California UFO Drones - The Hoax That Keeps On Giving (Bioware & LucasArts)

Bioware, LucasArts and the California Drones?!

Well it seems as if just as the shouts that the California Drones were part of a Viral campaign for the Sarah Connor Chronicles are fading away along comes, “Star Wars: The Old Republic”.

No doubt that this will spurn yet another batch of equally invalid claims that Lucasarts & Bioware were the ones responsible for initially pushing the Drone bandwagon rather than merely jumping on it…..

Don't get me wrong I believe the entire Drone debacle was undoubtedly a hoax, but viral marketing? I for one personally don't buy it and it seems that every time the Drones seem to dwindle in notoriety then yet another rejuvenation comes along, anyway here's the blurb about the game:

“Play Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ and forge your own Star Wars™ saga in a story-driven massively-multiplayer online game from BioWare and LucasArts. Explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy.”

And of course the image in question:

And the text that accompanies the image:

“The Jedi have been the noble peacekeepers and diplomats for the Galactic Republic for 22,000 years. While law-abiding citizens look to the Jedi with respect and inspiration, the Galactic Republic's enemies regard the Jedi with suspicion, fear, and anger.

The success of the Sith Empire's military campaign during the Great War saw the deaths of thousands of Jedi. During the sacking of Coruscant, six Masters of the Jedi Council were killed, and in the time since, the Sith have started their own recruitment campaign to seek out Force-sensitive children around the galaxy.

These catastrophes have damaged the Galactic Republic's faith in its legendary protectors, but they are far from defeated. Overwhelmed but fearless, the Jedi have returned to their ancient homeworld of Tython, recommitting to their timeless principles and looking to the future, hoping to restore balance to the Force and peace and justice to the galaxy.

Despite their intentions, the Jedi Order's search for serenity on Tython has been strained. Among the ancient Tythonian ruins, mysterious Force energies abound, and the legacy of a long forgotten darkness has re-emerged. With the arrival of a Twi'lek pilgrim clan determined to settle on Tython in violation of Galactic Republic law, delicate and dangerous trials have arisen for Jedi Padawans in training and for the Order itself.”

Source

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Incidentally this is probably the most believable viral marketing link to date if only because the original characters of the LAP were linked to Aurebesh due to their aesthetic similarities.

Source

Bristol UFO Video (May 2009) Delta/Triangle

A video alleged to have been taken in Bristol recently of a Delta/Triangular shaped UFO, the video was picked up by the local and national media (Telegraph).

A quick look at the video instantly struck me as a computer generated object although I haven't studied the video to any extent but let me explain why, if you follow the YouTube link it takes you to a user called *ikkleh* who is also known as Andrew Hadlington, he has a link to his website posted and it leads to ‘DigitalOranges.com' a quick visit shows the following image and nothing else (I've highlighted what I believe to be relevant). Also a quick look at the source code lists the keywords, “game, viral, viral marketing” amongst others and the title text reads:

“Digital Oranges Interactive - Specialists in Flash game development for the Online, Viral Marketing, and the Leisure and Gambling Industry.”

Hadlington also states he is a computer programmer (Flash game development) and a senior artist for Rage software (source), the Youtube video is accompanied with the following description:

"This UFO (or whatever it is) buzzed us twice - managed to get it the second time around. Freakiest thing I have ever seen in my life. Source."

And here's the original video first, then brightened a little and then slowed down…..

UFO over Bristol - 10 May 2009

The Telegraph article stated:

Computer game writer Andy, 36, said:

"It was the freakiest thing I have ever seen in my life. I was sitting in my office and saw it out of the corner of my eye….We're not far from the airport so I thought it could even have been a low-flying plane, so I was quite alarmed…..It was quite exciting – it sort of hovered past the houses. There was no sound. I ran downstairs and out of the garden to see where it went but I couldn't see anything…..My fiancée was out at the time but I'm sure other people must have seen it. It was so clear."

Now while I appreciate that the media often misrepresent people in their stories the above excerpt seems like a direct quote and more importantly a quote which seemingly contradicts the description that accompanied the original video.

But apart from this, the fact that the witness is well placed within the gaming industry to construct such a video and because he also appears to promote himself as a ‘viral marketer' alarm bells instantly were instantly ringing, especially when considered along with the facts that this object was apparently circling (due to the fact it passed the witness more than once) and was allegedly sighted at 5:30pm over a residential area (Sunday teatime), well, surely more than one witness would have seen such a phenomenon?

All in my humble opinion of course…..

Anyway here's the original Telegraph article (there was a related article suggesting that the object was a piece of cardboard but to be honest that's more unbelievable than the fact that it was a ‘nuts & bolts' physical object, hence its omission):

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Andy Hadlington saw the mysterious blob silently hovering around and filmed it from the window of his office. The mysterious grey object glided around the residential area of Knowle, Bristol, at 5.30pm on Sunday without making a sound. UFO experts have been trying to verify the sighting and are hoping to speak to more witnesses and views of the eerie episode.

Computer game writer Andy, 36, said:

"It was the freakiest thing I have ever seen in my life. I was sitting in my office and saw it out of the corner of my eye…..We're not far from the airport so I thought it could even have been a low-flying plane, so I was quite alarmed…..It was quite exciting – it sort of hovered past the houses. There was no sound. I ran downstairs and out of the garden to see where it went but I couldn't see anything…..My fiancée was out at the time but I'm sure other people must have seen it. It was so clear…..

Denis Plunkett, of the British Flying Saucer Bureau, based in Winterbourne, near Bristol, was unable to comment on the video but said there were ways to verify its authenticity, saying:

"There are ways to sort out good from bad. Firstly they are silent, there will be no noise…They can also become invisible. They can go in and out of MoD radar. They can change speed, direction and height in seconds…..The best thing is if there are multiple witnesses to the sighting. If more people saw this I'd be very interested.”

Source: The Telegraph

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UK- UFO Over Glastonbury Tor (May 2009)

05-02-09 - Great Britain - Pulsating Light Show

I have just arrived home from a camping holiday in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. With me were my wife Fran, and our friend Julie. It was our last night and we were at our campsite in the larger of the two tents we had taken. I looked out of the doorway and noticed a bright reddish orange light above Glastonbury Tor. I mentioned this immediately to the others because it was an unusual colour for an aeroplane.

I must mention that there was cloud cover and no stars were visible. However, ground level visibility was good. The light ascended and started to pulsate - I suspect the pulsation was as it got nearer to and started entering the clouds, all of a sudden two more lights the same ascended and as they did the first one disappeared into the clouds. We were all amazed at this fantastic light show and it still hadn't ended because as the two lights reached the clouds another one appeared and this followed the same course.

All of this occurred at approx 23.25 - 23.40 BST on 2nd May, 2009. I had 2 mini-DV camcorders with me, but both had been used and due to us camping we never had a way of powering them, therefore no film. I had used all the batteries filming Mayday events.

Regards, Maurice Voice from Wirral, Merseyside, England

Source: UFOCasebook

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