Archive for August, 2014

August 29, 2014

September Clan War Requirements

As Labor Day weekend approaches you should all take advantage of the long weekend to prepare mentally for this month’s Clan Wars. Although the battle won’t begin until September 3rd, the map continues to freeze over as the ALS Ice Cubes cover the map. Below you’ll find next month’s requirements, so get your clans together and prepare for war.

Level 1 Mace — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least ten Munzees of any type. All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 500 points.  Rewards: 1 Mace, 3 ALS Virtual Ice

Level 2 Longsword — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 25 Munzees of any type.  In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 75 munzees (socials excluded).  All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 2000 points.  Rewards: 1 Longsword, 2 Mystery Virtuals, 2 Virtual Colors, 2 ALS Virtual Ice, & 1 Blast Cap

Level 3 Battle Axe — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 40 Munzees of any type.  In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 150 munzees (socials excluded).  All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 4500 points.  Rewards: 1 Battle Axe, 2 Mystery Virtuals, 2 Virtual Colors, 1 ruby, & 1 Blast Cap

Level 4 The Chuck — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 60 Munzees of any type.  In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 500 munzees (socials excluded).  All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 9000 points.  Rewards: 1 Mace, 1 Longsword, 1 Battle Axe, 3 Mystery Virtuals, 3 Virtual Colors, 1 ruby, 1 diamond, & 1 blast cap

Level 5 #SuperChuck — All 10 members of your clan must deploy at least 150 Munzees of any type.  In addition to the deploy requirement each member must capture at least 1350 munzees (socials excluded).  All 10 members of your clan must also reach a minimum of 15000 points.  Rewards: 2 Battle Axes, 5 Mystery Virtuals, 5 Virtual Colors, 5 Virtuals, 2 motel, 2 ruby, 2 diamond, & 2 blast caps

August 28, 2014

Podcast Episode 26: Open For Business, 2 Million Deploys ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and MHQ Bash

In this episode of the podcast, we talk the opening of the Munzee Marketplace, celebrate our 2 millionth deploy and Rob gets a bit frozen.

This week on the Munzee podcast we talk about:

  1. The Munzee Marketplace Opening and how the first week has gone.
  2. We’ve hit our 2 Millionth deploy. Congrats patnanz!
  3. The ALS Ice Munzees have frozen over Downtown McKinney!
  4. Don’t forget that the MHQ Bash is the last weekend of September.

To check past, present and future Munzee Podcasts, visit www.munzeepodcast.com.

 

 

August 28, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: Dan (iamfull)

Munzee is what you make it. Whether you’re scouting the urban streets for hidden QR codes or following an outdoor trail, Munzee has something for everyone. This versatility is what we love about the game and as we continue to grow, our players find more ways to play. This is what this week’s player of the week, Dan, loves most about Munzee. Since his first cap at the Noodles and Company in Charlottesville, he’s been hooked and as the game expands so does his experience. Learn more about Dan (iamfull) below!

cupolaWho are you?
Dan aka iamfull

Where in the world do you live?
Charlottesville, VA the home of Thomas Jefferson & The University of Virginia.

How long have you played Munzee?
Since April 22, 2013

How did you find Munzee?
I came across Munzee while browsing a category on Wikipedia called outdoor locating games. This was two weeks prior to my first find. I looked at the map & saw there were a handful at a new shopping centers in town. I had dinner with a friend at the new place & mentioned the game to her. We found a Munzee on a bike rack & then downloaded the app & got our first caps. Many thanks to Mooky for placing that Munzee!

grn boxWhat do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I like that Munzee can support many different styles of play. If you want to drive around the mall & cap LPM’s all day you can do that. Maybe you want to hike to the top of the hill overlooking town to enjoy the view & get the FTC on a virtual placed a year ago. I think just about anyone can find their own way to enjoy Munzee. I have been a member of the Maryland Munzee Mitlia since the first chuck level battle. It’s nice to have folks that support & encourage each other to reach our goals. The Munzee clan structure makes for some good-natured competition each month.

frozen niagaraWhat is on your wish list?
I’d love to have clusters back in STATzee. I think Daniel Fischer does a wonderful job with that site & I am happy to see it integrated into munzee.com. I’d also like to propose a badge for setting off 100 blast captures. It could be called the iamfull badge (just a little vanity on my part). The next step up could be for 100 blast captures each with 100 virtuals/mvm’s captured (the iamreallyfull badge).

Tell us about yourself!
I am a 41 year old male human. I occasionally have to work, but I try not to let that get in the way of my munzee habit.

Other hobbies include:
I was a cacher a decade ago, but eventually moved on to other things. After that I spent too many years sitting behind a keyboard playing video games & I’m glad to have a hobby that takes me outside again.

Dan was kind enough to share his social, so cap away!

iik5

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!

August 26, 2014

Announcing the ALS Ice Cube Special Virtual

ALSBadge_720The Texas heat may be sweltering, but Team Munzee has caught the cold! This morning at the Munzee Marketplace Team Munzee took part in the ever growing ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and we’re happy to announce we’re taking it a step further. Based on our previous charity fundraisers (See: RMH) we know the impact that our players can make and now we want to help the ALS Association. New special virtual icons featuring ice cubes are now for sale in the Munzee store and proceeds will be donated to ALS research.

Packs of 4 ALS virtual ice cube munzees are for sale until the early September. The owner of the ice cube virtual gets 32 points when they deploy and 32 points will be split between owner and capper when it is captured. An in-game badge will also be earned for any player who captures or deploys an ALS ice virtual.  These virtual munzees are available for purchase through early September with no limit in quantity. Although we’re proud to be a part of such a big movement, be warned that this ice will melt. The ALS virtual ice will melt into your archived list at the end of September. 

ALS_icon_128pxTeam Munzee is proud of the impact our players can make and we look forward to all the good we can do.Below you can watch Team Munzee participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. We challenge our players to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge as well as the Gurus of Geocaching and fellow Downtown McKinney businesses. #StrikeOutALS

  To learn more about ALS and how you can help please visit www.alsa.org.

August 25, 2014

Meet Munzee Munday: Video of the Munzee Marketplace

The Munzee Marketplace is up and running and we couldn’t be more proud of it! We promise we’ll get back to showcasing members of Team Munzee soon, but for today’s Meet Munzee Munday take a look at this video of the Marketplace. THe video highlights what the area looks like and showcases some of our products, so check it out!

August 21, 2014

Munzee Player of the Week: Petr Stary (Czechroo)

Much like our game pieces, Munzee players come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes even all species? Whether you’re short or tall, or a marsupial, Munzee is the game for you. This week’s Player of the Week is Petr Stary AKA Czechroo and although he may not be an actual Kangaroo, his ability to bounce around the Munzee map has impressed MHQ. Read on to learn more about this Czech born player who currently calls Australia home!

Deploying mysteries at Sydney Olympic Park May 2013 20130505_155816eWho are you?
My name is Petr Stary, AKA Czechroo. “Czech” is short for my home country “the Czech Republic” and “roo” is short for kangaroo.

Where in the world do you live?
I am originally from a picturesque tiny town Úštěk in the northern part of the Czech Republic, but I have been living in Sydney, Australia for almost 10 years.

How long have you played Munzee?
I signed up for an account and capped my first munzee in January 2012, but knew about Munzee 4 month before that. It took me a while to register as I was busy with my university studies. Four months later in May 2012, I went premium.

How did you find Munzee?
To be honest I do not really remember, but I think I discovered Munzee while googling some caching relating stuff.

Melbourne - Clan War End January 2014 IMG_20140201_171016eWhat do you enjoy most about Munzee?
I enjoy the opportunity to get outside and discover new places while riding and sharing my scooter with other Munzers (BlueBearyk). I also enjoy Munzeeing because I can place munzees pretty much anywhere and they do not need to be reviewed.

What is on your wish list?
There are quite a few things on my wish list.
1. Clusters on STATzee – probably the most asked wish.
2. An alternative scanner button on the map in the app – I change scanners quite often. It involves 6 steps to change it if one is on the main screen. If one is in a hurry or there are muggles around a quick access to this feature would appreciate many Munzers.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA3. I would like to see my own munzees that are in maintenance mode on the map in the app.
4. Proximity circles on/off in the Android app like the iOS app has.
5. A rover filter in the app and notifications so I know that someone picks it up, drops it off, or to be notified when my rover meets it goal.
6. To test scan NFC tags in the app.

Tell us about yourself!
I’m in my mid 30’s, BMI 21 🙂 and quite tall – 193 cm (6ft 4). That’s why are some of my early munzees deployed very high and they are not “kid friendly” and sometimes even adults cannot reach them. Lesson learned and now are most of my munzees deployed down low, waist and shoulder high. I moved to Sydney in 2005 to study English, but decided to stay longer and study more. I finished my Bachelor Degree in Information Technology (Networking, Systems Administration) in 2012. Unfortunately I have had no luck finding sponsorship which would help me to get permanent residency in Australia. Beside munzeeing I spend a lot of time outside enjoying the sun and Australian flora and fauna because it differs a lot from what you can experience in Central Europe. If you ever come to Sydney you can meet me in Kirribilli or Milson’s Point where the diamond mine is.

Other hobbies include?
Apart from munzeeing I occasionally play Ingress and search for geocaches. I also like traveling and visiting different places. When the weather is stunning I enjoy photographing.

Petr was kind enough to share his social, so cap away! SM Czechroo's Official Social Munzee

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!

August 18, 2014

Meet Munzee Munday: The Munzee Marketplace (cont.)

Team Munzee has been hard at work getting the Munzee Marketplace up and running so for this Meet Munzee Munday, check out our progress. It’s all starting to come together and we hope to open very soon. So get to Downtown McKinney and visit the Marketplace!

August 14, 2014

Munzee Player(s) of the Week: Dale and Barb Swinehart (DalenBarb)

Munzee may be a business, but our employees and our business partners are still players too. It’s this love of Munzee that brings us together and helps us do great things to make the game better for all. One such partnership is with Dale and Barb (DalenBarb) from Space Coast Geo Store, one of our authorized resellers. Dale and Barb help spread the Munzee word as well as expand our business, not to mention they’re dedicated players too! Take a look at our Player(s) of the Week DalenBarb!

20140801_114203Who are you?
We are a husband and wife team known as DalenBarb (yes our Munzee name is our real names as well). Barb plays under this account and Dale plays under the account known as SpaceCoastGeoStore.

Where in the world do you live?
We live in Merritt Island, Florida (The Space Coast)

How long have you played Munzee?
Since August of 2011.

How did you find Munzee?
A friend and fellow cacher was visiting our store and asked if they could place a Munzee in our window. We asked what it was and downloaded the app so we could “cap” our first Munzee. That was in August of 2011, only 1 month after Munzee started.

20140621_193219

What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
We really enjoy meeting new people that play the game. It has given us the opportunity to spend time with each other after working all day. Getting outside and capping/deploying has become a favorite pastime for us in the evenings and weekends. Our grandkids (8 and 3) also enjoy Munzee and ask if they can go to the park to cap some Munzees. We also love how Team Munzee is always keeping the game fresh and adding new ways to score points. The badges have been a lot of fun working toward as well.

What is on your wish list?
We would love to see the ability to search for a specific Munzee or player in the app. Also the ability to filter a single players Munzees (allowing us to only search for that players deployments). One other thing I would LOVE to see is a vehicle Munzee. Oh and a visit to MHQ (which we plan to do in September).

Screenshot_2014-08-07-12-51-40Tell us about yourself!
Barb and I met over the internet 16 years ago. We were married on Sanibel Island, FL a year later. She has two kids from a previous marriage and I have one. We have two grandkids (8 and 3) who love to Munzee. We opened up an Automotive Air Conditioning Parts store when the company Dale worked for closed 10 years ago. Two years later we opened the first walk in caching store in the United States. We have since closed the Automotive Air Conditioning business due to the economy once they let everyone go at the Kennedy Space Center. We then focused on the caching store and becoming an Authorized Munzee Reseller. We started playing Munzee in 2011, but it never really clicked with us. We tried it again a year later and thought it was fun until our iPhone had an issue with the app which caused us to give up again. Then we introduced it to our grandkids and they loved it which prompted us to give it another shot. *Third time’s a charm!* Man have we been hooked ever since. We had the opportunity to meet Trish and Rob at an event in Texas back in April (thanks Trish for hunting down Rob and sending him over to our booth). Since then we have reached level 100 in a few months and watched our home town of Merritt Island explode in Munzee activity. Our local community has really taken off and many new players have started playing. We are now hosting Munzee events with a big one planned in November. Munzee has become a very big part of our life now and we are enjoying every minute of it. We have really enjoyed having impromptu meet & greets when fellow Munzee players show up at our store, sometimes as many as 10-12 different Munzee players standing around talking Munzee. This is what we love about owning our own business…where else can you work and do what you love all day long? (Editors Note: The same is said about MHQ!)

Other hobbies include:
Caching, hiking, biking, kayaking and taking pictures anything that will get us outside doing things together. Munzee has really given us a new way to enjoy most of these activities all at once.

Dale and Barb were kind enough to share her social, so cap away!

Dale n Barb combined social munzee pic

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!

August 12, 2014

Podcast Episode 25: Back to the West Coast, Marketplace Opening Anticipation, and MHQ Bash

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about Rob’s travel plans, updates on the Marketplace and hint at some things to come.


This week in the Munzee Podcast, we talk about:

  1. Rob’s trip to Seattle, where Matt just got back from.
  2. The Munzee Marketplace is finishing up, and it’s looking good.
  3. The MHQ Bash is the weekend of September 26th. It will coincide with McKinney’s Oktoberfest and we’ve got a ton planned.
  4. We’ve got big plans for the Podcast and we hope to start videocasting and answering live-tweets when we record.
  5. Finally, we’re working on the servers on Wednesday, So DO NOT FREAK OUT if something seems off. Hopefully it will be seamless and you guys won’t even notice.

To check past, present and future Munzee Podcasts, visit www.munzeepodcast.com.

August 11, 2014

Meet Munzee Munday: Rob Vardeman

Here at Munzee we’re constantly encouraging our players to meet and greet and build the personal relationships that make this game so great. Over the next few weeks we’ll be showcasing members of Team Munzee so our players can get to know us a bit better. So each Munday (see what we did there?) check in to see a new member of Team Munzee and you decide if you trust the game in our hands. It may have taken him all day to finish his questionnaire, but he’s a pretty busy guy. It’s Munzee President Rob Vardeman!

IMG_3729Name and Title:
Rob Vardeman, President of Munzee Inc.

Where are you from?
Born in West Texas (Odessa) but jumped around the state several times, and a 4-year stay in California, before finally landing in Allen Texas. I’ve lived in Allen for 22 years, about 5 miles from our amazing location for Munzee HeadQuarters.

How did you find Munzee?
robDad August 13th 2011, just over a month after Munzee launched I was out playing two other location games. I was headed for a long trail, but stopped at a windmill to find a container. As I approached GZ I noticed a tag zip tied to the structure flapping in the breeze. Odd but unimportant in my current search. I found the container a few feet away, took care of business, and turned to leave. Then I noticed the tag had a QR code on it and said “Scan for points”. Being a gamer, and having just installed a QR code reader on my phone a few weeks earlier I scanned it and was taken to the Munzee website. I found out I needed to create an account to play this game, so I did. It was love at first cap. I spent the next 5 hours, and over 100 miles driving to all the nearby Munzees collecting my 5 points. Over the next few weeks I started to interact with “snicker” via email because I was unable to find some of his daughter’s deployments. He IMG_3128basically made fun of me (sarcastically) and said I needed to improve my “geo-senses” if I couldn’t find something hidden by his little daughter. LOL. It kicked my Munzee hunting into high gear when I figured out I was interacting with a co-founder and the president. Eventually capping Munzees in his neighborhood lead to meeting him so I took my shot and told him I would work for Munzee one day. I had a vision for what it could be used for and where it could go! I became addicted to chasing special icons and points. I was a fanatical player and made it all the way to #7 on the global leaderboard before I finally got added to the team. The rest of the story is history. 🙂

How long have you worked for Munzee?
After 9 months of bugging Aaron and Scott to let me help, I began volunteering for Munzee in June of 2012 as my summer started for my teaching job. My title was Business Development, Community Support, and Player Interaction (or something like that). Over the next 6 months I worked hard to prove my worth and earn my spot, while working full time as a 5th grade Math teacher. In December 2012 I presented a plan to Aaron that would move me to full time contractor status with Munzee due to increasing needs for work to be done during “normal business hours”. While the plan was risky, I had faith and knew it was the right move for MIMG_3896unzee, and Aaron agreed. In January 2013, things really started to take off, after finally finding a supplier for vinyl stickers. It was 9 months later when Aaron and I talked through the future path for Munzee and he handed off the reins of Munzee Inc to me. October 4th 2013 was a life changing day for me and a game changer for Munzee. Since that time we’ve grown by leaps and bounds, increasing to 8 full time employees, 3 part time, and a fast growing worldwide community of players! Every day I’m amazed at our growth as a company and a game. I’m proud to lead our team as we venture out into new arenas and press on as THE 21st century scavenger hunt.

IMG_3922What do you enjoy most about Munzee?
Munzee is family. I truly see it that way. From hanging out with players at events, to interacting via email or Facebook groups I have always enjoyed spending time with my Munzee family. Hearing stories of need and how Munzee has made a difference, like in the case of my buddy David Reed, I believe in giving back to the players and their communities. It’s part of the reason I love to travel to events so much. Without the players, and their love for Munzee, we would be nothing. That’s something at the forefront of every choice we make at MHQ. The theme of 2014 is “Expect the Unexpected” and I think we’ve lived up to it at this point. The addition of new Munzee types, special contests, new badges, special events, and the marketplace show we aren’t afraid to keep things fresh. Munzee is home of the “Play it your way” special, and we will absolutely continue to innovate and give players new experiences in the years to come.

Famous last words?
When we moved into our first MHQ in January the three of us had quotes on the board. Mine is “I’ll be excited with one”. Sometimes we get carried away with bigger, faster, better, and the things that could be. But I’m excited with one. One person at an event, one deploy in a small town, one event in a new location, one shipment to a new country, one new player. It takes one to get the ball rolling. We’re seeing amazing growth in so many new places all around the world and it all started from one person in that area. Thanks also to the One who protects and guides me daily through this life I’m blessed to live and to my supportive family for allowing me to chase this dream. #MunzeeOnRobFamily