Waiting in the security line at the Atlanta airport gives a person plenty of time to think about their life choices. As you shuffle forward at a glacial pace, you wonder if it’s really a good idea to become even more entangled with the enigmatic information brokers known only as Big Data. The first two missions for them were relatively painless, not to mention lucrative. But something about this one feels… off. In theory, it’s a simple real-world mission:
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- Fly to Chicago.
- Hang out at Starbucks.
- Wait for the target to show up.
- Hack her phone.
- Don’t get caught.
Well, as simple as real-world missions can ever be. It’s always risky doing an op out in the open, in full view of any cameras or shoulder-surfers. Traveling for an op is even riskier, but hey, whatever pays for that new rig you’ve been eyeing.
“Photo ID, please.” The TSA agent is staring at you impatiently.
“Oh, right, sorry. Here you go.”
A sudden chill runs up your spine. This is your first time flying with a fake ID. Such measures became necessary after a rival spy de-anonymized and “leaked” you (read: framed you) to the feds, officially making you a wanted criminal. The shop that sold you the ID claims to be good, and they are well-reviewed, but still…
“Thanks, enjoy your flight.”
Whew, that’s a relief. You shamble through the rest of the line, and the ever-present privacy violations that are the TSA’s body scanners, without incident. Past security and relatively safe for the moment, your thoughts return to the mission at hand. Though they keep their cards close to their chest, Big Data has never been known for recklessness. If they ask for information, it’s because someone else is willing to pay well more than the costs of obtaining it. Still, to your knowledge, they don’t have much of a presence in Chicago, and no one gave you any information at all about who your target actually is, other than a basic physical description (redhead, 5’6″, mid-40’s) and the location of her favorite coffee shop.
And then there was the mission listing itself: High-paying, at the top of the list. Normally those missions are snagged within a few minutes by the swarms of risk-tolerant idiots who want to make a name for themselves, but this one sat for multiple days before you conjured up the courage to click “Accept.” It’s almost as if — a lump forms in your throat as the pieces come together — someone intended you to take this mission.
“Hello, 178.128.131.185,” a chilling voice spouts your home IP address from behind you. You whirl around to spot the perpetrator, a redhead, about 5’6″, in her mid-40’s…
“We need to talk.”
Spycursion, our first game in early development, is what we’re referring to as a “subterfuge MMO.” It combines in-depth realistic hacking with an overworld map allowing you to move from place to place (think wardriving), in a massively multiplayer sandbox which will let you team up with other players, attack them… or do both simultaneously! Watch this space for more on Spycursion. It’s got a number of very innovative features that we think you’re going to love.