Get Your LOST fix!

The latest LOST ARG has officially gotten underway! As you'll soon learn, I live for LOST, and I, like many fans get totally "lost" (get it?) in the story and pseudo universe that it takes place within. Given this obsession, I get withdrawal from the series. It's like my friends all left me, and aren't coming back until February - and even then, they're only hanging out for a few weeks! Al Rocker never leaves me for months at a time (yes, I count Al as a TV friend, we're not as tight as me and Hurly, but we're buds).
LOST, in addition to being a killer show that always delivers, they help cure the no-new-episode shakes of their loyal (freaky obsessive) fans. TPTB come through with an ARG - in layman's terms: Alternative Reality Game - almost every year. The first one, in 2006, was "The Lost Experience" was high budget, high in product placement, and with a high involvement factor. I started off strong, but alas, work, home, and social life got in the way. Not only did it serve to bring it network-friendly sponsors, but developed the stories behind the Dharma Initiative and enigmatic Alvar Hanso (who, I believe, will become a key figure to the end game of this show). 2007/08 brought us the less time-intensive (and less immersive) Find 815. It was more of a story; lots of sweet interactive video, puzzles to solve, and hidden pictures to find. Find 815 helped to jolt us out of the fantasy island realm, and reminded viewers that time is continuing, with or without them. That, and introducing the idea of the rescue boat (aka Frieghties if you're a fan).
This year - Dharma Wants You! It was announced as Octagon Global Recruiting -a faux ad that aired during the season finale. The dates mentioned? Comicon in San Diego. From that event, it grew to involve more recruiting videos, quizzes, and enigmatic behind the scenes info.
The game is in the early stages, but promises to give some more info about the fall of Dharma, and the purpose behind it to begin with. I think we'll find out if the Dharma Initiative is good guys, bad guys, or an innocent victim in the Others' quest to keep control of the island (or the Ben vs Widmore debacle...which I won't confuse non-fans with). But I guess we'll have to wait and see how this one measures up (both in entertainment value, and marketing value).