Exclusive Sneak Peek: DefCon Ninja Party Badge
- By Dave Bullock
- July 28, 2010 |
- 12:00 pm |
- Categories: DefCon
LAS VEGAS — A hacker group known as the Ninjas has created what may be the best DefCon badge ever. The badge allows wireless ninja battle between badge holders. Unlike the official badge, attendees can’t buy this one: it’s free.
DefCon, the world’s largest hacker convention, is more than just a group of hackers getting together to exchange the latest exploit code and hacking techniques. It’s a time for hackers who may only see one another once a year, to socialize face to face. One of the most exclusive venues for fraternizing at DefCon is the Ninja party. To attend the party attendees have to know one of the Ninjas and they have to give them a badge.
In years past, a Ninja would give a party attendee a sticker or a paper invite that would get them in to the party. Last year the Ninjas took the party invite to the next level when they created their own custom badge for their party attendees. This year, badge designers Amanda Wozniak and Brandon Creighton decided to take the badge to the next level, and then some. What started as a sketch on a napkin ended up as an amazing hacker gaming and development platform.
The DefCon 18 Ninja Networks badge is an interactive wireless game system, consisting of role-playing style Ninja battles. The badge shows a list of other badges within range and allows the badge holder to fight them. Every time players fight, they gain experience points, making them more powerful.
The badge has a column of LEDs with the same color coding as World of Warcraft items. The players receive virtual items by completing missions in various locations around DefCon and Las Vegas.
The badge transmits stats intermittently to a number of Android-badge-powered base stations hidden around the convention. A leader board at the convention shows current scores. The badges also interact wirelessly with other undisclosed devices at the convention and in addition to ninjas the badge also contains a pirate.
This year’s badge also addresses the recurring problem of party attendees heading in and out of the party with two badges and bringing in uninvited guests. The wireless badge checks in when attendees enter or leave the party, and a black-badge holder can grant a +1 guest.
The badges were designed, programmed, manufactured and assembled in the United States. To offset the high cost of the badges and the party that serves free alcohol, the badges were sponsored by Facebook and Lookout. When the photos were taken last weekend, the badge software was still being tested. See below for more photos of the badge, software and manual.
Photos: Dave Bullock
I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of our group than I am today. This badge is truly a work of art.
That is so cool. Want one.
That is so F*ing cool. Is Defcon itself open to the public or is it also invite only?
With this in mind, future pocket games will work against other gamers like this. The only problem is that they need to be cheap and many people need to have them. Now I wish I was going.
Fun badges – and thanks WIRED team for restoring the View All default. Just having it as an option would be fine, setting it as the default viewing option is even better.
I seriously can’t wait to get to Vegas and play with the badge. It’s like getting a new game console for Xmas!
Seriously, they need to sell this! I WANT!!!
F’n Awesome
I love the delicious irony of having a manual that tells you to RTFM. Awesome idea & execution.
Now I suppose their biggest problem is how to top this next year?
OLED display? 3D graphics? (3D display?)
Note the QR tag in the upper-left corner on the back of the badge. I could tell you what is says but I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone.
i am sry -.- but nothing awesome to me….
i say only one word “tamagotchi” the later versions had even wifi too
(and your pets could battle themselves too)
Oh HELL YEAH! I’m at Defcon now (checked into the Rivera) yesterday. How can I score one of these? I want to go to the party!!!
[...] Wired: Exclusive Sneak Peek: DefCon Ninja Party Badge [...]
[...] took a look at this year’s Ninja Party badges. We were giddy about all the goodies involved in last year’s must-have badge that served as [...]