Daily News Spin — August 8, 2001 (Wednesday)

Gathering of rumors

We'll be as lazy as the fat ones over at Fatbabies and give it to you in a verbatim lift from that site of rumors, bile, and tattling-tales.

The Rumor is that "the AXE" came down on the GOD game employees late last week. They have all been officially notified that they will only have a job for the next 30 days.

It appears that almost the entire Gathering of Developers staff, under the leadership of Mike Wilson, will be starting a DVD magazine. Strange enough, but a legit DVD magazine - trying to compete with reputable magazines and newspapers. No chicks, no drugs, no midgets - just plain old news?

This could mean no parking lot booth at next year's E3, which would mean fewer free beers for writers and fewer babes for Wagner James Au to ogle and then cluck about in print. Oh, the horror!

Classic video game convention

If you happen to be in Las Vegas this weekend, you might want to check out the Classic Gaming Expo, according to this Las Vegas Sun story.

The first expo was small, with about 200 attendees -- including the traders at booths -- and took up about 3,000 square feet. The event also featured a hands-on display, or "museum," of classic-game systems, rare prototype models and hand-held units, which has grown in size each year since.

This year they expect about 1000 attendees.

Activision, THQ "strong buys"

If you play the stock market game, one analyst is ranking these two companies as strong buys. Here's the pertinent quote lifted from The Wall Street Transcript:

TWST: What expectations do you have for these companies as a group � cable, media and entertainment � over the next 12 months?

Mr. Gikas: In the entertainment software universe we currently follow four companies: Activision (Nasdaq:ATVI), Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), THQ (Nasdaq:THQI) and Take-Two (Nasdaq:TTWO). Our rating on Activision is a strong buy, we rate Electronic Arts a buy, Take-Two a buy and THQ a strong buy. Really, the entertainment software space right now is wrapping up what�s been about a two-year period of transitioning from the older technologies in the video game business to the new technologies. It�s about a $10.3 billion industry in 2001 for North America and Western Europe, growing to $17-$18 billion in 2004. We�re looking for a five-year compounded average growth rate in the area of about 25%, perhaps 30%, throughout the next cycle.

How about that? We're not just an industry, we're a "universe"!

3am

The first Operation Flashpoint download pack is available. This is for the European version of the game since there is no North American version yet. You can download the mission and upgrade pack here.

War of the Dopes. UK singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor "has been accused of glamorising drugs after admitting to playing a computer game featuring drug dealers" according to an Ananova story. Oh, the horror!

A new site that's going to broadcast radio updates over the Internet from QuakeCon is up. Visit the aptly named QuakeCon Radio for news of the convention this weekend.

The Quake and Conquer Quake 2 mod is now available. It uses the Quake engine to create a real-time strategy game.

The Game Boy Advance version of Doom is set to be released. This could be fun.

Well, that's about it. Not much happened today. So, for filler we'll reprint an old, old joke from the Tonight Show back when dinosaurs were used as construction cranes by cavemen. It's the joke that host Jack Paar told that was later edited out, causing Paar to announce he was quitting the show. He didn't quit then, but did a couple of years later.

An English lady, while visiting Switzerland, was looking for a room, and she asked the schoolmaster if he could recommend any to her. He took her to see several rooms, and when everything was settled, the lady returned to her home to make the final preparations to move. When she arrived home, the thought suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen a "W.C." [water closet, a euphemism for bathroom] around the place. So she immediately wrote a note to the schoolmaster asking him if there were a "W.C." around. The schoolmaster was a very poor student of English, so he asked the parish priest if he could help in the matter. Together they tired to discover the meaning of the letters "W.C.," and the only solution they could find for the letters was letters was a Wayside Chapel. The schoolmaster then wrote to the English lady the following note:

Dear Madam:

I take great pleasure in informing you that the W.C. is situated nine miles from the house you occupy, in the center of a beautiful grove of pine trees surrounded by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and it is open on Sunday and Thursday only. As there are a great number of people and they are expected during the summer months, I would suggest that you come early: although there is plenty of standing room as a rule. You will no doubt be glad to hear that a good number of people bring their lunch and make a day of it. While others who can afford to go by car arrive just in time. I would especially recommend that your ladyship go on Thursday when there is a musical accompaniment. It may interest you to know that my daughter was married in the W.C. and it was there that she met her husband. I can remember the rush there was for seats. There were ten people to a seat ordinarily occupied by one. It was wonderful to see the expression on their faces. The newest attraction is a bell donated by a wealthy resident of the district. It rings every time a person enters. A bazaar is to be held to provide plush seats for all the people, since they feel it is a long felt need. My wife is rather delicate, so she can't attend regularly. I shall be delighted to reserve the best seat for you if you wish, where you will be seen by all. For the children, there is a special time and place so that they will not disturb the elders. Hoping to have been of service to you, I remain,

Sincerely,

The Schoolmaster."

Hope that was corny enough!

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