So, I’m probably one of five people on the planet not excited for the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. However, that does not mean I can’t be excited for promos and games leading up to the release on April 29th.
GameStop stores in New York City and the surrounding areas are taking place in a really cool ARG / contest which could land someone ten thousand dollars. On April 1st one thousand keys were delivered to GameStop stores surrounding ‘Liberty City.’
Each key is attached to a tag that reads: If found, please call: 212-265-4400
Upon calling the number, which I hope you do, you get a recording from some Brooklyn-Italian gangster informing you that "you’ve found a key to Niko’s lock box." He goes on to tell you that Niko’s lock box has thirty thousand dollars in it and your key could unlock up to ten thousand.
Anyone who finds a key is told to report to the GameStop on 33rd and Broadway on Monday, April 28th between 5pm and 9pm. Anyone not there by 9 forfeits their shot at winning cash money.
The wording in the memo that went out to store managers is a little odd. From what I can gather there will be multiple winners with prizes ranging between one hundred and ten thousand dollars. I am assuming there are envelopes with dollar amounts written on them inside the lockbox and if your key opens it you get to choose an envelope.
The whole thing is really, really awesome. Store managers are instructed to drop keys in public places around the city and around the store. I’m kind of curious to see what kind of people pick these things up. Are people going to pick them up and immediately throw them in the garbage? Are people who don’t know what GTA is going to care about Niko’s lock box?
It doesn’t matter. I wish there were more retailers or game companies that were doing more contests or things like this. I don’t even care about the whole, ‘I could win money’ part. I’d take a tee shirt, or a postcard that said I was part of it. That would be cool. If you called and were given a code for a shirt that said "I found Niko’s lock box and all I got was this lousy tee shirt."
Sign me up for that.
