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Architecture: PPC
In Memoriam (aka Missing: Since January)
From Wikipedia:
In Memoriam (known as Missing: Since January in the US) is an adventure video game for Windows and Macintosh. It uses alternate reality-style gameplay, in which the player receives e-mails from other in-game characters, including the game's main antagonist. The player needs to find information and clues to the games' puzzles on the Internet, both from real websites, and from specially-created websites that have been mixed in with other "real-world" domains.
The game centers around the disappearance of journalist Jack Lorski, and his young female companion, Karen Gijman, in Europe while investigating a series of bizarre murders. Some weeks later, the agency they work for receives a package containing a CD-ROM. On this CD-ROM is a mixture of disturbing footage and reports made by Jack, but also some other data including puzzles and messages, created by someone referring to themselves only as "The Phoenix."
The game is available on 3 CDs:
Download from max1zzz's server
In_Memoriam.toast.zip
IN_MEMORIAM_PC.iso.zip
Black CD-Alcohol.zip
Black_cd.iso.zip
In_Memoriam.toast.zip
IN_MEMORIAM_PC.iso.zip
Black CD-Alcohol.zip
Black_cd.iso.zip
The two install CD images are straightforward. However, the third disc (Black CD) contains SafeDisc copy protection which involves the presence of read errors on the CD. I know of no way of making a disc image on a Mac that will burn to an exact copy of the original CD. However the above Alcohol 120 (mdf/mds) image created on a PC will make an exact copy if you use Alcohol 120 to burn the CD on a PC. There may be other ways, but I have no knowledge of them. I have also included a Hybrid Mac/PC .iso image of the Black CD without the copy protection, in case you find some way of using it.
You require an internet connection and email address to play. There is no serial required.
The game website is here.
CompatibilityArchitecture: PPC
From the box -
Mac:
Mac OS8.6 or later (Classic supported under OS X)
333MHz G3 or faster
750MB disk space
64MB RAM
800x600 32bit colour video
Windows:
333MHz processor (Intel or AMD)
Windows 98 to XP
750MB disk space
64MB RAM
800x600 32bit colour video
Comments
So... right at the start, when I try to make an account, it says the connection to the game's servers have been interrupted and to try again later. Are the servers still up or what?
I like ARG, don't get me wrong, but the bad side is that they do not last very long. They can be shut down anytime. It happened with a few ARGs I really liked or wanted to try. It's a shame because it's such an innovative idea...
Still, the online part of In Memoriam is cool and all but it would be better if the e-mails were all just pre-scripted. That way the game can be played in 2003, 2012 or 2090. I also assume it does not work offline so if you're stuck without Internet you will not be able to do anything.
I gave a 4/5 rating because the game sounds very good.
---->a $1 bargain on eBay<----
How on earth do you catch these bargains, bertyboy? I didn't check who the original uploader was, and decided to buy it. I paid a heck of a lot more than $1. If I had checked, I would have asked you for fresh copies instead.
I still have the original media (a $1 bargain on eBay), I shall image again and calculate a SHA hash and compare it with the file I originally uploaded (which I also still have).
It is a different disc image. Bertyboy, did you notice any complaints about disc errors from your imaging software when you copied the Black CD? With Toast, I found that it complained and included a couple on errors in the image instead of the complete set of errors due to SafeDisc. Maybe that is enough to fool the game into thinking that it is the original disc? My .iso copy has no errors and was made on a PC by converting the mds/mdf into an iso using UltraISO. I am not sure that my copy will work with the game.
Unless this is a different version that bertyboy's old upload it should be ok. I played that one in VirtualBox without any problems.
Replaced defunct MU links with links that work.
If anyone can manage to play this game using the Black CD .iso image then I will delete the Alcohol 120 image to save space.
Re-upload, please?
I finished playing this last night. It's an incredible experience. Frustrating at times but totally engrossing. I have a vague recollection of when it came out but at the time I was on dialup so playing a game where you had to stay online wasn't going to work.
Surprisingly all the sites that the game uses are still online. You will need to patch the game to fix some bugs and to make sure you can register and get emails from your "fellow investigators".
Mac patch: http://www.inmemoriam-thegame.com/fr/Patch_InMemoriam_2005_09_05.sit
Win patch: http://www.inmemoriam-thegame.com/fr/Patch_InMemoriam_2005_09_05.EXE
You need to create an email account to play this game. I went with hotmail but after completing the game and looking through a walkthrough I quickly realised that I only received a fraction of the emails I was supposed to. This will cause problems.
So I reinstalled the game, applied the patch but this time created a free aol email (as I could add it to Outlook Express via IMAP). Although I've only replayed the first few puzzles it's apparent quite early on that I'm getting more emails this time. After the first two emails from SKL you should get one from Fe256. If you don't you're probably going to end up receiving a fraction of the emails. Also some will probably end up in your spam folder so check that regularly and mark them as not spam.
No feeling difference between 617MB and 625MB, I can see.
I used to have issues with sit/zip on Toast files on my MDD, so I did stop for a while. But I now use my PMG5 as the main Mac as well as an 8-core Mac Pro, so CPU for Stuffing or Zipping isn't an issue, and it doesn't seem to corrupt it either.
I did try Stuffit v5.5 and Zip on each of these toast files before uploading. Made no difference at all !! 617MB compressed instead of 625MB uncompressed.
Can't you zip/sit the files to save bandwith?
(I know to zip/sit takes a long time, which may is the reason you don't do?)