Terminator Salvation Twitter Game Launched

Sony Pictures, the international distributor of Terminator Salvation, today has announced the launch of a Terminator Salvation alternative reality viral game on Twitter. According to the press release, the social networking game brings together "members of the human resistance" who will communicate with each other through Twitter and "turn to the community for help in decoding intercepted Skynet transmissions."

"Players earn points through timely assistance in decoding these messages and, with these points, rise in rank within the Resistance Army. Players must constantly be on guard against the machines, which periodically and randomly choose a number of players and penalize them a percentage of their points. A companion blog augments the information within Twitter and hosts a leader board for the game."

It could just be me, but I'm not really interested in playing a video game on the popular microblogging service. But you have to give Sony credit for attempting to enter new territory with their alternative reality game for the film. Read the full press release after the jump.

Sony Pictures Releasing International Unveils Its First Major Feature Film Online Twitter Game for 'Terminator Salvation'

CULVER CITY, Calif., April 20 — In anticipation of the worldwide release of the motion picture Terminator Salvation, Twitter users will have the chance to join the human resistance against the machines in Sony Pictures Releasing International's first-ever game created for the social networking platform, it was announced today by Sal Ladestro, executive vice president of marketing, Sony Pictures Releasing International. Users can follow tweets from the resistance at www.Twitter.com/Resistance2018.

In the Terminator Salvation Twitter game, members of the human resistance communicate with each other through Twitter and turn to the community for help in decoding intercepted Skynet transmissions. Players earn points through timely assistance in decoding these messages and, with these points, rise in rank within the Resistance Army. Players must constantly be on guard against the machines, which periodically and randomly choose a number of players and penalize them a percentage of their points. A companion blog augments the information within Twitter and hosts a leader board for the game.

Sal Ladestro, Executive Vice President of Marketing, for Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) commented, "Twitter users can join John Connor in the war against the machines by following the tweets at Resistance 2018. In the fight against Skynet and the Terminators, mass communication is vital, so it's no surprise that the resistance would turn to Twitter. We think this is the perfect environment for the Terminator game as it allows users to interact with the movie, their friends and other game players instantaneously."

A worldwide phenomenon, Twitter's micro-blogging social networking site has been expanding exponentially across the globe in recent months. Between February 2008 and February 2009, new accounts on Twitter were up 1,841%, with an 87% increase between January 2009 and February 2009 alone. More than 90% of Twitter users choose to make their updates public.

Terminator Salvation is set in post-apocalyptic 2018, where John Connor (Christian Bale) is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

The highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, Terminator Salvation is directed by McG (Charlie's Angels, We Are Marshall). The screenplay is by Michael Ferris & John Brancato. Moritz Borman, Derek Anderson, Victor Kubicek and Jeffrey Silver are the producers, with Jeanne Allgood, Dan Lin, Mario F. Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna and Joel B. Michaels serving as executive producers.

The film stars Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) as John Connor, Sam Worthington (The Great Raid) as Marcus Wright, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) as Kyle Reese, Bryce Dallas Howard (Spider-Man 3) as Kate Connor, Moon Bloodgood (What Just Happened?) as Blair Williams, Common (Wanted) as Barnes, Jane Alexander (The Unborn) as Virginia, Jadagrace as Star, and Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) as Serena Kogen

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Shane Hurlbut (We Are Marshall), production designer Martin Laing (Pearl Harbor), editor Conrad Buff (Shooter), costume designer Michael Wilkinson (Watchmen), visual effects supervisor Charlie Gibson (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End), and animatronics supervisor John Rosengrant, formerly of Stan Winston Studios. The music is by Danny Elfman (Milk, Hellboy II: The Golden Army).

Terminator Salvation will be released in the U.S. on May 21, 2009 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Sony Pictures Releasing International is distributing the film in most international territories between May 27, 2009 and June 13, 2009.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television production and distribution, worldwide channel investments, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment products, services and technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment in 130 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.