14 DAY TRIAL // Vanishing Point was an initiative of Microsoft and AMD designed to coincide with the pre-launch period and then the commercial availability of Windows Vista. Vanishing Point was an interactive puzzle game both online and in the real world that involved approximately 90,000 participants. William Temple of Sacramento, Calif., is one of the winners of "Vanishing Point," and the person that Microsoft and AMD have chosen for the ultimate vista, the space trip grand prize.
"This has been a lifelong dream - floating in space and seeing the Earth from above is going to be an amazing experience," Temple said. "I'm really excited I was chosen out of the 87,000 registered players online."
But in the addition of the space trip, the winner will also receive an AMD-powered Dell desktop PC preloaded with Windows Vista; a 24-inch widescreen monitor; a Zune; an Xbox 360; three Games for Windows; a Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000 webcam; Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007; and $50,000 cash, just to top it off.
Vanishing Point was a game that began as a light show in the fountain of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, made its way onto some of the most symbolic landmarks worldwide from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the Toronto and the Victoria Theatre in Singapore and was concluded with the final clue, fireworks over Seattle's Lake Union.
"We wanted to show people how Windows Vista will take computing to new heights - 60 miles up, in this case. The chance to give someone the ultimate 'vista' from space is a fantastic reward," noted Aaron Coldiron, lead communications manager for Microsoft.
"This game brought to life one of the most promising and rewarding aspects of technology - the ability to bring people from around the globe together to solve shared problems," stated Teresa de Onis, marketing manager, Advanced Marketing Group for AMD. "The online community that grew around Vanishing Point displayed amazing cleverness, persistence and ingenuity in completing these puzzles."