Mekanism Launches Chilling Interactive Films for SEGA's New Xbox 360 Game, Condemned: Criminal Origins

Mekanism today announced the launch of a haunting new advertising campaign for SEGA® of America, Inc. Created to promote Condemned: Criminal Origins, a new game for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the frightening pre-launch campaign includes a web-site and a six-episode series of interactive web-films rolling out over the course of a month and a half.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 24, 2005 -- Mekanism today announced the launch of a haunting new advertising campaign for SEGA® of America, Inc. Created to promote Condemned: Criminal Origins, a new game for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the frightening pre-launch campaign includes a web-site and a six-episode series of web-films rolling out over the course of a month and a half.

The story-driven interactive films, written and directed by Mekanism, are completely original companion stories to the game—a prequel finishing off where Condemned: Criminal Origins begins.

The SEGA campaign, which can be seen at www.condemnedgame.com, includes a Web-site and a series of interactive web-films that puts the power in the hands of the user to solve the dark mysterious murder. The site, a unique combination of linear and non-linear story telling, is in an interactive flash environment designed to get viewers involved and familiar with the game and its characters by the time Condemned: Criminal Origins launches.

“SEGA is primed to publish the first ever psychological thriller video game, so it was critical for us to set the proper tone for its atmospheric tension prior to its release,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. “Condemned: Criminal Origins was designed to use every last ounce of next-generation processing power to create a totally fresh experience based on sophisticated artificial intelligence and environments that are more unpredictable than ever before.”

“This is not an ad campaign…it’s an insane journey into the core psyche of a serial killer,” said Tommy Means, Mekanism’s executive producer. “After experiencing all of episodes, the audience will definitely have a taste for the intensity of the game.”

The campaign centers around the series of episodic interactive films titled “Condemned, The Prequel Story” that take an FBI agent on a search for a serial killer. Opening to a black screen with haunting echoes, within moments you’re moving through a mass of chains to a dark world where The hunt for a serial killer has already begun…” Once there, a series of Polaroid’s offer access to each part of the film launching separately over the course of a month and a half. Part One starts with an FBI jacket and ringing phone.

From this point forward, the viewer must click on each clue to dive deeper into the story. Once the red button on the ringing phone is clicked they are transported in the Agent Mallory’s world, essentially becoming the agent and each click brings them from the murder scene through to all the clues available in the hunt for the serial killer. It’s a dark mysterious world only the curious mind would ever wander into.

About Condemned: Criminal Origins

Developed by award-winning Monolith Productions for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PC, Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to experience a heightened level of psychological tension as they use their instincts, forensic tools, and melee/firearms combat to track serial killers and bring them to justice. Gamers will play as Agent Thomas, a detective in the FBI’s Serial Crimes Unit (SCU), whose pursuit of relentless serial killers leads him through gritty, life-like environments filled with sociopaths lurking on the brink of humanity.

About Mekanism

Mekanism (www.mekanism.com), based in San Francisco, is an award-winning production and design studio that develops story-driven campaigns bridging broadcast and digital media. Specializing in integrated ad campaigns for the youth market, Mekanism creates branded content distributed via broadcast, web & DVD. Mekanism works directly with clients and/or partners with agencies to concept and produce compelling film, animation, and interactive projects that inspire measurable brand-loyalty. Clients include Current TV, adidas, Sega, Napster, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Rock the Vote, and Pioneer.

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