[iMax]

It looks like this. O_o

Xbox 8.

[AngryFacing]

Let's try 10:30 ET? Roughly 5-6 min?

[everyday math]

My eyes are playing tricks on me.

[StargazerXL]

Honest question: how do you know all of this? Obviously your name suggests experience in this field but what is it exactly that you do? Asked purely out of curiosity.

I actually am a radio astronomer, and I've used the technique of interferometry I described lots of times to observe astronomical objects in high detail for my research. My own interest is in star formation, and radio interferometry lets us look at objects that are extremely difficult to see with just a single radio telescope, like the disks around young stars where planets may be forming.

So, as my username suggests, I am a stargazer, and the "XL" at the end is my t-shirt size. :-P

[Ragnarok Flames]

output is totally a flower of life

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_of_Life

[Bsigg12]

Guys want to try again in 3 minutes?

I'm wondering if it updates based on the amount of unique users in the course of 5 minutes before the update. I believe this because your node remains active for 5 minutes so as long as you're logged in before the update, you'll actively adjust something in the following images.

[Vulcano's assistant]

It looks like this. O_o

overlay of what has been posted after 10pm, yes it does look like it.

[everyday math]

overlay of what has been posted after 10pm, yes it does look like it.

Thats pretty crazy looking.

Dat face is always staring at me.

[Speedy Blue Dude]

Picture got smaller than the 10 pm one...

[kittens]

I don't see an infinity symbol in that overlay at all.

[enzo_gt]

Can anyone confirm if that image is perfectly symmetrical?

[Zeal]

Xbox Infinity reveal imminent.

[Tagg9]

I don't see an infinity symbol in that overlay at all.

Nor me. Looks like some kind of planet.

[LycanXIII]

Xbox 8.

It even has the old Windows logo in it!

[GrizzNKev]

Picture got smaller than the 10 pm one...

We're losing focus as we lose people.

[Spongebob]

Mine doesn't seem to be changing anymore.

[Zeal]

Definitely The Traveler ship.

[les papillons sexuels]

Picture got smaller than the 10 pm one...

less people are on the site.

[everyday math]

It even has the old Windows logo in it!

Oh you.

[Hulud]

Can you hear it? No, not yet. It has not yet arrived. But together we can receive its call. Imagine combining the observations of thousands across the globe on an object meandering through the heavens. The resulting array would be quite large. Quite powerful. This is your task. Alone it will not be enough. Coordination and timing is needed. Observations must be made simultaneously. There will always be limitations in clarity, so the results must be archived for study. Highly technical observers may be required. Detailed frequency analysis is recommended."

These bits sounds startlingly like the plot to the Neal Stephenson book Anathem. I'm okay with this.

[Jest Chillin]

Can anyone confirm if that image is perfectly symmetrical?

not technically symmetrical but it does appear to be mirrored then flipped when you split it by either axis.

[wwm0nkey]

Yeah we need more people in on this.

[Zeal]

Yeah we need more people in on this.

Time for the IRC folks to call in the botnets.

[Jest Chillin]

So the image getting smaller confirms that it needs a large number of hits at the same time right?

[noffles]

Time for the IRC folks to call in the botnets.

That's just what Bungie wants you to do.

[LycanXIII]

So the image getting smaller confirms that it needs a large number of hits at the same time right?

Yep. No specific time needed, just the traffic.

[kittens]

These bits sounds startlingly like the plot to the Neal Stephenson book Anathem. I'm okay with this.

Is that from Anathem, or something Bungie posted somewhere?

[Crucio]

Yep. No specific time needed, just the traffic.

I disagree. Unless everyone reloads their node for a while the hits need to be within 5 minutes of each other.

[Cyborg771]

I don't see an infinity symbol in that overlay at all.

[Visualante2]

lmao @ infinity symbol. Here's some more for you to imagine:

Yep. No specific time needed, just the traffic.

I disagree. I think there is something very specific about the timing.

Can you hear it? No, not yet. It has not yet arrived. But together we can receive its call.

I think it's event driven, available at specific times but we have to rally the forces at that time to discover it.

[Forkball]

Seems to be a white... thing...

Wasn't this a PS3/360 game in the previous leaks? Even if it comes out this fall I wonder how much attention it would get on those consoles given what we expect to come out later this year. One would also wonder if there was a PC version in the works, it's not like Activision is a stranger to publishing PC games.

[LycanXIII]

I disagree. Unless everyone reloads their node for a while the hits need to be within 5 minutes of each other.

I'm not saying that it can be spread over a day, just that the "10PM" thing had nothing to do with it.

[Spawnling]

Someone needs to get this on some gaming news and announce a specific time. We need some powerhouse twitter users with thousands of followers to do this.

[kittens]

Ohhhh. Now I see it, haha.

[StargazerXL]

So the image getting smaller confirms that it needs a large number of hits at the same time right?

Yeah, I'd say that if the number of points on the right image is going down over time, then it isn't a cumulative ensemble of points obtained from page views over time. It probably then is working out the number of page views in a given window of time. "Distributed, synchronous effort required" indeed!

[Bsigg12]

We need to get a time set for tomorrow and get it out there to recruit as many people as possible. Say 9pmest or so, and everyone continues for 15 minutes reloading the node hopefully to great effect.

[enzo_gt]

It's actually 2 Halos.

Bungie to release the spiritual successor to the Halo franchise entitled... Halos: Combats Evolveded.

[Jest Chillin]

I'm not saying that it can be spread over a day, just that the "10PM" thing had nothing to do with it.

That doesn't fit the pattern though. As the traffic to the site increased, the image increased.. however it was at it's most developed in the window of the 10pm event. 25 minutes later, the image decreased.

If it was overall hits the image should still be developing. It seems that large amounts of hits simultaneously are needed for development.

[outunderthestars]

That doesn't fit the pattern though. As the traffic to the site increased, the image increased.. however it was at it's most developed in the window of the 10pm event. 25 minutes later, the image decreased. If it was overall hits the image should still be developing. It seems that large amounts of hits simultaneously are needed for development.

agreed. Remember that the sites says "Distributed, synchronous effort required."

[Family Fry]

When it talks about this.

Your node will remain active for 5 minutes, but may be reactivated as necessary. Distributed, synchronous effort required.

It must means when you log onto the site you activate a node (on the geomask picture) which lasts 5 mins, then disappears again.

You look at the 10pm synchronized hit compared to now.

10pm hit


Now.


Edit-

It seems that large amounts of hits simultaneously are needed for development

Also agree.

[ThatsMytrunks]

Here's a composite from 8:49 to 10:43. I don't think we're going to get anywhere with it a composite.

[Hato-kun]

It must means when you log onto the site you activate a node (on the geomask picture) which lasts 5 mins, then disappears again.

Yeah, this makes the most sense.

EDIT: Who made the earlier gifs? Can we get an updated one please?

[blamite]

So, when the Geomask gets smaller, does the Output image become less clear at the same time, or does it only ever get clearer? If the quality doesn't actually degrade we could theoretically clear it up by just making repeated pushes every hour or so?

[MrGreencastle]

agreed. Remember that the sites says "Distributed, synchronous effort required."

Here, here. So question is how do we make it not only go viral, but also hit it all at one time... We'd need something big, like a slingshot with the capability of shooting to the sun...

I do have to say. Brilliant plan, Bungie. Well played.

[ncsuDuncan]

Concurrent number of Steam users seems to peak at around 11:00am, PST. Would that be the best time to try and coordinate a global strike on the ARG?

[Hulud]

Is that from Anathem, or something Bungie posted somewhere?

That's from something Bungie posted. I recommend Anathem to anyone who wants good, dense scifi, though. Bungie seems to be either taking cues from the book, or it's just a coincidence. Without spoiling Anathem, a large gathering of people come together at once to study something in the sky.

[kittens]

We need to plan ahead. Pick a date/time, spread the word, and see the results. Maybe 48 hours from now -- 8pm Pacific on Wednesday?

Edit : Or what Duncan said!

[Hato-kun]

Concurrent number of Steam users seems to peak at around 11:00am, PST. Would that be the best time to try and coordinate a global strike on the ARG?

I like the way you think.

[Jest Chillin]

Misriah Solutions has set a time to attempt it again tomorrow. 10pm EDT/EST (whichever it is right now lol).

http://misriahsolutions.com/arg/


That's our best bet for time. In the meantime, we need to try to spread the word as much as possible. Maybe some Bungie fans can hit up Halo related forums to try to get word out that way? As well as the usual Social Networks of Twitter/FB/Instagram/Kaboodlistism?

Note: Kaboodlistism is not a real social network. Or at least I think it isn't.

[MrGreencastle]

We need to plan ahead. Pick a date/time, spread the word, and see the results. Maybe 48 hours from now -- 8pm Pacific on Wednesday?

Which brings to mind, what happens when the countdown turns to 6? What if it's not a countdown, but a timer?