TV Show 'Lost' Inspires a Global Online Game

A guy named Desmond? Hatches? Smoke monsters? Others? If you know all those things, well then you probably follow Lost like a religion and question and analyze everything you see. Don't worry...I think we all do. Well, prepare to get sucked into one more mystery of the island -- the Lost online game!

From the article:

More than 20 broadcasters around the world are uniting to run an interactive game based on the hit TV series Lost, planting clues on different media formats to help solve a cryptic worldwide mystery.

The first clues for the ``Lost Experience,'' as the game is known, will be shown on May 2 during the program's broadcast on Britain's Channel 4, May 3 on ABC and May 4 on Australia's Seven Network. Singapore's Channel 5 and Star India are among the others participating.

The game will follow a parallel storyline not featured in the TV show about a group of castaways marooned on a mysterious island following a plane crash.

It is not dependent, however, on having seen any specific episode because audiences in different countries are not being shown the series at exactly the same time.

The broadcasters gave little indication of the game's objective or how long it would last.

``The experience provides insight to unlock some of the island's secrets for those savvy enough to collect the clues, make the connections and find the answers,'' they said in a statement.

Added Vicky Powell, a spokeswoman for Channel 4: ``It's not about winning a prize, it's an opportunity to raise the level of the program and sustain interest for viewers.''

The game is mainly Internet-based, but the broadcasters suggested that ``any and every platform'' could contain clues, echoing other marketing efforts that have used e-mail, billboards, phone calls and fake Web sites to tantalize fans.

``It's like a giant, mysterious jigsaw puzzle that will come to life for all the world to solve, whether you are a fan of the TV series or not,'' said Mike Benson, the senior vice president of marketing for ABC Entertainment.

Read the full article over at the New York Times for even more information.