42 Entertainment is an American company based in Burbank which specializes in creating and producing alternate reality games (ARGs). The company was founded in 2003 as an independently owned, creative content and interactive agency under the name 4orty 2wo Entertainment.[1] The company started with a nine-person management team and was originally based in Emeryville, California. It produced several alternate reality games between 2004 and 2014, as well as campaigns for the movie The Dark Knight, and the Nine Inch Nails Year Zero album.
| Industry | Media industry, ARG |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California, U.S. |
Key people | Susan Bonds (President & CEO) Alex Lieu (Chief Creative Officer) Michael Borys (VP of Interactive Design) Johnny Rodriguez (VP of Visual Design) George Cook Bob Fagan |
| Website | 42entertainment.com |
History
editPre-founding
editWhile the company did not officially launch until 2003, many of those who would become the management team were involved with creating and producing "The Beast" for Warner Brothers to promote the Steven Spielberg film A.I.[2] The project was developed by Microsoft.[3]
Founding
editThe company began as 4orty 2wo Entertainment in 2003 and was launched by a management team which included Bob Fagan, Elan Lee,[4][5] Sean Stewart[6] and Jordan Weisman[7][8] from the team which created "The Beast". Notable employees and collaborators between 2003 and 2006 also included Susan Bonds, Joe DiNunzio,[9] Jane McGonigal,[10] Jim Stewartson[11] and John Ziffren.[12][13]
Merge with 3 Pin Media
editIn early 2006, 42 Entertainment merged with 3 Pin Media. The executive team of Michael Borys, Alex Lieu and Johnny Rodriquez joined the company at this time.
Changes in 2007
editIn 2007, Jordan Weisman left the company to found Smith & Tinker. That same year, Elan Lee, Sean Stewart and Jim Stewartson stepped down to found Fourth Wall Studios.[14]
Changes in 2008
editCreatives Steve Peters, Maureen McHugh and Behnam Karbassi left the company in late 2008, and founded No Mimes Media in March 2009.[15]
Projects
editIn 2004 42 Entertainment produced I Love Bees, the prequel to the Xbox game Halo 2. Other projects followed in 2005, such as (client in parentheses) Hex 168 (Microsoft Gaming Studios/Xbox 360), MSN Found (Windows Live Search) and Last Call Poker (Activision's GUN). In 2006, the company created Dead Man's Tale, an interactive game for Windows Messenger and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
In 2007, 42 Entertainment created The Vanishing Point for Windows Vista, which offered a sub-orbital trip to space as a grand prize. The company was also behind Year Zero, which had them working with Trent Reznor to build out a world for the Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero.[16] The Year Zero game was hailed by Rolling Stone as "the most innovative promotion scheme since the leaked sex tape."[17] Although Reznor insisted that the game was an extension of the album rather than a marketing attempt,[18] it nonetheless was awarded a Cyber Grand Prix for digital marketing at the 2008 Cannes Lions.[19]
Starting in 2008, projects from 42 Entertainment include Stop the International (Columbia Tri-Star), If Looks Could Kill (Burrell/Toyota Camry), Bizarro is Here (Six Flags), Project Abraham (SCEA's Resistance 2), and Why So Serious?, an alternate reality game for the Warner Bros. movie The Dark Knight. In 2009, 42 Entertainment started the Flynn Lives Campaign for the Disney film Tron: Legacy.
42 Entertainment's latest contribution to alternate reality games is 2014's Paper Trail downloadable content for Infamous Second Son, item released on the same year as the game.[1]
As well as its involvement in the video game industry, 42 Entertainment worked on a fan documentary for the German DJ Zedd's 2015 album True Colors, which was released in 2016.
References
edit- ^ a b "Original website 4orty2wo.com as archived at archive.org". Web.archive.org. 2005-01-31. Archived from the original on 2005-01-31. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ "Credits as archived on cloudmakers-moderated Yahoo group". Movies.groups.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ "The intricate plot behind 'A.I.' Web mystery". Usatoday.com. 2001-06-28. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Jon, Scott (2006-11-14). "Joystiq Interviews Elan Lee of 42 Entertainment". Joystiq.com. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ "Elan Lee's Alternate Reality". Gamasutra.com. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Borland, John (2005-12-22). "A novelist turned gaming innovator (news.com)". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Canada (2008-05-30). "ARG creator's got game". Toronto: globeandmail.com. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Rose, Frank (2007-12-20). "Secret Websites, Coded Messages: The New World of Immersive Games". wired.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Dean Takahashi (2009-01-30). "42 Entertainment creates alternate reality game for new film, The International". Venturebeat.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Terdiman, Daniel (2006-12-28). "Drawing on the Wii, reality TV (c|net)". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Stewartson, Jim (May 22, 2018). "Jim Stewartson Official Website". Retrieved 2018-05-22.
- ^ "Management team". 2005-04-03. Archived from the original on 2005-04-03. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Weiss, Joanna (2005-10-23). "Who's Running the Show". boston.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ "42 Entertainment Names New Management Team". Reuters. 2007-11-28. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ "No Mimes Media: New company, familiar faces". Argn.com. 2009-03-13. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Agne, Maddie (2022-09-27). "Unpacking issues with art, immediacy and the new Owl City album". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ^ "Year Zero" Project = Way Cooler Than "Lost," Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine Rolling Stone Staff Blog, Feb. 22, 2007.
- ^ Rose, Frank, "Secret Websites, Coded Messages: The New World of Immersive Games"
- ^ Diaz, Ann-christine, "'Uniqlock' Wins Cyber Grand Prix, and 'Voyeur' Snags More Gold," Advertising Age, June 18, 2008. Retrieved 2010-12-27