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Ice Giant Found in Siberia
Status: Hoax (part of a viral marketing campaign)
Russian geologist Arkady Simkin claims to have participated in an oil-surveying expedition to Northern Siberia that found an enormous, skyscraper-size creature buried in the ice. He gives the following description of the creature (which he refers to as Taurus Major) on his website: The animal appears to be a huge quadruped with horns much like a bull. In fact it looks to be a hybrid of a bull, woolly mammoth and a rhino – if such a thing existed. But its size is truly colossal. The horns are immense in dimension and protrude from the head with incredible length. The body is covered with a combination of coarse fur and what can best be described as ‘body armor’ (like an American armadillo) – protects its enormous joints and head.What makes Simkin's site interesting (and I'm referring to Simkin as a real person, though I doubt he is) is the movie and radio interview that he's posted on the site. The movie is pretty impressive and indicates that someone spent some money to produce it. The radio interview, by contrast, is fun to listen to, but is obviously scripted.
I'm taking it as a given that the ice giant is a hoax, but I have no idea who's behind it. Maybe it's a publicity stunt for a book, movie, or video game. I'm sure that we'll find out soon enough. The name Arkady may be an allusion to Arkham from the work of H.P. Lovecraft. The Taurus Major creature itself also seems very Lovecraftian. (Thanks to Darrell for the link)
Update: It's part of a viral marketing campaign for a new Playstation game called Shadow of the Colossus, which involves hunting and killing giant creatures. The website giantology.typepad.com, supposedly about "the mythology and culture of giants throughout the ages of humanity," is also part of this same marketing campaign. The giantology site has been hosting footage showing the skeleton of a giant uncovered on a beach in India by the tsunami. Quite a few people have linked to this footage, but it's all part of the same marketing effort.
Posted By: Alex | Date: Mon Oct 24, 2005 | Permalink |
Total Comments: 39
Category: Cryptozoology, Extraterrestrial Life
Category: Cryptozoology, Extraterrestrial Life
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
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Its a viral marketing campaign for Shadow of the Colossus Playstation game:
http://www.us.playstation.com/games.aspx?id=SCUS-97472
Posted by Craig on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 04:18 AM
http://www.us.playstation.com/games.aspx?id=SCUS-97472
I've been waiting for this game... cool ads 
Posted by hollow1 on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 10:46 AM
The one with the tsunami giant was in poor taste. But it does show that the West has forgotten about SE Asia.
Posted by Craig on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 11:28 AM
I knew it was viral marketing! Granted the video game sounds kinda cool, but then a lot do.
Posted by Citizen Premier in spite of public outcry on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 01:40 PM
That SotC game sounds cool, I'll have to check it out...On my friend's playstation of course because I don't trust Sony with their game systems anymore.
Posted by Raoul Duke on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 03:40 PM
In response to Craig;
Sony is a Japanese company, Fumito Ueda (the designer of both Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus) is also Japanese. While "The West" is a terrible place where we eat kittens, and use the last sheet of toilet paper without replacing it. We aren't the only place in the world where inconsiderate people live, in fact as far as I can tell, the whole planet is full of inconsiderate people who, suprise, suprise come from everywhere.
Posted by ReadbackMonkey in Ottawa, Canada on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 06:52 PM
Sony is a Japanese company, Fumito Ueda (the designer of both Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus) is also Japanese. While "The West" is a terrible place where we eat kittens, and use the last sheet of toilet paper without replacing it. We aren't the only place in the world where inconsiderate people live, in fact as far as I can tell, the whole planet is full of inconsiderate people who, suprise, suprise come from everywhere.
sorry,
"Surprise", damn spell-check dependence.
Posted by ReadbackMonkey on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 06:55 PM
"Surprise", damn spell-check dependence.
On a related note, here in California, hikers found a WWII airman frozen in a glacier. The area was flown over by lots of practice flights, some of which went down.
Posted by Robin Bobcat in Californian Wierdo on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 11:15 PM
If this is Viral for Sony, they're denying it. And they're having character interaction.
I wrote an email to Arkady Simkin, and received a reply back from a friend of his. He says in the email that Arkady has nothing to do with Sony or any video game, and that this is real.
In the Alternate Reality Gaming community, we have a thread running for this at http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12714.
The third page has a full copy of the email reply I received.
Posted by Max Steele on Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 11:25 PM
I wrote an email to Arkady Simkin, and received a reply back from a friend of his. He says in the email that Arkady has nothing to do with Sony or any video game, and that this is real.
In the Alternate Reality Gaming community, we have a thread running for this at http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12714.
The third page has a full copy of the email reply I received.
Posted by Craig on Wed Oct 26, 2005 at 03:39 AM
Hey! I checked Arkady's site out and I have few comments. First of all, people who created that website are not Russian. First clue was that their "Russian" is very odd, Russian syntax is erronous. Second, I copied English version of the text and pasted it into http://translation2.paralink.com/ and the Russian version of the text was almost identical. Third, the e-mail ".pl" is Polish, as opposed to ".ru" (Russian).
Anyway, I just wanted to weigh in on this whole "real" discovery thing.
Posted by Just a girl in Canada on Thu Oct 27, 2005 at 05:34 AM
Anyway, I just wanted to weigh in on this whole "real" discovery thing.
How can you post somenting like that and write''Ice Giant Found in Siberia''Status: Hoax without any strong evidence?
Did you call Sony CO.to ask about that?
Did you spoke with the geologist Arkady Simkin?
Do you know the corect date of that discovery?
Have you been in North Siberia to check out that area?
Are you sure that Arkady is an actor?
There are many questions without answers but you already post on the net that the video is a Hoax
Don't try to be fantastik like those kids who play playstation2...lol
Posted by open-mind on Fri Oct 28, 2005 at 11:25 PM
Did you call Sony CO.to ask about that?
Did you spoke with the geologist Arkady Simkin?
Do you know the corect date of that discovery?
Have you been in North Siberia to check out that area?
Are you sure that Arkady is an actor?
There are many questions without answers but you already post on the net that the video is a Hoax
Don't try to be fantastik like those kids who play playstation2...lol
Although the giant on the beach is a complete hoax, I highly doubt that this is a marketing campaign for a game (yes I have heard of the game.) I don't try to make anyone believe anything I say if they don't want to however, there is a website that might help explain things. http://www.stevequayle.com should have some answers and mayby a bit more. I agree with open-mind on his side too. And to just a girl if you paid attention enough you would learn that the reason it is pl is because it was on a polish radio station.
Posted by Nachytsm Encaitar in Undisclosed on Mon Oct 31, 2005 at 08:42 PM
That would be a great marketing scheme for the game. But the game doesn't have you fight BULL like minotaurs.
Posted by Carter S on Mon Oct 31, 2005 at 09:46 PM
Another thing I thought I would mention, has anyone here even checked polish news radio stations to clarify what was being talked about?
Posted by Nachytsm Encaitar in Undisclosed on Thu Nov 03, 2005 at 09:35 AM
I want to say its a hoax, and the evidence points that that fact..... I found arkadysimkin.pl after viewing the video 'the adress is on the video' at http://www.stevequayle.com/Leviathan.html. One of the topics Quayle will talk about on a radio show monday. http://www.coasttocoastam.com...... Sony marketing makes alittle sence, but I cant beleve they would put so much money 'its a elaborate hoax' into a marketing campain we have not seen as of yet. Im perplexed trying to figure out the motive of the website, if it is infact a hoax. I like to keep an open mind. I will keep looking into it, new info is welcome
Posted by Alton in US on Thu Nov 03, 2005 at 11:49 PM
I wish this wasn't a hoax but if you check out http://viralsxposed.blogspot.com you'll see comparisons between stills from the videos and screenshots from the game. Pretty much leaves no doubt it was a hoax...unless the made the screenshots to cover up the find I guess you never know?
Posted by Nathan on Fri Nov 04, 2005 at 03:33 AM
I guess you never know?
OH how i wish it was true! Please let me know if you get any new information about all these giants. Iam truly interested!!! When will your book be coming out and how can I get a copy of it?? I would love to read it. Thanks, Lavidahttp://lavida97344.blogspot.com/
Does anybody else find it a bit odd that, at about 81 degrees north latitude in mid-October, the sun is high overhead?
Posted by Accipiter in the Northern Hemisphere, unless They have lied. on Sat Nov 12, 2005 at 03:47 PM
Another ingredient into the mix - has anybody seen the Inca Giant video clip at http://www.familysayre.net/Giant_Inca_Statue.mov
it claims to show a huge robot like sculpture in Peru.
This clip is also featured on the giantology site
http://www.giantology.typepad.com/
They must surely be linked..........
Posted by obor on Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 09:47 AM
it claims to show a huge robot like sculpture in Peru.
This clip is also featured on the giantology site
http://www.giantology.typepad.com/
They must surely be linked..........
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