No one expected something as profound as this.
Just at its peak, Neon, the worldwide technology company which had been pushing technological boundaries since its formation only a handful of years ago, fell silent. With only a few leaks here and there, people expected something big.
But nothing this big.
Advertisements plastered everywhere read:
[Beta Testers Wanted! A whole new experience! Leave everything behind for something much bigger!]
No one knew what it meant. But one thing was certain.
It would be HUGE!
What did it mean, 'Leave everything behind'?
The world went crazy. Everyone wanted to know what was going on behind the locked doors.
***
Years passed.
No new information.
Friends and family that had decided to take part in the beta testing disappeared without a trace.
The whole world was in a confused and excited, yet sad and angry state at Neon. They wanted their loved ones back. They wanted to know what was going on.
People from all over the world rioted, trying to get into the large Neon complex.
But Neon was lightyears beyond as far as technology advancement. As people quickly learned, the company had only released to the public a small portion of the technology that they had. This was the whole secret behind their unparalleled success and supreme security standing. Even the world's governments had started to rely on Neon for help and protection, quickly leading to a largely peaceful world economy with this company controlling most things of importance.
So, people eventually quieted down and accepted life. They accepted the beta testers as dead, though their legal documents said otherwise. All beta testers had long since had their status changed from 'Living' to the mysterious 'Transferred' rather than the expected 'Deceased' or 'Missing'.
***
Eight years after Beta Testing
[BREAKING NEWS]
> Neon, the beta tester killing company, announces new project
> The ARCADE - An Alternate Reality?
> 'Transferred' Meaning Finally Discovered
The World went absolutely berserk over 'The ARCADE'.
The ARCADE (Alternate Reality Civilization - Anywhere Discovering Enjoyment)
A whole new reality, where anything was possible. Those that were beta testers had chosen to be 'transferred' to The ARCADE, leaving this world behind in order to explore a new reality. Since the trip was one way, meaning people couldn't come back to this world, many people breathed a sigh of relief as they learned that no one had died as a part of the beta testing. Everyone that had transferred as a part of the beta test would be on the other side, waiting for anyone who made the choice to join them.
One of the intriguing parts of The ARCADE was that you could change your name to whatever you wanted as a part of transferring. There apparently was also a system that let you change what you looked like to whatever you wanted.
The only other thing known, well guessed really, was that there would be some sort of 'game-like' aspect to this alternate reality. This was in part to the name 'The ARCADE', but also because it was well known that many, if not all of Neon's technologies had 'game-like' inspiration.
Beyond the fact that it was an alternate reality, the other thing that made people go crazy was that in order to transfer, it only cost a simple quarter (25¢). Meaning that anyone could start a new life in The ARCADE.
All that was left was for people to decide if they would make the jump of no return, transfer, and start a new life.