What a nice SPACE Christmas party, and how great to see some "old" familiar faces we haven't seen for a while. And whoever thought of the circular seating arrangement, I thought that was a really nice touch too, it seemed to help pull us all together to some extent.
For the holidays I spent a week at home in Michigan. As it turned out I had a nasty cold the whole time I was there. But there was an Atari advantage. I spent quite a bit of time playing the old, classic 8-bit Atari games that I don't often make time for. I rolled over Missile Command, I scored close to 200,000 on Pac-Man, I figured out how to play Star Raiders II again without the manual... and I made it a long ways though the Grand Loop on JumpMan, another real classic. Super BoulderDash.., the list goes on. It was fun!
We have a couple of Bylaws issues to discuss, concerning Article V. These were mentioned in the Newsletter last month, so no need to reprint here. If we can continue pressing ahead, maybe we can get through the rest of the Bylaws this year!
Thanks, keep using that Atari, and please come to your next SPACE meeting, Friday, January 14.
Space meeting opened at 7:30 PM. Space club president, Michael Current, welcomed members to the meeting. Michael Current asked for a secretary report. Mike Weist, Space club secretary, gave a recap of minutes printed in the Space December newsletter.
Michael Current asked for a treasury report. Greg Leitner reported the club had a good month for November 1999. There were good DOM sales, a membership renewal. Greg also stated that the club lost a Space member. Randy Gelking, a club member, is too busy with other things to continue attending meetings. Greg stated the treasury balance stands at $1460. The club has a healthy balance, God willing the club can continue for quite a while!
Michael Current asked for a DOM report. Glenn Kirschemann, DOM chair, gave a report. Glenn said stuff on the DOM came from the Belcom subdivision from CD ROM disk.
Michael Current asked for a membership report. Glenn Kirschenmann, Membership chair, gave a report. Glenn said membership went from 11 members to 13 members.
OLD BUSINESS- Bylaw changes will be discussed at January Space meeting.
NEW BUSINESS- Mike Fitzpatrick has new job in Clear Lake, South Dakota. Earline is still in Minnesota for the while. Mike is commuting back and forth from Minnesota to South Dakota for the while.
Meeting adjourned at 7:35pm. Space club 17th
Christmas party followed.
What a great way to finnish off the year with our traditional SPACE Christmas party. Almost all our current members were present and once again the food was delicious. Many thanks to all who contributed.
We had a very short formal meeting and then enjoyed the festivities throughout the rest of the evening. 8-bit and 16-bit games were on hand for the member's enjoyment. I finally found out how to play Lemmings and I witnessed a score on Kaboom that I will never reach no matter how many times I might try.
Another great Dom for the December meeting and it sold well, five copies were purchased. We also had two members renew their membership so our total receipts for the month was $45.00.
Our expenses were the monthly newsletter and BBS and also I paid for the first half of the year 2000 P.O. Box fee. The amounts for these were as follows:
The total of the expenses were $75.58 and with our income only being $45.00 we lost $30.58 for the month and our balance now stands at $1,434.20 at year end. Two expenses for 1999 remained unpaid and that is our biggest expense that the Club incurs. The rent for the third and fourth quarters for 1999 have not been paid and I may have to call the Falcon City Hall for the charges as they seem to have temporarily forgotten about us.
Anyway, I hope the new year will bring the same success for the Club as 1999 has and once we get a handle on what we have in storage we can start the auctions up again.
I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year and I will be seeing you all in January,
Subj: Pooldisk Too CD cheap edition for US $5 gets you over 5000 disks
Date: 00-01-05 15:54:26 EST
From: mcurrent@carleton.edu (Michael Current)
From: ernest@wxs.nl (Ernest R. Schreurs)
Date: Fri, Dec 17, 1999 8:35 PM
We have been selling the Pooldisk Too since October 1998. This is a double CD. One CD contains over 5000 disk images of Public Domain and shareware etc for the Atari 8-bit series computers. These can be used with the various emulators, but also on a real Atari computer, with the well known SIO2PC and APE interfaces. The other CD contains various pictures of Atari stuff, utilities and programs for the PC that are related to the Atari computers, and lots of other fun stuff. It also contains the text of Mapping the Atari. This double CD is now available in a very cheap version. We obtained a spindle of CDR's and wrote a limited set of Pooldisk Too CD's on these. We will be selling these without jewel case, without a printed inlay for the jewel case, without the label, and actually just the CDR's in an envelope with a stamp. Also, due to the fact that we recovered our costs by now, selling the normal Pooldisks, we can cut the price of these CD's to just a little above cost of materials.
Those that are interested can order the cheap version of the Pooldisk Too for a mere US $5. Since this is the lowest possible price, shipping is also by the absolutely lowest possible rate. If you want your CD's sent by priority mail, that will be one dollar extra. Note that all the shipping risc etcetera is yours. Since the CD's are shipped without jewel case, damage might occur. But shipping them with a jewel case makes the price for shipping $5, so we would not be able to sell them so cheap then. Also, since there is no margin for profit here, replacing a damaged disc cannot be considered.
Send me an E-mail if you are interested, and we will inform you about the method of payment etcetera. Note that we bought only one spindle, so this offer is good while supplies last. This offer expires after December 31, 1999. If you are reading this message after this date, contact me to check whether the offer is valid. The normal version of the Pooldisk Too is of course still available for US $ 20. We will be happy to answer any questions. Send your mail to ernest@wxs.nl or for some more info, you can check http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/
Keep those XL's/XE's humming.
Subj: Atari games for Game Boy Color
Date: 99-12-20 16:01:19 EST
From: mcurrent@carleton.edu (Michael Current)
EDISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 1999-- Majesco Sales, Inc., a leading publisher, distributor and manufacturer of video game software and hardware, today announced it is releasing additional titles under an agreement with Hasbro Interactive to distribute a series of Hasbro Interactive titles for Nintendo Game Boy Color. The titles include Pong, based on Hasbro Interactive's new 3D Atari release, Tonka Raceway and NASCAR Challenge.
``Hasbro Interactive is known for delivering high-quality games for a range of audiences and Majesco is excited to be working with them on these titles for Game Boy Color,'' said Jesse Sutton, president of Majesco, Inc.
Majesco shipped several titles earlier this summer under its agreement with Hasbro Interactive, among them: Frogger, Centipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, Battleship and Monopoly.
Pong - December
Take the classic arcade game on the road with Pong for Game Boy Color. Pong will include the original screens along with new playfields featuring pesky penguins, soccer fields and rolling logs that send balls off in unpredictable directions as well as head-to-head play.
NASCAR Challenge - December
NASCAR Challenge will give game players the feel of racing bumper-to-bumper with NASCAR drivers in the fastest growing spectator sport in America. The game places the player into a series of racing scenarios that include a specific challenge. Players must accomplish the challenge in order to advance to the next tougher level. NASCAR Challenge will include six different tracks, selectable in-car or third-person views and a simple to drive physics model.
Tonka Raceway - Now Available
Now you can race your own Tonka trucks on 30 exciting courses! Choose from three different types of terrain Desert, Winter Wonderland and Jungle - for tough, rugged racing. Win races and earn points for upgrades to your engine, tires, shocks and turbo power. With the added effect of Game Boy's rumble feature, the racing feels real!
Missile Command - Now Available
The classic game of saving the world is now on the Game Boy Color. As the missiles drop from the skies above, players must be quick to deter them with surface-to-air missiles and save the cities below. As players advance on to new missions the missiles get smarter and fall faster...can you keep up and save the cities from annihilation?
Frogger - Now Available
Remember spending hours in the arcade leading your frog across the highways and the rivers to safety? Now the hopping addictive game is portable with multiple levels and one or two player action! In Frogger, the timeless arcade classic, players must maneuver their frogs across five lanes of traffic, or jump across logs and turtles in a fast moving river while avoiding crocodiles. It takes skill to not ``leave your mark'' on the roadway!
Centipede - Now Available
Centipede, the classic arcade game of the '80s, is now available on Game Boy Color system. You man the shooter and must exterminate an onslaught of Centipedes and other creatures, including spiders, fleas, scorpions and other creepy-crawlies. See if you can put an end to this multi-legged menace once and for all.
Super Breakout - Now Available
Break on through to the other side! The ultimate in escapist games, this classic includes all of the original game variations including cavity, progressive, double and classic Breakout.
About Hasbro Interactive, Inc.
Hasbro Interactive, Inc. is a global interactive entertainment industry leader, innovating new ways to play and developing, publishing and distributing the highest quality games, interactive toys and lifestyle products for a full range of genres and platforms. A subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - news), Hasbro Interactive has offices in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany and Australia, and internal development studios in the U.S. and U.K. For further information, visit Hasbro Interactive's Web site at http://www.hasbro-interactive.com.
About Majesco Inc.
Majesco, Inc., is a diversified manufacturer and distributor of video game software and hardware. Based in Edison, N.J., the company is comprised of Pipe Dream Interactive, an emerging developer and publisher; and Majesco Sales, the dominant distributor and manufacturer of second-generation video-game software and hardware with licenses from Sega, Nintendo, and Sony.
Nintendo is a registered trademark of Nintendo of America Inc. (c) 1996 Nintendo of America Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. Game Boy and Game Boy Color are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. (c) 1989, 1998 Nintendo of America. NASCAR is a registered trademark of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. Frogger is a registered trademark of Konami Co., Ltd. 1981 KONAMI. All rights reserved. Centipede, Pong, Missile Command and Super Breakout are trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc., a Hasbro affiliate. MONOPOLY and TONKA are registered trademarks of Hasbro, Inc.
Subj: Games.com
Date: 00-01-05 16:09:11 EST
From: mcurrent@carleton.edu (Michael Current)
PAWTUCKET, R.I. and SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1999-- Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS - news) today announced plans for its online games portal Games.com and named Go2Net, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNET - news) - currently the fastest-growing of the Internet's top 10 properties - as its technology partner. The companies have reached an agreement in principle for a three-year licensing and distribution arrangement that paves the way for the development of an unequalled online gaming experience featuring Hasbro's global game brands such as MONOPOLY, CLUE, RISK, BATTLESHIP, and many others from MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, MICROPROSE, ATARI and HASBRO INTERACTIVE.
Set to launch in mid-2000, Games.com will initially offer an extensive line-up of at least 50 branded games, most of which will be multi-player Java games. Games.com will also incorporate strong community features, including online chat capabilities, tournaments, plus an online store where consumers can purchase games and related products. Over time, Games.com will highlight Hasbro's powerful game content in six different channels: Family, Kids, Arcade, Game Shows, Sports, and Avid Gamer.
``Games.com will be the ultimate online gaming experience as we roll out the world's favorite games to the Internet,'' said Alan G. Hassenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Hasbro. ``In addition, our relationship with Go2Net will ensure that Games.com delivers all of the benefits of sophisticated technology in an easy-to-use, friendly interface.''
``This collaboration is the first of its kind in the Internet gaming sector, leveraging Go2Net's software platform to deliver Hasbro's unmatched portfolio of branded games to the millions of people who play games online and who will ultimately access this content in broadband environments,'' said Russell C. Horowitz, Go2Net Chairman and CEO. ``We are confident that Hasbro's games will become the most popular on the Web and are pleased to have the opportunity to offer Hasbro's games on The Go2Net Network. We look forward to working further with Hasbro in developing the Internet's definitive game offerings.''
Hasbro and Go2Net expect to sign a definitive agreement during the first quarter of 2000, giving Hasbro access to leading edge technology. Go2Net will provide technology and engineering support to build out the site, plus software for community monitoring and management, chat features, and message boards. In addition, Hasbro would gain access to all the public domain games currently offered on, or being developed for, Go2Net's PlaySite (http://www.playsite.com), including chess, backgammon, solitaire, and spades.
Games.com will include three primary revenue sources, generating income via advertising, a Games.com store, and premium subscription services on the site. Hasbro and Go2Net will each share in the revenue generated from the sale of advertising and sponsorship. Go2Net will also receive fees for Games.com e-commerce transactions originating from Go2Net.
Go2Net will receive from Hasbro a $7.5 million fee for the license and access to Hasbro's most popular games for a licensed, co-branded Games.com offering on PlaySite. Separately, Hasbro and Go2Net will enter into a three-year development and service agreement to collaborate in the development and operation of Games.com. During 2000, Hasbro expects to spend approximately $60 million to develop and launch Games.com.
Games.com will be powered by the same highly scaleable technology platforms that enabled The Go2Net Network to become the fastest-growing of the Internet's top 10 properties in 1999. Its branded game site - PlaySite - is among the `stickiest' destinations on the Internet, with the average user visit lasting more than 45 minutes.
Go2Net's underlying games technology supports multiple platforms, including Windows (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT), Linux, and Macintosh. This will enable universal access to Games.com and PlaySite through virtually any mechanism, including personal computers, broadband appliances such as set-top boxes, and other Internet devices.
Hasbro's formidable entrance into the emerging online games market will help make playing online a mainstream Internet activity. According to a recent Jupiter Communications report, the revenues relating to online games are forecast to exceed $1 billion in 2002, up from $41 million in 1997, while the online gaming audience is expected to reach 26.8 million by 2002, up from 2.0 million in 1997.
Games.com will offer games suited for all types of consumers - avid and casual gamers alike. Its intuitive user interface will allow consumers to quickly and easily access the games they want to play; special tutorials and chat features will further simplify the experience. And for those who would rather watch first before playing, Games.com will allow users to watch games in progress from an ``observation deck.'' In short, Games.com will offer the right content at the right time for game players worldwide.
About Go2Net, Inc.
Go2Net (http://www.go2net.com/) is a network of branded, technology- and community-driven Web sites focused on the categories of personal finance; search and directory; commerce and business services; and multi-player games. The company's Go2Net Labs division develops Web-related software and innovative technologies to enhance the features and functionality of the Go2Net Network's sites and for licensing to other companies. The Go2Net Network is home to many of the Internet's leading vertical brands, including: Silicon Investor in the personal finance category; Go2Net.com, MetaCrawler, Dogpile, and 100hot in the area of search and directory; HyperMart, Virtual Avenue, FreeYellow.com, Authorize.Net, Haggle Online, and WebMarket in the commerce and business services segment; and PlaySite in the area of multi-player games.
About Hasbro, Inc.
Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time and entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, KENNER, TONKA, ODDZON, SUPER SOAKER, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, HASBRO INTERACTIVE, MICROPROSE, GALOOB and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
Subj: A message from Computer Software Services
Date: 00-01-10 11:05:40 EST
From: mcurrent@carleton.edu (Michael Current)
From: themrfreeze@my-deja.com
Date: Sat, Jan 8, 2000 9:28 AM
Hi all!
I've been asked to pass along some information by Bob Puff, 8-bit guru and president of Computer Software Services (CSS).
CSS has received enough demand for its Floppy Board product that they've produced a brand new batch of the boards. The Floppy Board, for those who haven't heard of it, is an add-on card for CSS' Black Box product that lets you connect floppy drives of any size, and access them at very high speeds. It also has a number of other features that enhance the Black Box it's attached to.
The production run of new Floppy Boards is pretty small, so there's a pretty limited supply of them. If you're interested in purchasing any, you should give Computer Software Services a call at 716-429-5639 as soon as possible.
For more detailed information on the Floppy Board, you can check out CSS's Web site:
http://www.nleaudio.com/css
Chris Freemesser themrfreeze@my-dejanews.com
Published by the Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts (SPACE), an independent organization with no business affiliation with ATARI Corporation. Permission is granted to any similar organization with which SPACE exchanges newsletters to reprint material from this newsletter. We do however ask that credit be given to the authors and to SPACE. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SPACE, the club officers, club members or ATARI Corporation.