Commander Video
Encyclopedia
Commander Video, was an alternate reality game
(ARG) and viral marketing
campaign created by Gaijin Games
and Aksys Games
in order to promote their recently released WiiWare
game Bit. Trip Beat.. It is also the name of the protagonist of the Bit.Trip
series of games
on December 19, 2008 containing a link to a video that depicted two Germans uncovering a mysterious object with a likeness similar to that of a television set. When the object is activated in response to one of the Germans dusting it off, it began to flash strange images. The Germans flee, and someone in the background, most likely the object, says "I am only a man," (which is the page title of the site, though the meaning of that phrase is unknown) before the video goes white, and ends. On December 30, a commenter known only as "Commander Video" began leaving cryptic messages on several websites containing a link to the Commander Video website
Currently, players are in close contact with the cryptic Commander Video, via email and Twitter
. It is through these communications that Commander Video has released his requests, his clues, and his information. He apparently is watching his players' movements as well, for a few hours after the ten recruits solved a puzzle by placing lines of colors they separately received via email in the correct order, the completed image was placed on the Commander Video website.
The Commander's way of relaying information is coded. A single intention or query is put in all capital letters, and spaces between words are removed. The numeral one replaces periods, and two ones are used to signify the end of a command. For example, if The Commander were to ask Frank to get him a soda, he would phrase it as such:
00DATACOMPILED11
11
FRANKENGAGE1--MISSIONREQUEST1--PLEASEGETMEASODA11
11
FRANKDISENGAGE1--THECOMMANDER1
Though confusing, at first, players were able to quickly decode his messages. The messages themselves were usually mission updates, although he was known to answer information requests, even from those who were not recruits. The missions themselves are internet based, such as talking about the game, finding information and even creating a Wikipedia entry about his game.
On January 9, 2009, Nintendo Power
spoiled the game early, revealing the title and publisher. Later, the codename of this game was confirmed, in an email between a player of the ARG and the person running the alias of Commander Video, to be "BTB."
, where he has the ability to hover in mid-air.
Alternate reality game
An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
(ARG) and viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
campaign created by Gaijin Games
Gaijin Games
Gaijin Games is an independent video game development studio, best known for their BIT.TRIP series of video games. The studio was founded in 2007 by Alex Neuse and is located in Santa Cruz, California.-History:Gaijin Games initially emerged in 2004...
and Aksys Games
Aksys Games
Aksys Games Localization, Inc. is a video game publisher that specializes in translating and localizing Japanese video games for English-speaking markets. It was founded by Akibo Shieh in 2006. Some of its clients include Namco Bandai Games, Xseed Games, and Atlus USA. Aksys Games is best known for...
in order to promote their recently released WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
game Bit. Trip Beat.. It is also the name of the protagonist of the Bit.Trip
Bit.Trip
Bit.Trip, officially spelled BIT.TRIP, is a series of six video games developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS, Arc System Works for WiiWare in Japan, and by Namco Networks America Inc for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad...
series of games
Background
Commander Video began when an anonymous e-mail was sent to gaming network IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
on December 19, 2008 containing a link to a video that depicted two Germans uncovering a mysterious object with a likeness similar to that of a television set. When the object is activated in response to one of the Germans dusting it off, it began to flash strange images. The Germans flee, and someone in the background, most likely the object, says "I am only a man," (which is the page title of the site, though the meaning of that phrase is unknown) before the video goes white, and ends. On December 30, a commenter known only as "Commander Video" began leaving cryptic messages on several websites containing a link to the Commander Video website
Currently, players are in close contact with the cryptic Commander Video, via email and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. It is through these communications that Commander Video has released his requests, his clues, and his information. He apparently is watching his players' movements as well, for a few hours after the ten recruits solved a puzzle by placing lines of colors they separately received via email in the correct order, the completed image was placed on the Commander Video website.
The Commander's way of relaying information is coded. A single intention or query is put in all capital letters, and spaces between words are removed. The numeral one replaces periods, and two ones are used to signify the end of a command. For example, if The Commander were to ask Frank to get him a soda, he would phrase it as such:
00DATACOMPILED11
11
FRANKENGAGE1--MISSIONREQUEST1--PLEASEGETMEASODA11
11
FRANKDISENGAGE1--THECOMMANDER1
Though confusing, at first, players were able to quickly decode his messages. The messages themselves were usually mission updates, although he was known to answer information requests, even from those who were not recruits. The missions themselves are internet based, such as talking about the game, finding information and even creating a Wikipedia entry about his game.
On January 9, 2009, Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
spoiled the game early, revealing the title and publisher. Later, the codename of this game was confirmed, in an email between a player of the ARG and the person running the alias of Commander Video, to be "BTB."
The Character
Commander Video is the Bit.Trip series' mascot, and the protagonist in the games Bit.Trip Runner and Bit.Trip Fate. He is a black pixelated character with a visor like eye, who leaves a rainbow like trail as he runs. His abilities vary depending on the game; in Runner, he can jump, slide and kick his way past obstacles, whilst he can shoot in Fate. He appears as a playable character in Super Meat BoySuper Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an independent video game designed by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes and developed by Team Meat. It is the successor to McMillen and Jonathan McEntee's October 2008 flash game Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy was released on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, on...
, where he has the ability to hover in mid-air.