Flynnlives.com
From Tron
FlynnLives.com
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- Direct link: http://flynnlives.com
This page is intended as a backup / mirror of the site and the changes that may occur over time. If you see something changed, please log the details with a date.
July 21, 2009
Various film websites receive a package containing two tokens for Flynn's Arcade and a flash drive. The drives contain one of five different animated .gif files, each displaying a snippet of CSS code. When the information from the pictures is compiled and decoded, the phrase "FLYNN LIVES" appears, leading to flynnlives.com.
FLYNN LIVES
Genius, Visionary, Modern Hero.
That is Kevin Flynn.
He came into our lives and showed us the limitless possibilities of the future. And then, all of a sudden, he "disappeared."
Some people believed he died. We don't. We know that Kevin Flynn Lives.
We're not crazy, we're not obssessed, we're not lunatics. We simply have followed the facts wherever they lead. And the facts tell us that Kevin Flynn Lives.
We are here for Kevin. Nobody can make us stop believing that he is out there, that he's waiting for us, and that he will return when the time is right.
WHAT THE MEDIA HAS TO SAY
- Who Is The... Most Amazing?
- Game Over
- Dead or In Love?
- Diversification Trumps Innovation at EnCom
- Will EnCom Weather the Financial Storm?
HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR MOVEMENT
1989 -- Kevin Flynn alleged to "disappear." Initial facts raise many questions. Many of us were suspicious.
1990 -- Sightings of Kevin Flynn by ordinary citizens, including high-credibility "Level 3" sightings of Flynn in NYC's Central Park during a Shakespeare Festival, on the fringes of a San Francisco street fair, and the notorious "Elvira" sighting of Kevin Flynn at Halloween celebrations in West Hollywood, California. Unfortunately, these initial sightings display certain characteristics true to this day -- nothing has been confirmed and photographic evidence has been lacking.
1992 -- Sightings continue. Several of us make contact thru Usenet and begin correspondence.
1994 -- First Flynn Lives! meet-up in Dayton, Ohio. We resolve to continue our efforts to find out the facts behind the mysterious disappearance.
1998 -- Letter from Kevin Flynn to a founding member of the group gains media attention, then debunked. Founding member (now ex-member) checks into a mental hospital for observations.
2001 -- A $5,000 award is offered to anybody who can prove Kevin Flynn is alive. By December 31st, alas, nobody had satisfied our jury and the money was spent on a great party for all of the "Troniacs" we know and love!
2002 - 2005 An era of low visibility for our group. Sightings drop off, and interest seems to slacken. Thank heavens that is over!
2007 - Interest picks up as the "Albino Cow" Flynn sighting in southern New Jersey energizes a new generation of activists.
Media Articles
Who Is The...Most Amazing?
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COMPUTE!
JUNE 1993
WHO IS THE...MOST AMAZING?
The eternal question among a certain class of gamers and geeks is, "Who was the most brilliant computer visionary ever?" Was it Steve Wozniak? Steve Jobs? Bill Gates? Kevin Flynn? We have compiled this timeline of essential facts to be considered when the middle of this eternal debate.
TIMELINE OF BREAKTHROUGHS
- 1970: Intel launches the first microprocessor, the 4004--with 2250 transistors!
- 1971: The first arcade game, "Computer Space", is created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney
- 1971: Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Traf-O-Data to sell computerized traffic-analysis systems.
- 1972: The Odyssey is released by Magnavox, the first home video game console
- 1975: First shipment of the Altair 8800, one of the first PCs. Comes complete with 1 (one) kilobyte of memory!
- 1975: Bill Gates and Paul Allen create BASIC for the Altair 8800, the first computer language for PCs.
- 1976: Steve Wozniak creates first Apple, the Apple I. Apple is founded.
- 1977: Atari game system is launched, becomes huge success.
- 1978: Ward Christiansen and Randy Seuss create the first significant microcomputer bulletin board in Chicago.
- 1978: First "trackball" controller released for Atari's arcade game Football.
- 1978: Midway releases huge hit "Space Invaders", which is also the first arcade game to keep track of high scorers.
- 1979: John Shoch and Jon Hupp create first "Worm", a small program that searches networks.
- 1980: ENCOM brings their first mainframe online, a significant breakthrough in processing power and chip-to-chip communication.
- 1980: Kevin Flynn gets his doctorate from CalTech and joins ENCOM. He rockets up the ranks and becomes a lead software designer.
- 1981: Kevin Flynn's cult status among gamers grows as he buys Flynn's Arcade and fills it with the games he created for ENCOM--Space Paranoids, Matrix Blaster, Vice Squad, Light Cycles.
- 1981: Led by Kevin Flynn's incredible work, ENCOM's profits soar.
- 1981: Kevin Flynn is fired from ENCOM after dispute with CEO Ed Dillinger over credit for his work.
- 1981: Nintendo releases Donkey Kong arcade game, a huge hit.
- 1981: Microsoft releases MS-DOS
- 1983: Kevin Flynn rehired by ENCOM, becomes VP of Creative Development. Leads ENCOM to enormous success as the largest video game company in the world.
- 1984: Activision releases Pitfall, which is seen as the most significant non-ENCOM game of its time.
- 1985: Kevin Flynn retires from ENCOM to create "a digital frontier that will reshape the human condition."
- 1985: Steve Jobs resigns from Apple, forms Next Software
- 1986: Steve Jobs founds Pixar.
- 1989: Kevin Flynn disappears. Since then, ENCOM has grown to become the largest computer technology company in the world, but its creative heart is missing.
Game Over
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GAME OVER
By Thadius Gnorf
February 18, 1990
I must admit, I spent a good deal of my youth (not to mention a few hundred dollars in quarters) at video arcades. I played everything - from shoot'em up games to saving that princess from a fire-breathing dragon - and I loved each and every one. This was back in the days before every kid in America owned a home system; when you actually had to walk to the arcade and jostle for time on your favorite machine.
And my favorite machine, you ask? That's a no-brainer: "TRON."
The thrill of the chase, the strategy of outmanuevering your foe, the agony of an eventual collision - my 10-year old heart could barely withstand the excitement as I weaved and edged my bike around the glowing, magical screen. I set records in my hometown that would endure for years to follow. I was a hero.
But I was nothing compared to the creator of "TRON" - Kevin Flynn.
To us gamers, he was a god. Smart, sophisticated, rich - he was the guy we all wanted to be... and now he's gone. Did our adoration drive him away? Where has our hero gone?
Without Flynn, we may never know what the future of video game technology holds in store. He put arcades on the map and kept them filled with action, excitement, and millions of fans, eager for chance to play just one more time.
But has that time run out? Will we ever see another Kevin Flynn creation? And what madman could be responsible for his untimely disappearence? The gaming world demands answers... and more importantly, we demand our hero back, safe and sound.
Dead or In Love?
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EnCom's Kevin Flynn Disappears -- and the Rumors Start Flying!
By Fedra Wollinsky
12/12/89
VIP card rooms in Monte Carlo...The finest resorts along the French Riviera...Five-star restaurants in New York,London, and Tokyo...
These were the regular haunts of video game genius Kevin Flynn. But now he's off the grid,prompting the world to ask, "Where is this magnificent mogul?"
He virtually invented the video gaming industry with his creation of "Tron" and "Space Paranoids," both products of the mega-successful EnCom Corporation. But even the top executives over at EnCom are keeping tight-lipped about Flynn's mysterious disappearance. If they can't tell us where he is, then who can?
Kevin Flynn's private jet was a mainstay on runways around the planet. He was known to pilot himself to the Bahamas for a weekend getaway or to Finland for a software conference with the greatest computing minds from around the globe. According to sources close to the Flynn family, that jet has not taken flight for months, leaving journalists to speculate about his current whereabouts. The following are a few theories that have been proffered:
DEATH IN THE PACIFIC
Flynn was a yachting enthusiast, but he was never formally trained to operate a sailing vessel...that we know of. If he rented a boat(anonymously,of course) and sailed it into open waters, boat could have been hit by a storm and Flynn could have drowned without a trace.
LOVE LORN
Widowed since 1985, Flynn has kept his romantic life out of the press ever since. Could it be that he has met a special someone and is enjoying the romance in parts unknown?
POWERFUL ENEMIES
You don't get to be the leader of any given industry without stepping on a few toes. Perhaps one or more of Flynn's competitors got fed up with gis unprecedented winning streak and decided to take matters into their own hands. But how could they assassinate such a public, outgoing figure without getting caught? And where is his body?
SAVING THE WORLD
Kevin Flynn has always kept his philanthropic endeavors under wraps. Over the years, he has donated millions of dollars to worthwhile charities (we only know this because of some tenacious investigative reporters). If he were establishing an orphanage in South America or developing a water filtration system in Africa, would he tell anyone about it? Perhaps not. Flynn's character is as altruistic as it is secretive.
Whatever the truth might be, one thing's for sure: the world is better off with Kevin Flynn in it. So for now, the search continues...
Diversification Trumps Innovation at EnCom
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Will EnCom Weather the Financial Storm?
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STAFF WRITER
11/6/89
Trader remain dubious as to the future stability of Encom, one of the most vibrant and robust companies of this past decade. Now that their CEO and creative guru, Kevin Flynn, has vanished, the company's outlook seems troubled, at best.
Lesser organizations have crumbled in the absence of clear-cut leadership. It doesn't help that the de-facto heads of Encom can't get their stories straight. To quote CEO Alan Bradley, "Kevin is a visionary, a pioneer, and above all a friend. Encom needs him back, and his son needs him even more."
But an official statement from an unnamed source within the upper echelons of the company tells a different tale. "Encom will carry out its operations without faltering," reads the press release. "Our success is not now, nor will it ever be, contingent upon one individual."
Speculation will become stark reality in the days and weeks to come. The longer Kevin Flynn's status remains unknown, the more uncertain the fate of Encom becomes. The market will dictate just how essential Mr.Flynn was in the grand scheme of his industry, and how durable his creations will be as time moves forward.July 25, 2009
After the SDCC 2009 event finished, an update appeared on the site, along with a link to register for updates.
UPDATE 7/25
FLYNN'S ARCADE WILL BE OPEN AGAIN ON FRIDAY THE 24th AND SATURDAY THE 25th @ 9PM UNTIL ???
335 6th Ave., 92101
Thursday's meet-up was an enormous success!!
Thanks to everyone who came to support our continued efforts to find out what happened to Kevin Flynn.
JOIN THE SEARCH FOR KEVIN FLYNN
We need everyone's help to find out the truth behind Kevin Flynn's disappearance. As leads roll in, we will be sharing our findings here on Flynn Lives. If you'd like to join our efforts, please sign up and we will update you with any developments.February 24, 2010
The main page changes to a mirror of ZeroHour's content; the content originally there is now accessable from http://www.flynnlives.com/default.aspx. After the countdown's end, the latter webpage changed to an updated version of the original, featuring profiles for applicants (including sign-ups for receiving mailings and phone calls from Flynn Lives) and a video summarizing the SDCC 2009 event.
Additionally, players have the ability to earn achievements through the course of this search for Flynn.
