If you are reading this post, perhaps you are a former Daily Rage player. If so, this post is for you.
Each day, since mid-summer 2006, I played a quick, smart and fun game called The Daily Rage. Created by Riddle Productions, the game built up a loyal and devoted fan base with its Beta and Beta 2.0 versions. It was sort of a graphic scavenger hunt/game of chance.
Sure, there were some kinks along the way -- along with players winning daily cash prizes and monthly prizes in the thousands of dollars. Not me, however. Despite being the "Queen of Losers" I was happy to pluck along, immersed in the art of Nathan Ratcliff, The Lion, Mary Baker and the creative forces at Riddle Productions.
Riddle quietly emerged last year with an ingenious game, delivered over a week in daily doses of videos and emails urging you, the player, to help a stranger. With the creation of Stranger Adventures, Riddle Productions was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2006. Players in those games researched clues from the videos and emails in order to develop a 10-digit pass code with a chance to win up to $25,000.
The game was inventive and original. The smaller-scaled Daily Rage was based upon the same number puzzle used in Stranger Adventures, the King's Parquet puzzle, only modified for the smaller daily dose. The players searched for Easter eggs and treasure chests; each with a clue that would lead the players zipping across the Internet looking for numerical answers. Each day the puzzles centered around various themes from Gangsters to UFOs on Easter Island. The diversity and creativeness of the puzzles were addictive and a delight to regular ragers.
Daily Rage went off the "air" so to speak, or off the Internet to be more accurate, much like the television series Lost. The ardent fan base waited patiently and even created their own fan fiction within the games' forum sites. There a small community was built with loyal fans who shared puzzles, links to other games, critiqued each game and speculated about upcoming games. They were supportive of the games, of Riddle Productions, and of each other. In explaining why they were drawn to the games, many reported that it was the challenge of the game, the knowledge gained, and the community that kept them playing. For them, the Daily Rage had become an Internet addiction, like the morning crossword puzzle.
But on March 5th, after an email announcing the new Daily Rage, I was excited to get back in the game. I eagerly hit my "favorites" on my browser toolbar and clicked on my bookmark for Daily Rage, sixth one down from the top.
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Crushed was more like it. Not only was the game not better, it was worse, much worse. Gone was the King's Parque design to the game. In amongst some ads for Beavis and Butthead's "Hock the Loogie" and "Click on the Nerd." Sadly, our wonderful gem of a game was now reduced to a sad, herky-jerky version of Bejeweled meets Pac Mac. Apparently the magna cum laude at MTV decided that their youthful demographic wouldn't be interested in actual mental stimulation. I actually wonder what they were thinking. Meanwhile Riddle Productions has sacrificed uniqueness, which made their company an Emmy contender last year, to provide a simple point and click game to a cable network that, well, lost it's originality long ago.
I think a proper description would be that the Daily Rage has jumped the shark while chasing a gravy train called MTV. I only hope that it isn't a great white towing a boat called Stranger Adventures along with it.
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3 comments:
I, myself, was among the ranks and numbers of the devoted players. To say the least I was embarrassed by the changes made to the Daily Rage and to say the most I was steaming mad... you see, there was a pause in the original games of Stranger Adventures, we were told it was "The Waiting Game" for the 'Daily Rage'. Myself and a handful of others kept the forum alive for 4 months with posts of Religious humor, poetry, tips, tactics, jokes etc... When the 'Rage' finally came we were somewhat appeased..but now!! It is insulting to think an intelligent, mind boggling game has been reduced to an MTV game along the lines of Comedy Central flash.. Am I the only one that see merely 'A Flash in the Pan'?
Too bad Riddle Productions, you sold out to the Bubblegum generation...and lost some loyal members.
Lemley,
An eloquent Eulogy for our beloved Daily Rage.
The "thank you" page they posted when the game suddenly disappeared...am I crazy or did it not say that all the ones who had "Beta tested" would be rewarded?? Not that I would expect money...won't even go there!! (And no, I never won either.)I don't consider the opportunity to now having a direct link to "Hock the Loogie" a reward.
Not only did the game suddenly disappear, but the beloved forum vanished. I want to post a thank you to all of the moderators, particularly to Pad. He was not an employee of Riddle. He volunteered hours of his personal time.
Not only have they sacrificed all we knew and love about the game, it appears they have lowered their standard as to who can get on the winners list. Yes, the number of players has increased if you just go by the numbers. Now to view the list you have to right click, select all, copy and paste. There are multiple entries with the same name, nonsensical names etc.
As for the new version of DR, my feelings are exactly like yours. I do want to thank the designers though. They have let us know that they know how we feel. I can't believe I was reduced to tears over a silly game...but when I saw Cinder in the 3rd days game...we will never know what happened to him.
On top of the absolute disappointment with the format of the "new Daily Rage" (which is little more than an arcade game). I have to give credit to Riddle Productions for selling out their integrity & continuing in the dumbing down of America. You se the game is only open to US residents.
But the most infuriating part of this whole picture is that Winners of the old format game, the one that actually required thinking, Are STILL waiting for their Prize checks. Daily Rage's official rules state that prizes will be sent out to winners within 60 days of receipt of the necessary paperwork. Well 90+ days have passed for the November game winners and still no prize, not even the decency of an email to inform us of a delay - if we don't contact them, we are completely left in the dark.
To add insult to injury, at least one of the prize checks (a September of October winner)BOUNCED! as the least amount the check could be is $1000.00 US, this is a criminal ofense in all 50 states.
So it seems that as Riddle Productions threw integrity, originality, and intellect to the corporate greed machine, so went their sense of decency, honor, and honesty.
Of course, I doubt that all our deep sense of violation felt will bother Riddle Production at all, as they have a huge player base now and MTV's checks coming to them.
I cannot help but wonder though, if we banned together and filed a complaint against Riddle Productions, that actaully went in the legal records, would MTV still want to be affiliated them? Or would they see the true nature of Riddle Productions coming to light as a sign to cut & run, far, far away (as it appears, many of us should have done, for all our loyalty gained us)?
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