe, however they are extremely popular in Japan. My point being that Japan is a strange world and if you want to be successfull there you must understand the Japanese culture and way of life. MS clearly failed with understanding complexity of the Japanese culture when they launched the Xbox, and as the MS guy said "When you didn't capture the attention of someone in the past, next time in the future, do it bigger and smarter, then they will put attention on what you are trying to offer" So could Microsoft have made some kind of service for the Xbox 360 that is designed especially with the Japanese gamers in mind. An integrated MOD or game-maker, or something that lets the gamers explore their creativity? Some kind of integrated social MMORPG to chat with friends? These are only wild guesses, so don’t get your hopes up. And we can be pretty sure of that Microsoft will not comment on this until the countdown reaches 0, after all that is kind why they put it there in the first place.
List of things that could be announced on September 27th
NB!!! : These are only guesses and nothing more.
- HD DVD for Xbox360
- Xbox360 will launch first in Japan
- Something to do with Halo 3 or a new secret game project
- Microsoft will place Xbox360s in game stores so people can try it before launch
- A new service desigen for the Japanese market, some type of integrated MMORPG
- A intergrated game-maker or MOD software, so that people will be able to MOD almost any Xbox360 game