EA Fans Clamor To Retrieve First "Space Edition" Copies Of Mass Effect 3

In case you haven't heard, Electronic Arts has create a rather unique promotion to generate buzz about its latest title in the Mass Effect franchise. The company has attached weather balloons to a bundle of special editions of the game, and is sending them up into the atmosphere with sophisticated GPS tracking. Gamers are invited to track where they go so they can track them down and grab one of the alluring "Space Edition" copies.

The first balloon was sent into the sky from San Francisco, and it wasn't long before fans saw that it has landed near Santa Cruz, California. Developer Bioware said that 10 ardent Mass Effect fans happened to be in the area to claim their treasure. The only problem is that it was 150 feet off the ground, stuck in a tree. The fans used everything from a baseball attached to a rope, to marbles and slingshots to try to get the games down.

EA is moving to other major cities in the US to launch more weather balloons packed with the alluring prize. Other locations on EA's radar are Las Vegas, London, and Berlin over the next five days. If you live in or are planning to visit any of these destinations, and you have nothing better to do, then head over to the official Mass Effect 3 Space Edition website and start tracking. Heck, even if you have no interest in the game at all it's still pretty interesting to watch.

[via Wired]