Xi Continuum – The Mystery Continues
by Burbie52, HSM team writer
Most of us like a good mystery. I grew up on Charlie Chan and Sherlock Holmes movies, read a several Conan Doyle and all of the Charlie Chan books as an adult, and though mystery isn’t my favorite genre, it is always a good distraction when I feel like reading one or watching a movie. There has been very little done in this genre in Home, and for that matter, there are only a few titles in the gaming industry that could be called true mysteries, such as Heavy Rain.
I wasn’t in Home when Xi was here the first time. It was released on March 23, 2009, and I didn’t purchase my PS3 until December of that year and discovered Home. Ever since coming to this virtual reality, I have heard the stories about Xi from many of my friends who took part. They all seemed very fascinated by this game that nDreams had created for the Home community, and they all wished it had continued or that it would return in some form. I was intrigued, but knowing that I would never get the chance to be a part of that history, I just listened and moved on.
Now that is all changing, with the new version Xi Continuum just announced by nDreams.
This iteration is going to be a bit different from the original from what they’ve disclosed so far. In the original, you had to be on Home every day to get your clues as to what was happening next or where to look for the next piece of the puzzle. This game is going to be a game you can play at your own pace, which is a great strategy, because Home has changed a great deal since the last Xi was around. There is so much new content now, and more being released each week, that to expect total immersion like the last time would be expecting too much.
When Xi was originally introduced, there was very little to do in Home. Part of Sony’s enthusiasm for Xi was that like Home itself, nothing of its kind has been done before, and gamers are of the type to try new experiences. This is why it was free to play last time, but it won’t be this time around. It will cost a bit, but there are a lot of perks coming along with the purchase of the game, including a personal space called “Vertigo” that has unlocking areas as you progress through the game, a robot companion and ten in-game NPCs that will fight for you in single and multi-player games within the experience.
Fighting was not a part of the last time Xi was around. They have made this into a type of spy thriller from what I have gathered so far. So it’s easy to guess we will all be becoming Xi agents this time; sort of a James Bond of Home, as the bundle is called the “agent pack.” This is an interesting differentiation from the last time, perhaps because of the way Home has developed as a gaming platform, they had to add more real gaming elements into this for it to succeed.
I wonder what the people who played this the last time will think of these changes, will it take away from their memories of the past Xi or enhance them? New users like myself won’t have anything to compare it to as we didn’t experience it. The fact that the old Xi has taken on almost legendary status within the Home community must be putting a lot of pressure on nDreams to replicate that experience – or better it, if possible – to keep the community happy.
Community was the key element that the old Xi had that made it become such a popular, and still spoken about, experience in Home. At a time when there was little else to do in Home, this Alternative Reality Game came along out of nowhere and drew the community together in an effort to solve the daily mysteries of the game. They had to work together with others, some a world away to finish each piece of this puzzle and find Jess. That is what made this such a unifying experience for the people I have spoken to about this and such a huge memory for them.
Will this new Xi Continuum do the same? I wonder if it can in the current atmosphere of the Home community. The distraction level in Home has increased a thousandfold since Xi came around the last time. There are new things coming out each week to take us away, and though this is why they have altered their format and allow us to play this new Xi at our own pace, without having to be in Home each day to complete it, I wonder if that fact alone will detract from the experience itself. In the original, there was a goal that had to be worked at each day in order for you to finish, everyone who did finish it finished together as a community. This will no longer be the case here, as we can finish it alone.
There will be clues found everywhere; the internet, videos, and the games you play within the Xi Continuum itself. Some people will have to use their PS3 as a search engine, perhaps for the first time, to find their next clue as not everyone has a laptop or computer at their fingertips to use. This will promote the PS3 as a computer interface, not only as a gaming console.
After all of the stories I have heard about the original, I am going to be very interested in this new Xi. It has certainly sparked a lot of excitement in Home, and I am looking forward to being able to participate in it this time. I hope it holds up to the legend it has created, because if it does, we are all in for a really great experience in this place we love called Home.
December 5th, 2012 by Burbie52 | 3 comments
Burbie52 is a 62 year-old published author and founder of the Grey Gamers group within Home. Born and raised in Michigan, she has lived there her entire life, with the exception of a twelve-year residency on the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys reading and writing, as well as video games, especially RPG's. She has one son in his twenties.
It’s a funny thing really. I was lucky enough to get into the Xi party last night so I could fling a couple of questions at our dear nDreams Joey -- after 30mins of trying lol. I know what I was told isn’t breaking any embargos so I’ll say this, I have no idea how they’re gonna work this!
There was talk of turn-based game mechanics, which is fine, as long as it’s not got a tower defence thing shoehorned in there. But there was also talk of part of it being *like* a card battler, which has me on edge. The great thing about Xi was the way they incorporated new spaces hidden in Home, and the twisted puzzles they’d make you do to solve them. These weren’t just puzzles in the general sense, some had you disguising your avatar as someone else to gain entry to a hidden area under Home Square. It was these little things that made you more involved with it than just a game you played.
I’m really looking forward to this though, I have faith that the creator of Xi will have made the right decisions for it. I know we probably won’t have the same level of line-blurring between Home and RL this time around (unless it makes buckets of money) but it’ll still be one of the most engaging things to do in Home.
It’s a testament to itself that it’s managed to garner so much interest without much advertising (if any?). Just like Axiom; a fact that proves itself just by its own existence.
Just watch out for Gary.
Xi2 website <— click that
Xi near drove me insane at times. I did not get to go to Jess's apartment. I only got part of the Xi trophy. And I am still irritated at the end which I reached enough of to click on one of the three choices one of which I think was Velicorp which I clicked that choice to see what it said thinking I could go back and check the other two choices but boy oh boy was I wrong. One choice only. The one I would have picked was Independent (or something like that).
The hover bike through the forest made me crazy and so did some of the other games. In part, Xi is responsible for my total irresponsible actions at times (or so I claim).
I should run and hide from this game. But there's one problem. It was so much fun and the Home community was sharing things and becoming involved with each other.
We do have to pay to play this time so we shall see how I feel when it comes out but right now… I am looking forward to it.
Great article Burbie.I wasn’t around for the first one either and I’m intrigued by the recent clues,been trying to soak up Xi info recently.Even though the first was free to play I thought there were certain quests or activities that required a purchase?Either way,I intend to get involved in Xi Continuum,it’s all just too exciting!