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Technology Stocks : InfoSpace (INSP): Where GNET went! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sandintoes who wrote (14899)	12/15/1999 4:13:00 PM
From: Sarkie	Respond to of 28311

Rudi, that site will give you media coverage from everywhere.

To: sandintoes who wrote (14899)	12/15/1999 6:15:00 PM
From: Susan G	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 28311

Interesting to note in the heading, which other stocks were tagged for this news release. So all AOL holders got this same news release today. I've gotten it about 9 times : ) News Alert from AP Online via Quote.com Topic: (NYSE:HAS) Hasbro, Inc., (NASDAQ:GNET) , (NYSE:AOL) America Online Inc, (NASDAQ:ERTS) Electronic Arts Inc., Quote.com News Item #12235193 Headline: Hasbro Moves Family Games Online ====================================================================== By MICHAEL MELLO Associated Press Writer PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Hasbro Inc. announced plans Wednesday to offer popular family games such as Monopoly, Clue, Risk and Battleship to online players, through a partnership with Go2Net, Inc. The companies have agreed in principle to a three-year licensing and distribution agreement that seeks to draw more kids and families into the fast-growing online gaming market. ``Games are proving to be the killer application on the Internet,' said Alan G. Hassenfeld, Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro's chairman and chief executive officer. ``Our vision is to create the best online games portal, offering mass market entertainment with branded games for every member of the family,' he said. The new site will face competition from two experienced online players, America Online and Lycos. Last month, AOL, the nation's top Internet service provider, announced an agreement with computer games maker Electronic Arts to develop online games for AOL and run its online game channel. In May, Lycos announced a deal with Bonus.com, a popular children's site, to launch a co-branded online arcade Online games are becoming increasing popular with players and are seen as a potentially lucrative market by toy companies. In 1997 about two million people played games online, a total expected to swell to nearly 27 million by 2002, according to a Jupiter Communications report cited by Hasbro. Revenues relating to online games are expected to similarly skyrocket, from $41 million in 1997 to more than $1 billion in 2002, according to Hasbro. Hasbro, the world's No. 2 toymaker, appears to be well-positioned to cash in on the projected growth of online gaming, says Jim Silver, publisher of The Toy Book. ``They are the first to offer classic board games' for online playing, he said. ``That makes sense because they have a library that reads like a who's who of family games. ``This will get more people interested in their titles, including a lot of younger kids. That could drive sales of the actual board games,' he said. Hasbro's agreement with Go2Net, Inc. will help launch the online portal Games.com by mid-2000. The site initially will offer at least 50 branded games, most involving multiple players. Most of the games won't cost anything to play. The site will include online chat capabilities, tournaments and an online store. Hassenfeld said revenues initially will be generated mostly through advertising. Go2Net will get a $7.5 million fee from Hasbro and access to the company's games for a licensed, co-branded Games.com offering on its game site, PlaySite.com. Both companies will share revenue generated from advertising sales and sponsorship of Games.com. Go2Net also gets fees for some Games.com e-commerce transactions. Hasbro gains access to Go2Net's technology to develop the site and all public domain games offered on Go2Net's site. Those include chess, backgammon, solitaire and spades. Hasbro expects to spend about $60 million next year on its Games.com site. Earlier this month the company announced a broad reorganization to expand offerings of high-tech toys and its popular core brands, including Furby and Pokemon. Hasbro will cut 2,200 jobs, or 19 percent of its work force, close two plants and shift much of its manufacturing to Asia. It will also discontinue some of its underperforming toys.