Long Island filmmakers dive into the video game urban legend of Polybius with their sci-fi / horror short film. (Part 1)

More often than not, urban legends frighten people. Or at least put a sense of worry in them. Yet, there is something about wanting to solve their mystery and the unique thrill of being scared that draws people in to them. Some of the more famous urban legends from around the world include La Llorona, Bloody Mary, the Chupacabra, Slender Man, the Goat Man of Maryland, and many more. Every community has a legend that captures them and it should come as no surprise that the video game community is no exception. The video game community's legend centers around an arcade game called Polybius. A game said to be controlled by the government as a part of a psychology experiment to control people's minds with programming.

Two Long Island (New York) filmmakers have chosen to dive head first into this legend with their new sci-fi / horror short film titled "Polybius". Jimmy Kelly (Director / Writer / Producer) and Michael Tuite (Writer / Producer) have proven to be a great team and have pulled together a cast and crew that has breathed life into this legend for fans to enjoy.

The article for Jimmy Kelly and Michael Tuite's Polybius will be split into two parts. This part will focus on what the "Polybius" urban legend is while Part 2 will be dive into the short film itself and look at what Kelly and Tuite have created for audiences. Like all urban legends, tracking down the origins of Polybius is no easy feat. Let's take a look at what it is exactly.

Polybius was an arcade game that was said to have existed in 1981. This was when arcades were at their height. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing an arcade cabinet tucked away in a corner of a store. However, no game company has ever come forward to say that they created Polybius. What makes it tough to prove that this arcade actually existed is that it was only around for a few months in Portland, Oregon. Then it disappeared forever. To this day there is no physical evidence of the game having been in Portland. There are only first hand accounts by those claiming to have played it or stories by word of mouth. Interestingly, the stories say that government figures in suits dropped the arcade cabinet off and would periodically stop by to collect game data from inside the cabinet. People speculated that the government was experimenting on children with programming and mind control. Accounts speak about psychoactive and addictive effects in players that may have even sent some players to the hospital. Side effects of playing the game are said to have included amnesia, night terrors, and even hallucinations.

The fact that there is no physical proof of the game's existence makes a government mind control conspiracy sound a little far fetched. However, during the 1960's through to the early 1980's the CIA ran a program called MK Ultra that involved the CIA experimenting on willing and unwilling participants in the US where they tried to tap into unused parts of the brain using LSD and mind altering substances. The files on MK Ultra have since been declassified and are now public. The fact that MK Ultra existed and knowing what the program was gives weight to the Polybius urban legend and that it too could have been another CIA experiment. There is no proof of the connection but there are those that believe that the CIA put the MK Ultra program into the Polybius arcade game.

In September 2003 the video game magazine GamePro featured Polybius in an article titled "Secrets and Lies". This particular article stands out as it was the first known printed mention of the game which exposed the legend to a wider audience. Some say that this could be the true origin of the urban legend but we'll never know. In 2006, a man maned Steven Roach stepped forward and claimed to have been one of Polybius' original programmers. Roach claims that after a young boy experienced an epileptic seizure while playing the game his company recalled all of the arcade cabinets from the market. However, like others who have claimed to have a connection to the game, Roach could not offer any proof that he was actually a programmer or that his story was true.

Even though there is no proof of the game, people's accounts of it and it's gameplay are pretty consistent with each other. There is no doubt that this legend has captured the minds of gamers. Polybius has become so popular that current game companies have created modern versions of the game, the latest of which was released for PlayStation 4. Polybius also continuously pops up as fun Easter eggs in pop culture shows such as The Goldbergs, The Simpsons, Bravest Warriors, and many other shows. Easter eggs usually range from a character wearing a Polybius shirt to seeing the actual arcade in the background of a scene. The newest Easter egg that I have come across is in the horror mystery film Summer of 84. A Polybius arcade cabinet can actually be quickly seen in the trailer at the 31 second mark. You never know where Polybius could pop up next so keep a keen eye out!

Could this game have really existed? Could it really have been a government program to control children with mind controlling programs? We sadly may never know but isn't that what makes this urban legend so much fun?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article where Realm Beyond Sight will take a look at this exciting short film and share behind-the-scenes information from a great interview with Jimmy Kelly (Director / Writer / Producer) and Michael Tuite (Writer / Producer). Find out what inspired this team to make the film, how they got their lead actor Tom Atkins (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Fog) to be a part of Polybius, what it was like filming, and so much more.

Until then, follow Polybius on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Director Jimmy Kelly talks to his stars; Tom Atkins and Jennifer Kelly.

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