Archive for April, 2014

April 28, 2014

May Clan Wars

April has been a good battle with a lot of action in what has been celebrated as the most fair battle yet.  Action points are out the window and we are going back to real game points.  That means what you earn is what will count for real score and clan score.  There are three categories of points you earn: Capture points (what you earn when you capture), Deploy points (what you earn when you deploy), Capture On points, (what you earn when others capture your deployed munzees).  You will need a combination of all 3 categories for levels 3 and above this month.

Level 1:  All 10 members of your clan must earn at least 250 points from captures and at least 50 points from deploys.  This is a minimum of 300 real game points combined from both categories.  Reward: Munzee code via email for capture.

Level 2:  All 10 members of your clan must earn at least 800 points from captures and at least 100 points from deploys.  This is a minimum of 900 real game points combined from both categories.  Reward: 1 mace, 1 longsword, 1 diamond.

Level 3:  All 10 members of your clan must earn at least 1500 points from captures, at least 300 points from deploys, and at least 100 points from captures on owned Munzees.  This is a minimum of 1900 real game points combined from both categories.  Reward: 1 mace, 1 longsword, 1 diamond, 1 motel, 1 virtual.

The Chuck:  All 10 members of your clan must earn at least 3000 points from captures, at least 500 points from deploys, and at least 300 points from captures on owned Munzees.  This is a minimum of 3800 real game points combined from both categories.  Reward: 2 mystery virtual, 2 virtual, 5 virtual colors, 2 diamonds.

The #SuperChuck:  All 10 members of your clan must reach a secret level of points only revealed after earning The Chuck.  This will be a difficult task with rewards worthy of your effort.

April 25, 2014

Boom! -A Colorful mix of Announcements!

Tired of being the last person to learn about changes to the Munzee website?  Well, we’ve created a quick way for players to keep up to date on new changes/additions to the website?  Check out http://www.munzee.com/announcements -for all the latest news straight from Team Munzee!

Have you ever wanted to add some color to the Virtual Garden you designed or helped build? Want to see the gloves on the boxing Kangaroo in Australia light up red? Create a special MVM trail with your own signature artwork?

Bundoora Park Kangaroo

Now you can! When you purchase Virtual Colors, they will appear in your account as credits to be applied to a deployed virtual or mystery virtual. 1 credit equals one color applied to 1 pin. You can choose any of our 11 colors but be sure you are certain because once a pin color has been changed it will remain that color.

After purchasing Virtual color credits from the Munzee store, your available credits will display under the “Convert” option on eligible Virtuals/MVMs:

available credits

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, Black, Brown, White, and a Rainbow color are all available!

Here’s some of the colors you’ll see for our Virtuals:

VirtRed VirtRainbow VirtBlack VirtBlue VirtBrown VirtGreen (1) virtLightBlue128 (1) VirtOrange VirtPurple VirtYellow

Some of the amazing colors available for our Mystery Virtuals:

mvRainbow128mvBlack128 mvBrown128 mvGreen128 mvIndigo128 mvLightBlue128 mvOrange128 (1) mvRed128 mvViolet128 mvYellow128

The Virtual Color is another addition to your virtual garden design plans. We can’t wait to see the new forms of Munzee Art created worldwide!

http://store.munzee.com/Virtual-Color.html

April 24, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: Larry Butler (Hans415)

This week’s Player of the week positive was nominated by two awesome, anonymous friends in the online Munzee community!  Our POTW this week displays an incredible “Social Spirit” – a consistent (and amusing quest) for Munzee badges, and friendly  attitude towards all players he interacts with!  The Munzee Player of the Week is Larry Butler, aka Hans415!

Who are you? Hans415

hans415

Where in the world do you live? Yerington, Nevada USA

How long have you played Munzee? 828 Days old, almost 2 1/2 years

How did you find Munzee?

I was introduced to Munzee by a Friend (RazzTazzzz) as he and I were cachers before that. I wasn’t immediately hooked on it but I did not fully understand it all at that time. I was re-introduced to it about a year later and was HOOKED from that time on.

What do you enjoy most about Munzee? The Hunt! And the Hide and the friendliness of the Munzee Staff. I also love going for the Badges and wait with abated breath for new ones to pop up. (Editor’s note: Expect the Unexpected Larry! We’ve got a few more headed your way)

 What is on your wish list? My List is to be able to go to Angels Stadium, DisneyLand, and to attend the MMIV. My long list is to do Franklin, TN and be able to Visit MHQ in Texas soon. I also have a Goal to deploy 6000 Munzees of all sorts in a Large Desert Munzee run.

Tell us about yourself! I am a guy that gets very passionate about whatever I do. My wife just shakes her head anymore when I come up with new ideas. I drove professionally for 33 years and enjoyed it very much. I am a retired man that enjoys the Munzee game and I feverishly embrace it everyday. I am happily married to my best friend, but it took me a long time to find her. The fateful day she went into a popular game site, I got her hooked on me 14 years ago. She lets me Munzee wherever I want and when I want. I live in the desert by choice and I love every moment of it as it gives me an open pallet to paint the desert with munzees. I love being with my wife at all times and I take her out with me to Munzee a lot also. I have a Munzee Partner that I go with and we enjoy placing and capping munzees together.

hanstired

Sean, Bob and I (Picture taken by Countrybear) Munzeeing in Gilroy. Can you tell I am tired?

Other hobbies include; Caching, I also love caching, did I mention caching yet? My Caching and Munzee partner and I have created and are creating one of the Biggest caching runs in the world. With the help of other Cachers (Joe, Steve, Ginny and Kumi Team) we were able to place a 131 mile Eagle. Wes (caching/munzee) partner and I also created the TS run with more then 4000+ caches. I am also the creator of the 50 State Star and we have just a few states to go before every state has 50 stars in them. We are also creating the Nazca lines which should be open sometime in the near Future. As Rob would say, just another 1000 hours 🙂

Whoever nominated me, I want to thank them and I am honored by this.  Larry was awesome enough to share his Social with us!  Be sure to cap it:

hans social 2

If you know a player that should be nominated for Munzee Player of the Week, shoot us a message at iLoveYou@Munzee.com and let us know just why this person is outstanding in the global Munzee community!

-Please note, this is a super active campaign.  We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

April 18, 2014

Amazing Munzee Announcements: Munzee partners with Fitbit!

Munzee is about exploring your surroundings, getting outdoors, and enjoying your environment. With all that exploration, comes the added benefit of walking, wellness, and an active lifestyle. At the core of our game, we’re passionate about wellness. Improving yourself as a player, and a healthy active individual is what makes each day great for Team Munzee.

Fitbit, a leading fitness tracker company, is dedicated to helping people lead healthier, more active lives. What better way to lead an active, healthy lifestyle than by combining wellness with the fun of Munzee?

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Today, we’re happy to announce we were approved (yesterday) by FitBit as a partner! This news is so exciting we just had to share it with everyone.

fitbit2

Team Munzee will begin by offering Fitbit products through this link. Players can expect to see official Fitbit information on our blog, badges, competitions, and fun Fitbit options incorporated into Munzee.  This is another opportunity for players to enjoy “a game within the game”.

In addition to this new partnership to offer Fitbit products, our krusty kiwi Bruce (mobile app developer) is adding Fitbit integration to the Munzee app. He’s made a lot of progress so far, and we expect to see new updates of the Android and iPhone apps in the next 1000 hours.  😉 (see podcast for joke reference)

Here’s a couple of sneak peeks:

fb1

Special Note: When you first select the Fitbit menu option, you will be able to configure it for multiple users… Great News for couples that play together or family teams!

fb3 fb2

We’re excited to offer a trusted, reputable fitness feature within our app, and encourage everyone to welcome Fitbit into their active Munzee lifestyles!  Get your Fitbit now, so you will be ready when the app launches.

Fitbit wireless activity + sleep trackers

April 17, 2014

Player of the Week: Designer Trish Vandehey (Vanderarban)

You may not always “see” this player out and about, or as an active face on Team Munzee, but she’s the amazingly creative mind behind every pin we hunt after, every badge we seek out, and all the stunning graphics we see on the website and Social Media.  This week’s Player of the Week goes to our very own Team Munzee Designer, Trish Vandehey (Vanderarban)!  Let’s take a moment to get to know the incredibly creative player that’s brought us Mustaches, must-earn badges, and impossible Munzee-capable smartphone printers!

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Who are you?

Trish Vandehey aka Vanderarban

Where in the world do you live?

Denison Texas, a little town on the border of Oklahoma on beautiful Lake Texoma and just an hour north of Munzee Headquarters! (Editor’s note: Perfect Munzee scenery and MHQ?  That deserves the lucky “badge” right there!) 

How long have you played Munzee?  Almost a year

How did you find Munzee?

I had gone out with my other half, Hayden, to do some walking and caching. While searching out the first one at the entrance to the park I spotted a Munzee. I had seen a few articles about it in the previous year and had mentioned it to Hayden, so I was pretty excited to spot one and be reminded about the game. Unfortunately, my signal was really bad and I was unable to capture the Munzee. But the second I got home I made an account and starting playing. I plan on going back soon to scan that first Munzee.

 How did Munzee “Find” you (how did you become a member of Team Munzee)?

I was in contact with Rob from almost the start. Hayden and I had met up with him a few times to play and offered our talents excitedly to grow the game. Later on Rob contacted us to help out with a project and that was followed by BADGES! It’s been a great ride ever since!

Trish and Rob introduce us to Rover!

Trish and Rob introduce us to Rover!

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

Hmm, that is a tough question. I really love everything about Munzee!

Initially Munzee was a great excuse to get out and get moving. I have a tendency to “forget” about cardio when I get wrapped up in everything going on. Munzee gives me motivation to get out and get stepping!

The player community is really amazing. I started using the forums and later Munzee Madness Facebook group as a new player to learn more about optimizing my Munzee experience. Everyone was really awesome and helpful. There was a real sense of community. I have made some really great friends both far and near (a few I have yet to meet)!

Trish is the center of attention (or at least this group shot) of cool players met at MM III!

Trish is the center of attention (or at least this group shot) of cool players met at MM III!

I think one of the biggest assets Munzee has that I noticed from the start was the Team. I was really impressed as a new player how involved Team Munzee was in the player community. Whether chatting online or at an event they are really active within the player community. I am really lucky to have the opportunity to work with such a great group of people!

What is on your wish list for Munzee?

I’m really excited about how much Munzee has grown since I started playing, I am looking forward to seeing it get even bigger and be in the middle of it.

I had a lot of fun at MM3 and look forward to seeing a future mega Munzee event that I would be able to attend and meet some of the amazing players that I haven’t had the opportunity to meet in person.

trish and rokey

Vanderarban and Rynee having a silly time at Munzee Madness III!

Specials, I really like those, who doesn’t 😉 And maybe some really cool ridiculously hard to figure out badges.

 Tell us about yourself!

I grew up in Oregon where I spent most of my time wandering around in the woods. I moved to Dallas about 20 years ago and after awhile decided I needed to be somewhere with more trees again so I moved north to Lake Texoma. I have a really amazing fiance, Hayden, who is also a designer and sometimes helps me out with the artwork when I have creative block or he isn’t to busy. We are raising five, yes i said FIVE, children together. ” Insert silly country girl joke here ” -after all I do run around barefoot most of the time 😉

When you’re not drawing up the latest icons, Facebook covers, or coming up with amazing event ideas, how are you spending your free time?

Free time? What’s that? Just kidding. Actually, as it may be becoming apparent, I really enjoy the outdoors. When it is warm I like to hike and spend time at the lake. I’m a crafter of just about anything I can dream up, from costumes to soap. I also enjoy reading, singing bad karaoke and travelling when I can (insert “Hangover” movie reference here).

Trish was awesome enough to share her special Social with us, here it is below!

Vanderarban-Social-Sketchy

Thanks Trish for all you contribute to Munzee, and we hope to see you at more events! Maybe we’ll hear you on the podcast soon?

If you know a player that should be nominated for Munzee Player of the Week, shoot us a message at iLoveYou@Munzee.com -Please note, this is a super active campaign.  We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

Fitbit wireless activity + sleep trackers

April 10, 2014

Player of the Week Mark Holmes and a special Team Munzee announcement!

April is Autism Awareness month, a month that hits home to many in the Munzee community. This week, we’d like to honor a pillar of the Munzee community, share his family’s story, and reach out to the community in a big way.

This week’s Player of the Week is Mark Holmes (player Rosemark). Mark’s family has an incredible story to share with us, and we’d like to show our support this month. Check out this Player of the Week interview, and then get involved with Munzee’s plans for April!

Who are you?

We are the Holmes family. Mark and Roseanna Holmes, Kevin and Katlynn Holmes, Tony, and Melissa. The family Munzee name is (Rosemark). I, Mark Holmes, Munzees under the name Rosemark. Roseanna has her own account (Tupperose). Kevin and Katlynn Munzee under (Computerwiz41). Tony and Melissa are special needs adults and Munzee with the family.

MUNZEE FAM
Where in the world do you live? Noble, OK USA

How long have you played Munzee? Just under a year.

How did you find Munzee?

My family is an avid team of cachers for the same reasons that we are into Munzee. At a caching event, we were introduced to Munzee by another player, Team2MM. I found it intriguing and saw it as a perfect park and grab game, but it was weeks later before I actually tried it. I was hooked on my first night out because my two special needs children thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

MUNZEE TM

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?

The family atmosphere. Having special needs children/adults (they are grown but will live at home forever), it is a wonderful activity for the family that they can fully participate in and it is therapeutic to their social and physical needs.

What is on your wishlist?

I would like to see more special badges and special icons that the family can pursue and achieve!

Tell us about yourself!

I am a retired Police Officer of 23 years on the force, and now work for a well-known convenience store. My wife, Roseanna, is a stay at home mother. My son Kevin and his wife Katlynn live nearby. Tony and Melissa are special needs adults. They have Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes physical and mental disabilities. As a result of the Fragile X, Tony has also been diagnosed with Autism and Extreme ADHD. Melissa is legally blind without her glasses, but can see sufficiently to get by with glasses. Both are developmentally delayed to the mental capacity of approximately nine years of age. This is why Munzee is such a great advantage to our family as both Tony and Melissa thoroughly enjoy the hunt and it helps them physically and mentally in their development.

Thank you for your support during this Autism Awareness Month!

Mark and his family have shared their awesome Social Munzees with us. Check them out below and then scroll down for a special announcement from the Team!

Munzee Fam social 2 MUNZEE FAM SOCIAl

To celebrate and bring awareness to April’s Autism theme, Team Munzee has deployed 680 special icons on the map. 680 represents the 1:68 ratio of children born with autism currently. These special icons will be placed on the map only on regular greenies that aren’t in maintenance mode.

LARGEHeart

When a heart has been captured the icon will bounce somewhere else in the world, only one capture per heart at a location.  Any player may capture the icon, even on a Munzee you have captured previously.  The only exception is if a heart lands on a Munzee you own, you are never able to capture a Munzee you own.  You will earn a special capture heart icon for each heart you cap.  If the heart isn’t captured within 6 hours it will move on to a new location around the world.  The points for capture will be exactly like a diamond, the owner and capper will split a sum of 20 points. For example, 7 for cap gives 13 for owner, 9 for cap gives 11 for owner.  Hearts will remain on the map until the end of April, so stay patient and keep one eye on the map.  We encourage you to show your support and cap as many as you can!  In order to show our support for this cause, Munzee will donate 50 cents for each heart captured to an autism charity selected with the help of the Holmes family.

A special map has been created at www.munzee.com/autism to help players find these special icons on nearby munzees!  Premium members can also use the “specials” filter online and in app.   **Don’t forget to watch for a nearby Munzee Rover while you are out there!**

Update:

$5000 donation made to Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism after researching organizations making the best use of incoming funds.  Thanks to all Munzee players for capturing hearts and raising Awareness for Autism during the month of April.  Keep making a difference while you grow the map!

April 3, 2014

Player of the Week: Tarah Hamilton (tarirae)

Sparkly nails and a shiny, positive attitude!  From the very beginning, this new Munzee player has been eager to lend the community (and Team Munzee) a helping hand.  This week’s Player of the Week is Tarah Hamilton, player name Tarirae!

Who are you?
Tarah Hamilton (tarirae)
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Where in the world do you live?   
Alliance, Ohio USA
 
How long have you played Munzee?  
Technically I signed up over a year and a half ago but never played. I actually started playing about 6 months ago.
 
How did you find Munzee?  
I was on the phone with a friend telling him that I needed a way to get my kids outside and keep ME busy at the same time. He suggested Munzee and explained what it was. After downloading the app, I noticed there was not much in the area and scraped the idea. It wasn’t until a year later that I was deleting apps on my phone and looked at it again. I saw there were about 10 close to me and searched for them. I was hooked after that!
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What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
The amazing places I find. Sometimes it’s a restaurant I’ve never been to or a park I didn’t know existed. Recently I made my first trip to downtown Pittsburgh, Pa just to get a MVM garden. It was only 14 degrees that day, and kids were in school, but it was a wonderful day trip. Even though at one point I couldn’t feel my fingers through my gloves anymore, and was yelling “45 points!” through chattering teeth, I still had a smile plastered on my face. 
 
What is on your wish list?
I would love to get 10k in one day. I know around here that would be impossible… for now, so I hope to make a trip down to the Franklin, TN and go for the gardens there. My other is maybe a recruiter badge (hint hint) Since I started, I have talked about Munzee so much that I have gotten at least 8 people to try it and a few of them hooked. 
 
Tell us about yourself!
I am currently a stay at home mother of two young boys (6 & 8) and an indie author of the book “Copperback”. I have recently done some freelance writing for Munzee including the new webpage (if you find a misspelling, I blame my editor!) My oldest son has ADHD and struggles with stepping away from his comfort zone of electronics and games. Munzee has been a big help in showing him that he can use technology while keeping him physically active while we hike around town. My youngest son now gets excited anytime he sees a QR code on anything and begs me to scan it for points. Usually we try to go out on the weekends and find a place on the map we have never been before. 
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Other hobbies include;
Outdoor photography with my Canon Rebel, crocheting anything I can, and writing my second book as well as short stories. I also have started doing nail art and helping make nail polish with a friend of mine. I keep an Instagram (@tarirae) of new polishes and nail art tutorials. 

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Tarah was awesome enough to share her Social with us. Check it out:

new social

If you know a player that should be nominated for Munzee Player of the Week, shoot us a message at iLoveYou@Munzee.com -Please note, this is a super active campaign.  We may not be able to get back to everyone, but you’re helping to grow the list of amazing people in the Munzee community!

April 1, 2014

Welcome to the family!

We would like to welcome a new Munzee type to the growing family!

The Munzee Stash!

The Munzee stash is a colorful cube to be deployed with a choice of 6 vibrant colors.  The color you choose will have a unique distinction on the map, a special capture icon, and be 1/6 of earning a special badge.  Here’s a screen shot of each color deployed around MHQ:

map

The stash comes pre-loaded with 25 generic stickers to trade with players who find the stash. Another unique feature is the ability for the first five who find the stash to deploy their own sticker (included) on one side of the cube. The points will accumulate similar to the Munzee motel. Take a sticker, leave a sticker! It’s a great motto for the new stash!

Due to limited stock and shipping costs these items will be sold at Munzee events and through authorized Munzee resellers for the month of April on a trial basis.  Additional quantities will be added to the store soon when all shipping requirements are met.  Be sure to place your order today!

And last, but not least, THE BADGE!  When you deploy a Munzee Stash in each of the six colors available (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) you will earn The Irish Badge.  This is the perfect badge to add to your collection.

RainbowBadgeWe can’t wait to see the map light up with the colors of the rainbow and know you will welcome The Munzee Stash to the family!