Ripley's Believe It or Not! Set to Release an Online Puzzle Adventure Game in June

Online, May 21, 2010 (Newswire.com) - ORLANDO, Fla. - (May 20, 2010) - Robert Ripley's legacy as an adventurer lives on today through Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums, books, TV and radio shows. Soon Ripley fans will have the opportunity to experience Ripley's world of the weird like they never have before - through Ripley's first ever online game.

Zon8 takes players into Ripley's virtual world of artifacts and oddities

The new offering is a free puzzle adventure game called Zon8. The game takes players on a journey through a fictitious warehouse of Robert Ripley's archives. Players must solve a series of puzzles, discover special artifacts and collect a variety of clues on their journey.

You see the Church of the One Tree in Robert Ripley's hometown of Santa Rosa, California. Entering the building, nothing seems out of the ordinary, but you get the feeling that this is a very unusual, special place. A hidden artifact near the altar opens a door that leads you into the unknown.

You're in a cavernous warehouse beneath the church. You've entered Robert Ripley's secret archives. You must find the artifacts that provide you with clues needed to continue on your journey. You must solve a series of mind-bending puzzles in order to proceed. Every room, every level provides its own special challenges for you to face. As you advance in the game, you also leap forward into the future.

Players eventually come face-to-face with S.A.R.I. - an imaginary artificial intelligence that Robert Ripley supposedly created.

You've survived long enough to reach Zon8. Your heart races as you face your ultimate test. You're about to be challenged by S.A.R.I. - the Secure Access Ripley Interface. S.A.R.I. knows all and is very unforgiving. Do not question it - it will question you. Legend has it that Robert Ripley began developing S.A.R.I. as a database for the odd in 1945. S.A.R.I. puts you on the spot to see if you have gathered the correct answers along your journey.

S.A.R.I. asks a series of questions that players must answer from information that they have gathered during the game. The multiple-choice questions are actual Believe It or Not! facts. Eight correct answers in a row complete the game. Get one wrong and players must start again.

You're faced with a series of questions unlike any you've ever had to answer. S.A.R.I. demands perfection. Answer eight questions in a row to successfully complete your journey - answer incorrectly and feel the pressure mount as you are forced to start again. You now wish you would have paid more attention along the way. Those who have the answers will see the final saga unfold before their very eyes.

First 10 Finishers Will Win Unique Prizes; First 50 Will Win Prizes

The first 10 players to finish the game will receive a prize that rewards them for their Ripley-esque spirit of adventure - a custom made shrunken head created by Ripley's F/X department exclusively for this game. Only 10 were made and are the only ones in existence! These are the ultimate Ripley collectible, notes Dave Ugan, Ripley's VP of IT.

In total, there are 50 prizes for the first 50 finishers. Finishers 11 through 30 will receive a copy of the Ripley book, "In Search of the Shrunken Head," and finishers from 31 to 50 will receive the Ripley book, "Ripley's Believe It or Not! Seeing is Believing."

Zon8 is set to launch during the week of June 28. The game is free, but players must sign up to receive notice to when the game will go live. Players can sign up at this link. Everyone who registers will be advised to when the game goes live so all will have equal opportunity to win the 10 coveted shrunken heads. The estimated time to complete the game is 6-8 hours.

"Zon8 is the amazing result of combining the legendary artifacts and oddities Ripley's has in its collection with the interactive aspects of the virtual world," said Ugan, who is overseeing Ripley's unprecedented push, company-wide, into cutting edge technology.

The game was developed by 2Advanced Studios, an interactive agency dedicated to pushing the creative boundaries of design and technology to deliver high impact rich media solutions. From its main campus in Aliso Viejo, California, Co-Founders Eric Jordan, Tony Novak, and John Carroll lead a team of 25 employees based in both the United States and Japan.

Downloadable game images are available in the Ripley's Newsroom.

Media Contact:

Tim O'Brien
VP Communications
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
Obrien@ripleys.com
Office - 615-646-7465
Cell - 615-496-5949

About Ripley Entertainment Inc.
Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley's Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment, entertaining more than 13 million annually at its 80-plus attractions in 11 countries. In addition to its 31 Believe It or Not! museums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.