Re-emergence Day!

[geekinabox]

These guys:
-- http://www.xbox360leagues.co.uk/foru...pic=1869&st=20
... have gotten messages that pointed them to this:
-- http://www.theabovedomain.com/

Re-emergence day!!! Dec 24 (as rumored already).

Note the COGs (I count 6?) descending into an undergorund space on rope, battling something poking out of a hole.

Maybe the a new underground MP map?

[ZaneXXX]

Hmm... this sounds cool. I'd be happy with a patch and ladder reset, but maps would be supah shweet.

[geekinabox]

That thing coming out of the ground doesn't quite look like a Corpser ... a new creature/enemy perhaps ? Granted it does have spider-like legs, but the they seem skinnier and less meacing that the gams in this corpser-pic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:GoW-Corpser.jpg

[geekinabox]

(very minor spoilers below)

Supposedly these are the message some folks received:

Beware the locusts. They will come from the ground......stay tuned for alerts
Today we stand proud amongst the ruins of Sera, beware chosen one for Raam is watching you
The time is almost here. We fight in your domain. 24.12.06. Be prepared
Inhabitants of Sera, we shall complete your annihilation on the above domain. Com eand prepare for your final destruction!
We wait for you.

Some of them sound like the might come from the CoG ("Beware the locusts"), some from the Locusts ("Inhabitants of Sera, we shall complete your annihilation") ...

Unless of course, there's a 3rd party in play beyond Cog and Locust (takes 3 Gears to make a party). IF there is a 3rd, then this line could be uttered by it (whatever it is). In a sense, even the Locusts are 'inhabitants of Sera' ...

And does 'the above domain' mean the surface? Or could it reference some domain 'above' an even deeper one. At the end of Gears it was mentioned "they don't know why we fight" ... are the Locusts being driven away from some other enemy, forcing them up (to the 'above domain' and/or the surface)?

Remember that Eric Nylund played a role in developing the Gears plot, and that his Halo influence certain plays on the whole human vs. Elites vs. Brutes complex dynamic. Certainly up to now the Gears plot, though enjoyable, is not too complex ... perhaps its time to mix it up a bit?

Or am I just full of it ?

[geekinabox]

lol, look who registered theabovedomain.com:

Registrant:
JS Mining Corporation
North Sera Road
Sera, unknown 20 852
US

Domain name: THEABOVEDOMAIN.COM

Administrative Contact:
Baird, Cole cole@theabovedomain.com
North Sera Road
Sera, unknown 20 852
US
+1.2085220852
Technical Contact:
Baird, Cole cole@theabovedomain.com
North Sera Road
Sera, unknown 20 852
US
+1.2085220852

I tried the phone number and it does not work (in the states) ...

Tried to email Cole ... no reply yet.

Also, note that zip is similar to the phone ... something in the numbers perhaps ???

The numeric sequence is 20852.

[paulieslim]

sure lots of dudes on ropes...

[geekinabox]

sure lots of dudes on ropes...

I count:
- 2 at the bottom
- 2 on ropes
- 1 on a pipe near the hole
- 1-2 heads peeking out over the hole

... do we all see that? (it's be interesting if different people got different pics)

[Hickeroar]

It seems to me that this looks more like new single player content than multiplayer content?

Beware the locusts. They will come from the ground......stay tuned for alerts
Today we stand proud amongst the ruins of Sera, beware chosen one for Raam is watching you
The time is almost here. We fight in your domain. 24.12.06. Be prepared
Inhabitants of Sera, we shall complete your annihilation on the above domain. Com eand prepare for your final destruction!
We wait for you.

This seems FAR more singleplayerish than multiplayerish...

Why would the gears be fighting what seems to be a corpser if this is just multiplayer maps as people have been speculating...? I don't doubt that they'll release some sort of multiplayer enhancements, including maps, but I'm skeptical that that is all the new content they'll be releasing.

[geekinabox]

lol, look who registered theabovedomain.com:

Registrant:
JS Mining Corporation
North Sera Road
Sera, unknown 20 852
US

I was the one who (re)posted the above info from another site, but in doing my own WHOIS searches, I cannot verify that it is true. Ie ... I can't find the registration info myself ... sorry if I misposted bad info.

EDIT:
Nevermind ... I found and confirmed it online @ http://whois.domaintools.com/theabovedomain.com ...

[Shadow Dancer]

Crap, I'd better hurry up and finish Campaign on Hardcore before the new stuff comes out. I Really hope it's new SP stuff, can't say I'd mind an MP map with a Corpser in it, though

[Father Timex]

That's the info that comes up when I do a whois on that domain, so the info's good.

Also, there's a phone number in the registry
+1.208 522 0852

[soda]

sorry to dissapoint you but that picture isn't new.
It's been out for awhile now (about 1 and a hlaf years) so i doubt it would be downloadable content

i'll find a link in a sec

yeha the pic is from oct 5th 2005
http://au.media.xbox360.ign.com/medi...g_3114398.html

it would be easy enough to write Re-Emergance Day on it,
just saying is all

[geekinabox]

That's the info that comes up when I do a whois on that domain, so the info's good.

Also, there's a phone number in the registry
+1.208 522 0852

Yeah ... I (eventually) found it, too ... As mentioned previously, I called the # but it's not good. Not that the zip code used the same sequence '20 852' ...

Note the odd spacing -- since when is there a space is a 5-digit zip code??

[geekinabox]

sorry to dissapoint you but that picture isn't new.
It's been out for awhile now (about 1 and a hlaf years) so i doubt it would be downloadable content

i'll find a link in a sec

.... crushed ....

[Hickeroar]

sorry to dissapoint you but that picture isn't new.
It's been out for awhile now (about 1 and a hlaf years) so i doubt it would be downloadable content

i'll find a link in a sec

New or not, it DOES say RE-emergence day...

[Hickeroar]

Crap, I'd better hurry up and finish Campaign on Hardcore before the new stuff comes out. I Really hope it's new SP stuff, can't say I'd mind an MP map with a Corpser in it, though

I can imagine that it would be fun playing a multiplayer match with a corpser running around. ...Add a little suspense into the mix, yaknow?

[geekinabox]

I can imagine that it would be fun playing a multiplayer match with a corpser running around. ...Add a little suspense into the mix, yaknow?

It's like a train ... with 8 (?) legs.

[Hickeroar]

It's like a train ... with 8 (?) legs.

Way to shoot me down. Ouch.

[luosnomed]

I dont think its Legit at all. Lets wait on word from Epic first. Gears is so good im patient

[specops527]

where does it say "Re-Emergence Day" I don't see it

[PlanetRaptoR]

It's the page title - look in your browser title bar.
Domain was registered in July - looks like whoever was behind this planned it far in advance.

Record expires on 02-Jul-2007.
Record created on 02-Jul-2006.

[Primzy]

where does it say "Re-Emergence Day" I don't see it

the page title numbskull

[Dookie]

Think new guns will be included with whatever content we get? Noticed in this screenshot below the locust seem to have some sort of rifle. I could reeeaally go for a new act with new weapons and enemies.

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/...3095639551.jpg

Btw, is it just me or is the viral site down?

[DieNasty]

Hmm i think it is cuz im getting a "page cannot be displayed" error...

[SurrealPanic]

My guess... new versus locust skin: corpser.

[Hooligunn]

Crap, I'd better hurry up and finish Campaign on Hardcore before the new stuff comes out. I Really hope it's new SP stuff, can't say I'd mind an MP map with a Corpser in it, though

MAN THAT IDEA IS SWEET! Imagine that, running past a massive Emergence Hole in the middle of the map with a corpser that hits out every 30 seconds or so! That would be amazing!

[Father Timex]

Think new guns will be included with whatever content we get? Noticed in this screenshot below the locust seem to have some sort of rifle. I could reeeaally go for a new act with new weapons and enemies.

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/...3095639551.jpg

Btw, is it just me or is the viral site down?

I believe that is just the old model of the sniper rifle.

[FPS JL]

"What implies this is a prepared viral marketing campaign is the fact that the domain is registered to "JS Mining Corporation ", whose phone number is +1.2085220852. It is worth mentioning that 20852 is the zip code of Rockville, Maryland, the former location of Epic offices back from the days of their MegaGames suffix."

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12447/...Emergence-Day/

bam

[PrimetimeHero]

hmmm, you guys might have too much time on your hands.

I dont care what the content is, im just glad its content. Rank doesnt matter. GameBattles FTW!

[PlanetRaptoR]

FYI, the background.jpg image on TheAboveDomain.com weighs exactly 360KB. I know it's possible to hide data inside JPEG files. Perhaps you guys might want to check that out.

[Duffman]

Just let me fight a Brumak and i'm happy.

[musilowski]

Yay, christmas present.

[Mark Rein]

Folks,

This is a hoax.

We've already stated that we are working on releasing an update soon but we don't know the exact date of the release yet because it has not passed certification yet.

I wish the fan sites and online media would check with me first before they post stuff like this. Pretty much all of them have at least my email address (if not my phone number) and I check mail many, many times throughout the day.

[DieNasty]

Ya i kinda figured this was a hoax. And it would be nice if they did check with you first because now people are gonna be all disapointed. Just goes to show you people not to count your kryll before they hatch.

[Darkhand]

Folks,

This is a hoax.

We've already stated that we are working on releasing an update soon but we don't know the exact date of the release yet because it has not passed certification yet.

I wish the fan sites and online media would check with me first before they post stuff like this. Pretty much all of them have at least my email address (if not my phone number) and I check mail many, many times throughout the day.

Mark if you give me your phone number I promise to call you about every Hoax I see. Just let me come by and play some pre-release games once in a while and we'll call it even, k?

[Dookie]

Awwwww... I was hoping this wasnt ah hoax. What kind of loser has that much time on his hands to make a fake viral site with that much info hidden in it?

[geekinabox]

Folks,

This is a hoax.

Damn. Way to rein on my parade.

[Darkhand]

Damn. Way to rein on my parade.

That's even cheesier than me asking mark for his number, I bow to your cheese sir.

[Shadow Dancer]

Awwwww... I was hoping this wasnt ah hoax. What kind of loser has that much time on his hands to make a fake viral site with that much info hidden in it?

A fan? It's a great way to interact with the universe, even though the idea of a re-emergeance day, as far as plot goes, makes os sense...

[Hyncharas]

"20852" sounds like a number like a number that was used in the prison system. Let's not forget that Marcus Fenix was a prisoner, and some countries/states assign numbers to prisoners of a block... any idea what Marcus' was?

Its important to note that numbers are used also in the military, as well as geogrphical co-ordinates. You might want to check whether all the digits of the telephone number they gave corresponds to the geographical location of either Epic's old offices, or their current one.