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mamas_minionFrom: Caleb Franklin <CastorYPollux@gmail.com>
To: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
Hi Jason,
Just getting the chance now to reply back to you about those questions you sent me; here are the answers:
My favorite game is Never Winter Nights
As far as music I listen to while programming, I prefer electronic music. Right now I am listening to a rotation of Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, and Nujabes (even though Nujabes are more of J-pop, they flow in well with Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx.)
I came up with the idea for building an AI that could get past Captcha because I wanted a learning and evolving AI to help create a different scenario each time you play the game. That way, it doesn’t always have to follow the same script, which can make game play more challenging and unique. I always felt that when you play a game after finishing it, the experience should be different than when you beat it, instead of just following the exact sub routines that you initially went through over again. I mean, why would you want to play the same screens repeatedly? Otherwise, it loses its appeal after it’s already been done. Consequently, that is also why I wrote it in a fantasy setting. The next game I hope to work on will use the same game engine as Dragon’s Gate, but will be set in a sci-fi universe.
I hope this satisfies most of your inquiries, and thanks for getting in touch!
Caleb Franklin
“Still ’round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Hugh Collins <Virtuso1981@SilenusGames.com>
To: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
Hi Jason.
I am not sure if you remember me or not... you interviewed me a while back when you were doing a piece about up-and-coming game developers... you know, I was the one who worked on Dogs of War?
I’m writing to you now about Caleb Franklin.
I am sure your rag, being on the bleeding edge of gaming tech, is going to attempt to write an article about his recent contributions to gaming technology in because of that Captcha cheating monstrosity he created. I realize you and I may not have developed much in the way of a rapport, but as someone who has a history with Caleb (we used to be roommates), I have to ask that you please save yourself and your reputable establishment some embarrassment, and just don’t bother with him. I know from personal experience that this guy is a thief and liar. Also, he will be coming up on charges soon for hacking.
I just wanted to warn you and the people in your office before you write some puff piece on this guy... he is not to be trusted, and not what he seems.
Sincerely,
Hugh Collins
Lead Game Developer,
Silenus Games
Virtuso1981@SilenusGames.com
606-879-1234
“My thought is me: that is why I cannot stop thinking.
I exist because I think I cannot keep from thinking.”
—Jean Paul Satre
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
To: Caleb Franklin <CastorYPollux@gmail.com>
Hello Caleb,
Thank you for answering my questions.
Hey, I don’t mean to come off as a jerk, but it is part of my job as a journalist to do some fact checking, so I have to follow up after I received an email from a Hugh Collins at Silenus Games, and he said he was a former roommate of yours. Did you work with him on any projects before?
I appreciate your understanding, and your prompt response.
Thanks,
Jason Hightower
Journalist,
Game Spot
Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com
719-354-7890
“Three things cannot be long hidden: The sun, the moon and the truth”
—Buddha
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Caleb Franklin <CastorYPollux@gmail.com>
To: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
Hi Jason,
Hugh did used to be my roommate. He moved out a few weeks before I finished my AI program; we had some differences of opinion on it. But, to answer your other question, yes, I did help him with some other game programs. I’m sure he’s warning you that I’m a hacker... he was always hassling me about that. I imagine he only has the best of intentions... he was always a pretty decent dude. So, just to be up front about everything, and put all my cards on the table, I’ll admit, I do have a background in hacking, but I wanted to go straight when I started learning game code, and I never looked back.
I did leave my calling card in the program I wrote on the other games.
You can find it embedded as follows:
)=( §♣ æŸ
Sincerely,
Caleb Franklin
“Still ’round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
To: Hugh Collins <Virtuso1981@SilenusGames.com>
Hi Hugh,
I did some digging and it looks as though you may have been correct about Caleb’s background as a hacker. We are having a computer forensics team run some tests on a handful of files we’ve obtained, and we are wondering if the following means anything to you:
)=( §♣ æŸ
We would appreciate a response as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Jason Hightower
Journalist,
Game Spot
Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com
719-354-7890
“Three things cannot be long hidden: The sun, the moon and the truth”
—Buddha
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Hugh Collins <Virtuso1981@SilenusGames.com>
To: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
Hi Jason,
I’m afraid the symbols you sent me aren’t familiar to me. If I had to guess, I would say that is probably some sort of hacker code. I am sure that Caleb is probably responsible. I hate to say this, as he was a friend of mine, but a reputable magazine such as yours should be given fair warning against the promotion of illegal activity, in the hopes that you take the opportunity to wipe your hands clean of it.
Though, I hope you don’t go too hard on him. I mean, like I said, don’t do the piece, but, no need to throw the book at him. He was in a terrible accident in our second trimester of College, and failed to graduate as a result. He is now permanently wheelchair bound. I helped him as best as I could, but there is only so much you can do for some people. Though, deep down he is really not that bad a guy, I’m sure. Just a little misguided, maybe.
Sincerely,
Hugh Collins
Lead Game Developer,
Silenus Games
Virtuso1981@SilenusGames.com
606-879-1234
“My thought is me: that is why I cannot stop thinking.
I exist because I think I cannot keep from thinking.”
—Jean Paul Satre
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Caleb Franklin <Caleb_Franklin@SilenusGames.com>
To: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
Hi Jason,
I just received my advance copy of the magazine... the article is great! The guys at Silenus Games have put me in charge of development for Dragon’s Gate. They’ve even promised that if it is successful, they’ll make me the Lead Developer!
Unfortunately, my friend Hugh was fired before they hired me on. They asked me about some programming I did for him... I figure he must have mentioned it to them? I suppose he must have, because he’d said a while back that he was going to help me get into Silenus. We’d had a little bit of blowout over the captcha hacking aspect of the software, which I think is probably what ultimately brought about our parting of ways. Of course, the bigwigs only tell me he was let go, though, I heard through the grapevine that it was due to some sort of falsification of records? Don’t know what that’s all about, but, I hope he lands on his feet. He was always pretty decent to me. It’s too bad we had a falling out, but I wish him well.
Anyways, thanks again for the great article about my work.
I hope to work with you again in the future.
Sincerely,
Caleb Franklin
Project Leader,
Dragon’s Gate
Silenus Games, Inc.
Caleb_Franklin@SilenusGames.com
606-879-1234
“Don't aim for success if you want it, just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.”
—David Frost
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Hugh Collins <HughMorris@gmail.com>
To: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
Hello Jason,
You will be hearing from my lawyers. I don’t know what kind of B.S. you’re trumping up over there, but you told your bosses I’d been stealing other peoples’ work?!! I am going to have you up on slander charges! And as far as my former friend is concerned, you can tell him to expect to be hearing from the Feds regarding his activities prior to his employment at Silenus Games. I did note that you mentioned he was a former hacker in your article, so hopefully that will help to bury him, and I guess I should thank you for the ammunition.
See you in court A$$HOLE
Hugh Collins
“Success is how you bounce when you hit bottom”
—General George S. Patton
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
To: Hugh Collins <HughMorris@gmail.com>
Hugh,
First of all, I can understand your frustration at losing your job, however, I have to say, you should know, you did this to yourself, and quite frankly, I don’t have a lot of sympathy for you.
If you had not had me look into Caleb’s work, as well as his past, I would never have stumbled onto the fact that he was doing most, if not all of your game engine development and design. He may not have realized it, either, but when I had a computer forensics expert go over the coding of the games you supposedly designed, we found Caleb’s signature all over it.
My guess is, you just told him he was helping you “fix” a bit of broken code, and, being the good friend he is, he probably never even suspected you of stealing his work and passing it off as your own.
It is a good thing, for his sake, that you had a fight with him over his brilliant idea to create an AI that could get around captcha. I think it was the only way he was ever going to be free from a jerk like you.
Sincerely,
Jason Hightower
Journalist,
Game Spot
Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com
719-354-7890
“Three things cannot be long hidden: The sun, the moon and the truth”
—Buddha
P.S. I sent a copy of the forensics evidence to our legal team, so you can expect to be countersued.
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Jason Hightower <Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com>
To: Caleb Franklin <Caleb_Franklin@SilenusGames.com>
Hello Caleb,
Thank you for your kind words about my article. I am looking forward to working with you in the future, as well.
And I wouldn’t worry too much about Hugh, if I were you. I’m sure he’ll get what’s coming to him.
Sincerely,
Jason Hightower
Journalist,
Game Spot
Jason_Hightower@GameSpot.com
719-354-7890
“Three things cannot be long hidden: The sun, the moon and the truth”
—Buddha
(for another perspective on this theme, please see my partner's companion piece to this entry:
INTERSUBJECTIVITY)
LJI WEEK 20:
CAPTCHA THE FLAG
