Mind Candy

Website: http://www.mindcandydesign.com/

Companion Website: http://www.mindcandypuzzles.com/

General

• When the game began, there were many references to "MC", which proved very confusing to players
  • Named on the Perplex City Postcard as "MC"
  • Abbey Road clues mention "MC"
  • Scarlett Kiteway mentioned "Adrian/Michael/the guys from MC", and usually talked about contacting them (including through e-mail).
  • The Parcel Letter confirms 'MC' stands for 'Mind Candy', an Earth-based company helping Sente with the recovery of The Cube.

• Mind Candy had a presence at:
  • E3 on 18 May 2005
  • The American International Toy Fair in New York on 15 Feb 2006

Staff

See: http://www.mindcandydesign.com/people/index.html

Michael Smith

• Chief Executive Officer
• Co-founder of online retailer Firebox
• Launched Mind Candy in 2003
• He really, really likes the game Set

Adrian Hon

• Director of Play/Executive Producer
• ARG player since 2001, with The Beast
• Graduated from Cambridge University in 2003 with a degree in Natural Sciences
• Left neuroscience DPHil at Oxford University in 2004 to join Mind Candy
• Blog: http://www.mssv.net/
• Sentinel Interview: Adrian's Sentinel Interview
• In-Game Info:
  • Was introduced to Perplex City by Michael Smith, just after Hon started a PhD at Oxford
  • Has stated: "I don't think that we're in this for the money. We're helping because we have a genuine interest in helping Perplex City. Just as you're fascinated by our world, we're fascinated by yours."

Naomi Alderman

• Lead Writer
• Orange Award winning author of Disobedience
• Has published academic papers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• An avid fan of Lucasarts' Monkey Island II

Andrea Phillips

• Ad Hoc Polymath
• Cloudmakers moderator
• Lifelong gamer
• BA in Journalism and Japanese Language and Culture from Eastern Michigan University
• blog: Deus Ex Machinatio
• Sentinel Interview: Andrea's Interview

Jey Biddulph

• ARG Developer
• Unfiction Alumni: Wishi-San
• Known to enjoy the odd dalliance in ladies garments

Jack Dixon

• Graphic Designer
• Formerly operated a record label, Alaska Design & Recordings, with Olli Leivers

Hannah Boraster

• Puzzle Designer
• Attended University in the West Country.
• Appeared on Reality TV

David Varela

• Writer
• "Given enough coffee, David Varela can write anything. "
• Has worked with Richard Attenborough and Sandra Bullock.

Olli Leivers

• Graphic Designer
• Briefly Attended Westminster University
• Partnered with Jack Dixon for a time at Alaska Design
• Previous Project: ILiketoDraw

Jo Carter

• Developer and Protector of Purpleness
• Has the following degrees from the University of Nottingham:
  • A BA In Law with French
  • An MSc In Computer Science
• Perplex City Profile: Angelsk

Guy Parsons

• Customer Service And Community Support
• Perplex City Profile: GuyP
• Possesses perhaps the floppiest hair known to mankind

Divinia Knowles

• Studio Manager, replacing Fiona Silk
• Has an Archaeology degree from the University of Wales at Lampeter
• Answers phones, balances books, and so much more.

Dr.Chris Thorpe

• Chief Technical Officer
• Prior career as a research scientist
• Has a deep and abiding love for William Gibson, particularly Pattern Recognition
• Has "bleepy" musical tastes

Steff Davies

• Network Sysadmin
• Enjoys the simple pleasures to be found in taking things to bits, and then attempting to re-assemble them
• Spent time in his youth playing MUDs online

Toby Moore

• Java Developer
• A keen traveller, recently returned from an overland trip between Russia and Bali
• BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering
• Enjoys surfing, snowboarding, scuba diving and playing "Go"

Eric Harshbarger

• US Based Puzzle Designer
• Has previously been an expert Scrabble player
• Also has amazing skills with Lego

Ben Burry

• Java Developer by day
• Kilt-wearing dark avenger by night
• A highly regarded member of the Perplex City playing community, until snaffled to work for Mind Candy
• Creator of the Perplex City Card Manager, instrumental in the maintaining of the Trades Site, and one of the founders and chief techies of Perplexorum.
• Perplex City Profile: buzman
• Unfiction Alumni: buzman

Marty Batten

• Web developer by day
• Punk-rock loving, moshing festival-goer by night
• Mind Candy's "Token" Kiwi, who is their "Anything that's cool" web expert

Lisa Long

• Head of Business Development
• Is consumed by the search for sugary comestibles

Mark Walker

• Java Developer
• Programming ninja
• Previously did work with more commonplace games. Boy do we hope he knows what he's gotten himself into!

Ryan Conway

• Network Administrator
• GADGETS!
• GIZMOS!
• MAC USER!
• Originally from way up north
• Graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in Computing Networks

Former Staff

Dave Blake

• Developer
• MA in Computer Science from Cambridge
• Spent almost two years working for Jagex, developers of RuneScape

Adam Martin

• Chief Technical Officer
• MA in Computer Science from Cambridge University

Justin Berkovi

• Art director
• Set up and ran cult dance labels Predicaments and Nightrax
• Has produced five solo albums and performed at clubs, raves and festivals worldwide
• Also started his own design agency, and produced a wide range of work for Firebox
• Website: [1]

Fiona Silk

• Marketing
• BSc. Hons. in Computer Science from Liverpool University
• Unfiction Alumni: Fi

Mike Whitaker

• System Architect
• MA in Computer Science from Cambridge University
• Plays Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetfoot Mike, a tribute band whose name everyone gets wrong
• Now working for Yahoo! UK.

Dr. Paul McCormick

• Fearsome Emperor Of Card Production
• PhD in Biostatistics at Cambridge University
• The mole from the Clapham Common meet
• Puzzle architect of the P01 Promotional Card, which was given out at ComicCon

Dan Hon

• COO
• Cloudmakers moderator
• Pioneered The Trail, used by all subsequent ARG player groups
• Holds an MA in Law from Cambridge University
• Holds an MSc in Software Engineering from the University of Liverpool
• Worked with Microsoft HIVE as Lead Online Community Developer
• Blog: http://words.danhon.com/

Des

• Dead
• So universally well-loved that he gets his own page

References

• The Perplex City Sentinel
  • article, 07-JUL-05 "Mind Candy Flounders" link
  • feature, 23-DEC-05 "Year in Review: Newsmakers of 268" link
  • article, 23-DEC-05 "Leaderboard End of Year Round-Up" link
  • article, 03-MAR-06, "Earth Interviews: Mind Candy's Andrea Phillips" link
  • article, 23-MAR-06, "Tally Climbs to Top Place on Leaderboard" link
  • article, 22-JUN-06 "Mind Candy Launches New Puzzle Site" link
  • article, 10-JUL-06 "Wave 4 Release Rumoured As Academy Leaks Like Sieve" link
  • article, 13-JUL-06 "Iona Interviews... Adrian Hon" link
  • article, 17-JUL-06 "Wave 4 Rumours Confirmed by MC" link
  • article, 02-OCT-06 "Mind Candy Releases Stones Game on Earth" link
  • article, 25-JAN-06 "No Reason For Second Season, Say Commentators" link