Dolt

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW Sure, I'll *gladly* pay $169 for a pile of commons that had the s--- kicked out of them.

hahahahahahaha! That's the best punchline I've read on here maybe ever.

Not the chicken or the egg, but rather Star Raiders or the Keypad Controller--which came first? Did they design SR around the controller or did they make SR and then realize "damn, we need to invent a whole new controller just to play this game!"? If it's the latter, I'd have loved to sit in on that meeting where they broke it to management that there would have to be a serious hardware addition plus new sized packaging to fit it all. Anyone know?

Here's the new PR release, for those who enjoy such things. After paragraphs (and paragraphs) of business-speak, they break the news that they had a terrible Christmas season. Buried in the new is their announcement that they're going to rush release the successor to the Flashback and are thus 'scaling back' its features. I can only presume means that like the last one, it won't have the original games, sounds, etc. due to chip decisions. Anyway, here you go- Clive Feb 9, 2005 16:01 ET Atari Outlines First Phases of Strategic Plan - Company Reports Fiscal 2005 Third Quarter and Nine-Month Financial Results - - Net Revenue, Net Income and Earnings Per Share in Line With Previous Guidance - NEW YORK, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR) , a leader in interactive entertainment, today announced financial results for the fiscal 2005 third quarter and nine-month period ended December 31, 2004, and outlined the first phases of its strategic plan since the installation of its new President and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Caparro, at the end of November 2004. "Over the course of the last eight weeks, we've done an in-depth analysis of all aspects of our Company, realistically assessing our organizational complexity, identifying a multitude of untapped opportunities, and mapping out the strategy for realizing our primary objectives: to strengthen Atari's competitive position in the marketplace and enhance shareholder value," said Mr. Caparro. "In a short time, we've begun taking aggressive steps to address structural, operational and financial issues which we anticipate will better position the Company." Mr. Caparro stated, "Leading Atari's structural changes and driving its new strategic mandate will be a complete transformation of the senior management team and a realignment of responsibilities in order to bring greater focus and establish stricter procedures and practices throughout all of the Company's operations. The team has been strengthened and deepened by the recent addition of senior executives, including a new Chief Financial Officer with significant financial expertise and experience to provide the Company with improved fiscal discipline, and help address the financial and structural realities of, and evaluate alternatives for, Atari. "Operationally, we've initiated a complete redirection of our product portfolio, giving our focus and resources to those intellectual properties that -- based on market trends, consumer base growth, and emerging technologies -- have the greatest potential to deliver a significant return on investment," continued Mr. Caparro. "As part of this redirection, we're assessing the continued value that certain non-core assets bring to the Company, and anticipate divestitures that will further focus our product mix and strengthen our balance sheet." The Company has made decisions which reflect its commitment to redefine its cost structure with a stronger emphasis on product development and marketing, while reducing general and administrative expenses. The Company has elected to close its publishing studios located in Santa Monica, CA and Beverly, MA, and will relocate the functions handled by those studios to Atari's corporate headquarters in New York. The Company anticipates that these closures, recent senior management changes and potential divestitures will result in a reduction in annualized general and administrative expenses. The Company expects it will take a restructuring reserve during the 2005 fiscal fourth quarter to reflect severance packages, lease obligations and other related items. Mr. Caparro continued, "We are extremely optimistic about Atari's future, while also being realistic about the challenges that lay ahead. We've begun to evaluate and execute several strategic initiatives that mark the first steps towards simplifying Atari's global operations. Additionally, we believe there is enormous potential to unlock and create added value between Atari and its majority shareholder, Infogrames Entertainment, SA." Net revenue for the third quarter ended December 31, 2004, was $161.8 million compared to $190.6 million in the comparable year-earlier period. Publishing net revenue was $143.3 million compared to $174.4 million in the prior December quarter, while distribution revenue was $18.5 million compared to $16.2 million in the comparable year-earlier quarter. Decreased revenue for the period was attributable to a lower number of titles released in the quarter, strong competition and a shortage of console hardware in the marketplace. Top-selling titles for the quarter included, Atari Anthology (PS2 and Xbox), Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (PS2), Pirates! (PC), RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (PC) and the Company's stand-alone, plug-and-play Atari Flashback Classic Game Console. Net income for the quarter was $19.6 million, or $0.16 per share, compared with $23.0 million, or $0.19 per share, in the year-earlier period. Net revenue for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2004, was $343.4 million versus $402.5 million in the comparable year-earlier period. Publishing net revenue was $301.0 million versus $355.0 million in the prior nine-month period, while distribution revenue was $42.4 million versus $47.5 million in the comparable year-earlier period. Net income for the nine-month period was $14.8 million, or $0.12 per share, compared to $18.1 million, or $0.20 per share, in the year-earlier period, before a $39.4 million, or $0.44 per share, one-time non-cash dividend relating to the Company's September 2003 recapitalization and public offering. Including the $39.4 million dividend, loss attributable to common shareholders for the nine-months ended December 31, 2003, was $21.3 million, or a loss of $0.24 per share. Atari's product lineup for the remainder of fiscal 2005 and its preliminary fiscal 2006 lineup is expected to include the following new releases: * For the fourth quarter ending March 31, 2005: Act of War: Direct Action (PC), Backyard Baseball 2006 (GBA), Dragon Ball Z: Sagas (PS2, Xbox and GameCube), DRIV3R (PC), and Retro Atari Classics (DS). * For Fiscal 2006 ending March 31, 2006: Pirates! (Xbox), Boiling Point (PC), Dragon Ball GT: Transformation (GBA), Dragonshard (PC), Dungeons & Dragons Online (PC), Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (PS2), RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked (PC), Timeshift (PC, Xbox), Tycoon City: New York (PC) among others. Primarily as a result of the negative affect of the console hardware shortage in the holiday season, an unusually competitive fiscal fourth quarter retail environment, and delays in product development which resulted in new management's decisions to move release dates, the Company is revising its 2005 fiscal fourth quarter and year-end guidance. Product rollout initiatives undertaken include: 1) a reduction of Flashback expectations based on retailers' demand for an accelerated launch of a newly configured plug-and-play product in the early summer; 2) holding the release of Dragon Ball Z: Sagas until the last week of the 2005 fiscal fourth quarter to ensure a high-quality product, and maximum marketing support; and 3) moving Dragonshard and Boiling Point to fiscal 2006 to maximize each title's revenue potential. For the 2005 fiscal fourth quarter ending March 31, 2005, Atari anticipates net revenue in the range of $70 million to $80 million. The Company expects to report a net loss in the range of breakeven to $10 million, or $0.00 to $0.08 per share, prior to any restructuring charges associated with, among other things, the closing of offices in Santa Monica, CA and Beverly, MA. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005, Atari anticipates full-year net revenue in the range of $413 million to $423 million. The Company anticipates net income to be in the range of $4 million to $15 million, or $0.03 to $0.12 per share, prior to any restructuring charges. Atari will host a teleconference with a simultaneous webcast at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time today to discuss the Company's third quarter and nine-month results. To access the teleconference, please dial 1-800-706-7741 (domestic) or 1-617-614-3471 (international), access code 50019468, or listen to it live via the Internet by accessing the Company's Web site (http://www.atari.com/). For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available on the Company's Web site or by dialing 1-888-286-8010 (domestic) or 1-617-801-6888 (international), playback access code 14529120, beginning approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call and available through February 14, 2005. About Atari New York-based Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as DRIV3R, Enter the Matrix, Neverwinter Nights, Stuntman, Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2004, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children's games such as Backyard Sports, Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR- 0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit http://www.atari.com/. Safe Harbor Statement With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain certain "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release are not promises or guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein. Some of the factors which could cause our results to differ materially include the following: the loss of key customers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target; fluctuations in the Company's quarterly net revenues and results of operations based on the seasonality of our industry; delays in product development and related product release schedules; maintaining relationships with leading independent video game software developers; adapting to the rapidly changing industry technology, including new console technology; maintaining or acquiring licenses to intellectual property; the termination or modification of our agreements with hardware manufacturers; and other factors described in our SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2004 and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations. ATARI, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share data) For the Three Months For the Nine Months Ended December 31, Ended December 31, 2003 2004 2003 2004 (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) Net revenues $190,607 $161,759 $402,540 $343,446 Cost of goods sold 93,916 89,638 202,712 182,519 Gross profit 96,691 72,121 199,828 160,927 Selling and distribution expenses 37,339 20,553 71,270 53,560 General and administrative expenses 8,067 10,155 25,377 28,311 Research and development 26,928 18,462 72,734 54,508 Gain on sale of development project to a related party (3,744) -- (3,744) -- Depreciation and amortization 2,811 3,053 6,757 8,434 Operating income 25,290 19,898 27,434 16,114 Interest (expense) income, net (453) 94 (7,215) (608) Other (expense) income (1,737) (10) (2,077) 23 Income before provision for income taxes 23,100 19,982 18,142 15,529 Provision for income taxes 81 376 63 758 Net income $23,019 $19,606 $18,079 $14,771 Dividend to parent -- -- (39,351) -- Income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $23,019 $19,606 $(21,272) $14,771 Basic and diluted income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share $0.19 $0.16 $(0.24) $0.12 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 121,170 121,283 88,981 121,269 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 121,325 121,376 88,981 121,412 ATARI, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) March 31, December 31, 2004 2004 (unaudited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash $9,621 $14,710 Receivables, net 37,707 78,782 Inventories, net 27,520 28,622 Income taxes receivable 2,320 1,514 Due from related parties 4,175 1,007 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 12,465 14,965 Related party notes receivable 8,571 20,830 Total current assets 102,379 160,430 Property and equipment, net 13,267 9,661 Goodwill, net of accumulated amortization of $26,116 in both periods 70,224 70,224 Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $1,294 and $1,800, at March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2004, respectively 1,406 900 Other assets 6,680 9,026 Total assets $193,956 $250,241 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $37,837 $43,355 Accrued liabilities 15,886 32,831 Royalties payable 14,481 20,048 Income taxes payable 450 1,089 Short-term deferred income 2,107 77 Due to related parties 6,704 22,368 Total current liabilities 77,465 119,768 Deferred income 555 497 Other long-term liabilities 873 880 Total liabilities 78,893 121,145 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 5,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding -- -- Common stock, $0.01 par value, 300,000 shares authorized, 121,231 and 121,295 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2004, respectively 1,212 1,213 Additional paid-in capital 735,964 736,190 Accumulated deficit (625,436) (610,665) Accumulated other comprehensive income 3,323 2,358 Total stockholders' equity 115,063 129,096 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $193,956 $250,241 Supplemental Table Three Months Ended December 31, 2003 2004 Publishing Revenue Mix PC 27.9% 30.9% PlayStation 2 40.5% 38.3% PlayStation 1.3% 0.7% Xbox 8.7% 4.6% GameBoy 16.5% 12.2% GameCube 5.1% 3.7% Plug-and-Play 0.0% 9.6% Supplemental Table Nine Months Ended December 31, 2003 2004 Publishing Revenue Mix PC 27.1% 25.7% PlayStation 2 36.3% 40.6% PlayStation 2.9% 1.1% Xbox 13.3% 11.4% GameBoy 12.9% 13.3% GameCube 7.5% 3.2% Plug-and-Play 0.0% 4.7% Source: Atari, Inc.

9 bucks for a sealed ET?!

I live maybe 30-40 minutes from Melville, but I'm not interested in the auction--other than the Apple stuff, which is basically worthless anyway, it all looks like crap.

The first photo was from an auction based in Freeport, NY. Well, the dumb ass bastards who mugged me last year and attempted to pistolwhip me (bad job; I got stitches but wasn't even close to being knocked out) were from Freeport. As far as I know, stupidity runs rampant there, and there's your proof. I f'n hate that place.

I have the rest of the gatefold boxes/games, but these two are proving to be a pain in the neck to find. Anyone have spares they'd be interested in parting with?

I bought this 7-drawer dresser at Target last summer http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2-...asin=B0000YKA74 and it's a little steep but fabulous--each drawer is the perfect size for games. Each one holds 60 carts (63 if you cram), so it holds 420 normally, and 441 if you really jam stuff in. Plus the labels are now protected from sunlight and dust.

Suggesting that dedicated used game stores not be included is a tricky thing. I found a LOT of my collection in mom n pop used game stores back when everyone thought they were crap--$1 per game, $10 for a 2600, etc. These days, the mom n pops have disappeared and places like Gamestop, EB, etc. don't carry any Atari at all (at least not in New York--do they carry it anywhere else?). All that's left is specialist stores who know what their Atari games are worth--or think they know (like the joint near me that chargest $10 for Adventure!). I don't think these specialist places necessarily count since the heart of the phrase 'in the wild' is that you got a kick ass deal from an unsuspecting seller. But maybe "in the wild" should just basically mean, any way where you physically bought games that you didn't order, in person from someone other than a collector (thus, people answering classifieds, specialist shops, etc. count as in the wild). If that's the case, I'd say 80 percent of my 380+ different games were from the wild. Most of the boxes are not from the wild. The boxed systems are. My best score was the day where I found Quadrun, Glib and all five Avalon Hills for $2 at a used game shop in 1998 among 24 or so games that I bought that day. Those were the days!

For the record, what are the 9? I have 6 or 7 of them, and know I need "Air/Sea Battle," but I don't know what the other ones I need are. Anyone wanna fill me in?

I searched all over NYC yesterday--about 7 different high-end newsstands with hundreds of titles, as well as Barnes & Noble and Borders--all I found were old copies of issue 9, a 'special' anthology issue of their first year, and lots of copies of their new sister pub, PC Emulation. Someone post the articles--please?

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru? You're just randomly hitting keys on your keyboard, right? FWIW, I have Activision's French/English variations for Starmaster and Ice Hockey at home, but I forget the wording.

That sounds so cool--can you post a photo so I can drool all over my monitor?

This was one of my entries from last years' Christmas cart contest:

For me, I've tried to find Gremlins and Qbert's Qubes for years. I even found (and now have) the manual for QQ, but no game. As for Gremlins, I was in a junk shop where word had gotten out they had a LOT of games, so there were two or three of us hunting around the shelves of crap. I spotted it, reached for it, and damn, someone else's hand got to it faster than me. I got a lot of other goodies that day, so I can't really complain but, y'know, bummer. As for ones I did attain, for some reason, Rampage, the last Activision title I needed, took forever to find although finally I got it on ebay. But don't even get me started on how long it took to find Combat, ET and Pac-Man. Zeesh!

I simply ignore any email from ebay or paypal other than receipts for things I've bought or items I've sold. If there's really an issue, both those sites will tell you when you log on to them via their homepages or whatever pages you have safely bookmarked yourself.

Here's a true story for you: My buddy Glenn Greenberg used to write Star Trek comic books for Marvel, and he did a limited series that covered the years of a second 5-year mission with the original cast. Each issue focused on a different main character, so he had one that focused on Sulu. So right around then, he goes to a comics convention to do some promotion and, lo and behold, he winds up in an elevator with George Takei, who's there paying the rent by doing autographs. They mildly chit-chat, and of course, Glenn tells Takei, "Hey, I just wrote a comic where Sulu is the main character." So Takei's eyes light up and he says, "Oh? You're writing a story about Captain Sulu?" "Yeah, but he's not a captain in my story." Takei gives him a look and says, "Well, you know, I am a captain now," and starts telling how he'd been lobbying for a promotion to Captain since the second movie and it didn't finally happen until the sixth one. Glenn shrugs and tries to explain that the story takes place BEFORE he became a captain, that it shows a younger Sulu learning what it takes to command a ship. So Takei asks him, "Well, do I become a captain by the end of the story?" Glenn patiently states the obvious again: "No, it's a younger Sulu, so it takes place years before the second movie." The elevator stops, Takei steps off, turns around and as the door closes, says, "Well, who wants to read that? I'm a Captain now!" Well, anyway, to put in a plug for my pal, Glenn has a new Star Trek e-book out that I'm halfway through so far, called "The Art of the Deal." It doesn't feature Sulu but you can check it out here on Amazon.

Given that I've never gotten to go to GCE or PC, and I don't own either version of Stella At 20, I'd "settle" for the two videotapes on DVD with no extras, etc., because I'd really like to see them!

The easiest way to beat Raiders of the Lost Ark is with a bat or a hammer, but some people prefer the long way and use their fists in an old skool manner.

That label looks a little too perfect, but then again, I know nothing.

Imagine the bids that lamp would have gotten if one of the games was Quadrun?

I went down there yesterday and picked up Pengo, which I'd had my eye on for a long time, along with some nice label variations (one which it turned out I had already--I picked up the handle version of Coco Nuts when I should have gotten the cart version; ah well). As always, it was fascinating to sift through everything. My only regret was that the Sunrise "Quest for Quintana Roo" I'd been coveting for a few years was gone, so I went back to work with more money in my pocket than I expected. Well, you snooze, you lose; I'm sure it went to a good home. As for the high prices thing, I can understand it in as much as retail space on St. Mark's Place (NYC's version of Haight/Ashbury in SF or Newbury St in Boston) has got to be a ballbuster. It's a shame the employees can't buy the store out and keep it going, though. Excepting Games USA out on Long Island (and their crummy inventory and attitudes), I don't think there's any other game stores in the New York Metro area supporting 2600 collectors anymore.

Well, make sure you call ahead first--I wish I had. I just went down there on my lunchhour even though I'm exhausted, only to find the place shuttered with no sign about hours or anything.

While I have to admit I've always found it a bit overpriced, I can't deny it--I've bought a ton of stuff there and I'll be really sad to see it go! I guess I know where I'm going at lunch today, even if it is a long subway ride from work!