If you want a 1981 DeLorean, your bet shot at living that dream may be right around the corner. Ernest Cline, the author of the novel Ready Player One has announced he may be giving the car away to one of the readers of the novel. Why only “may be”? In order to win the car, readers will have to uncover a puzzle hidden in the book, the solution of which points to three seperate video game challenges. If someone can find and complete the challenges, then and only then will they be the recipient of the fabled DeLorean.
From the press release announcing the contest:
[Cline] has hidden an “Easter egg” in the text of both the hardcover and paperback editions ofReady Player One. If readers can find this hidden clue, it will lead them to the first of three increasingly difficult video game challenges. The first person to complete all three of these challenges will win the grand prize, a 1981 DeLorean automobile, complete with a Flux Capacitor! Ernest Cline will be driving this DeLorean Time Machine across the country on his book tour this June, so contestants will have a chance to see the grand prize in person at each of his book signings.
According to a video about the contest, the Easter Egg in the book’s text is a URL and according to Cline’s blog the first challenge involves an Atari 2600 game. Aside from that, everything else is up in the air.
If that sounds like your kind of challenge, Ready Player One releases in paperback today. That said, it sounds like this will be quite the endeavor, and good luck trying to find anyone who’d be willing to help you out; it’s every potential-DeLorean owner for himself. And as far as Easter Eggs go, you’ll be hard pressed to find one cooler than this.
(via Wired)
