I don't think it means anything - I think the community badge thing is the first thing that pops up on that list lol
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if you alter the link (cut that hash in half for eg) it leads to same thing
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Someone checked that Hash though and it has been on his profile since forever. Doubt it has anything to do with this puzzle... Someone said it is an old joke and actually is just his name in MD5...
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This hunt is way beyond me. How people manage to find clues is amazing.
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Group brainstorming helps :).
Watching how these guys are working together to crack this is pretty cool - it's my new hobby for now lol
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Just keep us updating and let us know where to claim the prize :-)
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update 5a:
ChrisK's profile went private for a little while, then went public again- this time with his badges all hidden/wiped xD (maybe GitS is the next pitstop)
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i think i have a clue, i was taking a look at http://comeonandsl.am/# and skipping songs, and on a certain song the screen changes... if you right click (as suggested by the #) and copy the url... https://soundcloud.com/samplejammer/
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http://comeonandsl.am/#Journey%20to%20Slamius%20(Quad%20City%20DJ%27s%20vs.%20Naoki%20K.%2C%20Nobuyuki%20H.%2C%20Shinichi%20S.%2C%20Naohisa%20M.) this is the mix that change the thing
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When i look in the sourcecode of the H1Z1 DAYBREAK logo, it says "Ducky"
Kinda weird isnt it.
https://i.gyazo.com/a7fdf580fc87fbab7611c98a05f8cbd6.png
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/295110/extras/DGC_logo.jpg
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When I searched for h1z1 it gave me suspicious url: http://store.steampowered.com/app/295110/?snr=1_7_15__13
Don't know if it means anything... Saw it on some other titles as well. It feels kinda random.
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umm I guess it's nothing... the 'snr' query parameter only appears when I submit chosen game by enter key. If I choose a game by a mouse click then it's not in the url. False alarm =).
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Boom! first to find :P
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/store/winter2015/loyagorku.wav
edit: translates to > forgotten road will lead to failure and service
forgotten road connects failure and rewards?
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badge unlocked
update 7:
Spectrogram analysis of LoYaGorKu {filename: loyagorku.wav} yields 1v7531
On Ikaruga
type search; push enter
input "1v7531"
Red Herring ARG? Badge unlocked.
Doesn't seem like we're through
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Yay, thanks! Sadly I'll have to wait until tomorrow for the badge. Can't use that search function on a mobile device. :(
Edit: http://store.steampowered.com/actions/d3708146fc0c5d593 got me the badge on my mobile device.
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Yea, got it too, lol, but its only means there is more :D (i hope)
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Can someone explain to me how "1v7531" was inferred from the spectrogram?
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it's a little bit clearer here
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the 531 is pretty clear, but the 1v7 part is a little weird - dunno how they managed to figure it out, unless a steam/valve employee was nudging us
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Now you're making me feel dumb :P I think I see some of the characters but I'm not sure. Can you trace them for me?
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been looking at this for few days on the subreddit, honestly people are proper detectives to go this far. Whats the purpose i never understood.
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update 6:
Trading Card 7 (Taffy) has Dungeon Master Symbols "Lo Ya Gor Ku"
Inputting it into a winter comic url gives you this:
LoYaGorKu {filename: loyagorku.wav}
rough translation:
忘れられた道が障害と報酬につながります" (wasurareta michi ga shougai to houshuu ni tsunagarimasu)
"Forgotten road will lead to failure and reward "
update 7:
Spectrogram analysis of LoYaGorKu {filename: loyagorku.wav} yields 1v7531
On Ikaruga
type search; push enter
input "1v7531"
Red Herring ARG? Badge unlocked.
Doesn't seem like we're through
Seems like this is the failure (dead end) and reward for following the forgotten road (Blitzen incident)
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http://store.steampowered.com/actions/d3708146fc0c5d593 for direct badge unlock of step 7 :)
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Badge doesn't work for me, I just get redirected to my badge page :( (even found a direct link that's supposed to grant the badge, same thing)
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Neither the password or the direct link works anymore.
EDIT: See below.
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Yup, page now loads as null pointer.
I remember a red Hering at monkey Island (at the scum bar of MI 1) but I'm sure the search continues at one of the previous steps instead.
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Ok, the password method works in Google Chrome. Neither the password or direct link methods work in Firefox or IE.
EDIT: I think the safest answer is 'it may or may not work, blame Valve'.
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yup, installed Chrome, got the badge (in Firefox I now just get a blank page that says "null")
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Opened the Ikaruga storepage on Firefox, typed search and put the code on the box -> Got the badge. Using newest version of Firefox. If someone doesn't get the badge on Firefox: I suggest to do all the steps from the beginning (I tried the earlier), maybe you can't get badge only with the last part or something?
Direct link didn't work, just null.
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I did all the steps before (starting with the Blitzen Incident search), always got redirected to my badge page in Firefox, later I started getting the null pages (auto-updates, so should be the newest version). Maybe it's because of Enhanced Steam?
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Nice idea, didn't think that. I don't use Enchanted Steam and I mostly use store through client anyway. Can ES switched off easily or something?
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I don't know, I just started using it recently, and I prefer using the client as well (I'm randomly logged out/in again in the browser). But I already noticed that I couldn't get images with extra large Early Access badges from store pages with ES (because they get altered by ES)
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it may sound weird but enter the ikaruga store page and tipe search (dont click on the search button like me) press enter and a white box will appear there paste the code, already redeemed the badge on two accounts :)
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don't worry, I already got it, did the code thing in Chrome after doing it over and over again in FF where it didn't work ;)
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Seems that I am stupid?! Dont work for me. There is always a new window with only one word "null"
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I don't think you're the only one with that problem, don't know how to solve it, sorry :(
Edit: It might be because of Enhaced Steam, don't know if you're using that
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I use it but I think its just bugged. It sometimes opens a new window with only "null" and other times it redirected me to the store page with the results for "search". Finally it worked, but I dont know how or why I needed try this several times.
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Maybe they fixed it, after so many people had problems? Or it's just randomness and nobody knows ...
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Thanks for the quick updates OP certainly got my badge
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Didn't work with firefox but it did work with Chrome. Got my badge, thank you very much!
And happy new year :-)
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Hmm i think there a few more badge to solve it, maybe who first solved got big price from Gaben 8)
Happy New Year Everyone Read this <<
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Just a bump; and a remark of curosity of where it'd all lead.
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Goddamn it, I see this thread only a minute after posting one. I'm bad at using the search function...
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Yours at least included an introduction and useful links. (I'm not criticizing this thread but I was initially confused about all the content.)
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I kinda hesitated about closing it. Most people on the forum dislike double posting from what I've seen.
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I tend to be one of those people who dislikes double posting. Numerous duplicate posts for free games, etc. can clutter the forum and become an annoyance. In this case however, I have double standards since I am biased in favor of your thread. Although not as detailed as this one it made more sense to someone unfamiliar with the mystery. I've probably overlooked this thread numerous times thinking it's an SG puzzle. The ideal post would be a combination of the two but I agree it's probably best to have closed yours. Maybe JCTango can improve the title and introduction...
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to be fair, this thread had an actual introduction (I wasn't confused when I first read it and I never heard of Steam ARGs before), but with the hints rolling in it seems it got edited out.
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thx neko - didn't realize I edited out the intro lol - lemme know if I need to add anything extra
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it's all good man - saw a few pop up after the badge thing was discovered.
Guess I didn't put enough info and people got scared to click
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oh man.
:o
A few sleuthy people have discovered clues and hints in this year's winter sale
and have found breadcrumbs left behind by Gingerbread Jake.
Follow along to see what was decrypted!
(Now with Red Herring Badge)
Gotta say, it's pretty damn impressive how people are decrypting the clues;
even more impressive is seeing people work together to solve them!
update 1:
go to Hitman: Codename 47
type search; push enter
input the code from the winter sale comic cover's barcode (now removed): 94050999014715
update 2:
inputting the code you get from update 1 {ic/4f21ca7} into winter comic url gives you this
4f21ca7 {filename 1fce82a72c633.wav}
A man saying "I was on the right track, I could feel it. Tomorrow, I was going to search again" The .wav is from the 24th
update 3:
"The Blitzen Incident"
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=blitzen yields Grim Fandango
type search; push enter
input the club code from winter sale comic: "HOT TODDIES AND MASERATIS"
now we're in Undertale Hmmmm.... o_o
update 4:
"Bullet Hell" is a tag on Undertale's app page.
on Undertale's page
type search; push enter
input "bullet hell"
now we're at Ikaruga
update 5 interesting Valve employee activity:
The Valve employee ChrisK/FireSlash has the "Red Herring" badge with the description "ARG?"
On his profile there is a (presumed) hash: 2cdeda75c0afb5c4a7a45dfe978315f6.
His last played games are: Undertale, Ikaruga and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault Online
update 5a:
ChrisK's profile went private for a little while, then went public again- this time with his badges all hidden/wiped xD (maybe GitS is the next pitstop)
update 5b:
ChrisK's badges are back now - he has modified his profile to say "This is just a profile" lol. Red Herring, perhaps, but Undertale -> Ikaruga is still pretty intriguing
update 6:
Trading Card 7 (Taffy) has Dungeon Master Symbols "Lo Ya Gor Ku"
Inputting it into a winter comic url gives you this:
LoYaGorKu {filename: loyagorku.wav}
rough translation:
忘れられた道が障害と報酬につながります" (wasurareta michi ga shougai to houshuu ni tsunagarimasu)
"Forgotten road will lead to failure and reward "
update 7:
Spectrogram analysis of LoYaGorKu {filename: loyagorku.wav} yields 1v7531
On Ikaruga
type search; push enter
input "1v7531"
Red Herring ARG? Badge unlocked.
via combatbeard: what is this
Doesn't seem like we're through
Seems like this is the failure (dead end) and reward for following the forgotten road (Blitzen incident)
direct link to badge: http://store.steampowered.com/actions/d3708146fc0c5d593
If you're having problems getting the badge, you might have to disable enhanced steam
update 8 theories:
holiday profile backgrounds have changed with possible hints to some islands and we might have some coordinates.
Left of the penguin: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/items/425280/af2ef83209f1503662d1b95939abeea8ca415c59.jpg
http://imgur.com/039ikx7
http://i.imgur.com/gphhdh6.png
http://i.imgur.com/x69M31r.png
http://imgur.com/w1K1q5t
There is also the "Twinkle" train theory (search twinkle on steam) http://store.steampowered.com/app/222621/
Watch video. From description: "Save Christmas
Take on a series of fun and entertaining missions, over the mantelpiece, under the Christmas tree and across the piano, uncovering secret routes and finding hidden treasures."
Other thoughts: http://i.imgur.com/xc1b2zm.jpg
update 9:
Looks like this might squash some HL3 rumours:
https://i.imgur.com/jURjHBq.jpg
update 10 theories:
Binary code in the last comic page. Look at the lights
The backgrounds used on the main store page match some of the pages in the comic:
http://imgur.com/a/OsgJY
http://8ch.net/v/src/1451761967660.mp4
https://a.pomf.cat/dyoihy.mp4
https://a.pomf.cat/eekwpk.mp4
update 11
Via bruteforce, a new wav file was found using Trading Card 6 (Sending a Message)'s clue
(In retrospect, "F" is the 6th letter in the alphabet - adding it to Trading Card 6's clue gives us 794E2CEA991F)
http://store.steampowered.com/wintercomic/794E2CEA991F {794e2cea991f.wav}
"I've been to Lima four times, stayed at all the best hotels. I used to go to dance halls and tango with Mary Carmen until the sun came up. thud The bravos and accolades would echo and echo until the boys in uniform shut us down."
Filter for NATO phonetic alphabet clues and you get LLLLHTBEEU (anagram of BULLET HELL [the code word that led us from Undertale to Ikaruga])
update 12 theories
Possible link to The Holiday Express?
https://i.imgur.com/170yL6x.png
Zippy's body
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/clusters/sale_winter2015_comic/397a5a0d/fbe2b441_day_2_english.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SuiMZQL.png
http://i.imgur.com/7YnQ3UQ.png
update 13 theories and "What We Know So Far"
The last wall paper yet to be revealed is called "Kind Lies And Goodbyes"
Is Holly the culprit?
We also have theories linking the card 2 artwork to the Orion constellation.
https://www.reddit.com/r/steamsaledetectives/comments/3za311/the_stars/
https://www.reddit.com/r/steamsaledetectives/comments/3zaejm/the_stars_part_2/
Card 2 art for reference:
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/items/425280/52a2cf1ccae204c6c035eada743f224a4384bc76.jpg
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/items/425280/f21020505f5ecd896fa63dd8691edfbf64a2d5d7.jpg
What we know up to this point:
https://youtu.be/uxPTsj5iHMM
update 14 theories
Signature links to Andy Warhol:
https://www.reddit.com/r/steamsaledetectives/comments/3zcltn/possible_lead_on_the_signature/
update 15:
With the Winter Sale over, nothingtoseehere.js and
http://store.steampowered.com/wintercomic/are gone ...Wonder what the solution to the ARG was :(http://store.steampowered.com/wintercomic/ is still alive! :D
There may be hope yet; but without the nothingtoseehere.js secret search script, I wonder if a solution is still possible
update 16 theories:
Potential link between Gingerbread Jake's clue map and a map of the North Pole
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/368533069678560219/DD60621E3A7379BABE5F2D18FF3D608A67AB152A/
https://www.reddit.com/r/steamsaledetectives/comments/3zdqnr/day_5_map_with_pin_locations/
https://www.reddit.com/r/steamsaledetectives/comments/3zexk0/the_reallife_aurora_borealis_icebreaker/
update 17 theory
https://www.reddit.com/r/steamsaledetectives/comments/3zg9ug/shiny_murder_theory/
What a tangled web they weave
Subreddit
Steam Sale ARG Wiki
Summary
A visual chronology of things that are known
NorthPole Noir MindMap
Known & debunked hints/clues
Bruteforce page
Thank you for helping with the updates:
combatbeard
m3rc
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