CHALLENGE

The success of the original Server Quest, released last winter, prompted Microsoft to embark on a sequel which would continue the harrowing tale of Matt Berg as he navigated his way through the treacherous (and often annoying) waters of tech support. The goal was to promote TechNet as well as several of Vista's IT-related benefits to a demographic of tech professionals. With a world-class roster of geeks, we were more than happy to take a trip back into the offices of A.Datum.

STRATEGY

As is the case with most sequels, 'bigger', 'longer' and 'more challenging' are the watchwords, so we strove to create an experience that would reward the most hardened tech-heads. With puzzles that draw from multiple areas of expertise, we built the game to truly test the knowledge of IT professionals in everyday office situations, as well as in a number of mini-games.

One of the main additions to the game was the ability to play as either Matt or Alicia, which helped make the game even more accessible for female players. On top of this, we allowed users to choose from one of 6 areas of expertise, like Hardware Hero and Database Guru.

CREATIVE AND EXECUTION

The game opens with a painstakingly crafted opening cinematic that was built pixel by pixel to echo the style of classics like Day of the Tentacle and Leisure Suit Larry.

In Server Quest II, the company??s resident IT professional extraordinaire has returned from a much needed vacation but has unfortunately jeopardized their reputation with a poorly placed email where personal holiday photos were forwarded to the entire staff. It is now up to the player to choose the role of Matt or Alicia and hone in on their technical prowess to find the errant emails and preserve their hard-earned image.

The gameplay combines trivia with traditional adventure-game mechanics and interactions to create a genuine throwback to a classic era of gaming.

PERFORMANCE

During its run, the project was featured on a host of gaming sites, attracted hundreds of thousand of plays, and exceeded Microsoft's goals. The wide reach of the game is an example of how even esoteric subject matter can be appreciated by a wide audience when presented in a style that hits home with the masses.