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Clicking around the Allure Bays Corp. (ABC) site feels like visiting a real company online. However, ABC is a fictitious corporation invented by Microsoft to demonstrate the power and capabilities of Microsoft Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010, a program that allows users to collaborate with others and publish information to the Web.
The days of banner ads and annoying pop-up commercials may be numbered. Unlike most microsites built to showcase new programs or technologies, ABC’s site takes an adventure gaming approach.
Through videos, as well as visual and audio clues, ABC’s “employees” act out scenarios that explain how they’re using Microsoft’s programs to increase their productivity in rather unconventional ways. For instance, if you want to progress from one video to the next, you’ll have to uncover a few dozen Easter eggs hidden throughout the site.
By clicking certain items like a projector, or searching for terms like “information capture”, you’ll be treated to a series of rewards that allow you to progress through the entire site. For those who become registered users, it provides access to a leaderboard that keeps track of Easter egg discovery progress.
Pop culture junkies will recognize references to everything from The Wizard of Oz to Superman II. And here’s a hint: If you keep an eye on ABC’s Twitter feed, you’ll pick up clues to uncover more Easter eggs, which will let you keep climbing that leaderboard. At the heart of ABC is one big commercial for Microsoft, but it definitely beats sitting through forced fed ads that separate you from content you want to view.
