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Technology Stocks : Microprose, MPRS -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: 5,17,37,5,101,... who wrote (160)	2/5/1998 10:00:00 AM
From: John	Respond to of 633

<<5, 17, 37, 5, 101, 5, 197, ... , smallest factor greater than one of 4(m^2)+1 >> Wow, good thing I asked - I worked on it a while but could not come up with anything reasonable. MPRS has made a smart move - the Magic press release this morning, and hopefully a "not quite as bad as expected" earnings report after the bell tonight should pull this stock up. The card game Magic has a huge world presence. I remember going to GENCON (hosted by TSR) 5 or 6 years ago - Wizards of the Coast was nobody back then, they had just invented these cards, I bought several packs and boosters from them. A year later, they had a huge booth, and other companies started coming out with copycat card games. The next year, 1/4 of the booths at the convention were card games, and role playing games which had been the pillar of the convention started to take a back seat - everyone was trading Magic cards. Now, this past year, Wizards of the Coast bought TSR, and Wizards now hosts the GENCON Convention. Now that MPRS's magic game is multiplayer over the interent, it has the potential to sell > 1 million games. The fun of playing Magic is to play it against another human being. Playing the computer game also cuts down on the cost of buying cards. There are a heck of alot of teenagers out there that spend 20 - 50 bucks a week on magic cards. Many may opt to buy the game (which gives you all the cards - even rare ones) and play it on the internet instead. I had a few more thoughts about ATVI potentially buying MPRS. ATVI offered debt (60 mill I think) a month or two back specifically to have cash for future aquisitions. We could see a part cash part stock offer. Also, I.M.H.O. they desperately need some more "non first person shooter games. Yes they have Quake 2, I think sales will ultimately be a bit disappointing for it, given how much they had to pay to get it away from GTIS. Also, their aquisition of Raven has not helped them much, Hexen 2 was just OK. ATVI could really use MPRS's lineup. > ALAMEDA, Calif. -- MicroProse, Inc. (Nasdaq:MPRS), a worldwide interactive entertainment company, announced today the global availability of "ManaLink(TM)," the free "Magic: The Gathering(R)" multiplayer update. For the past two weeks thousands of avid online "Magic: The Gathering" fans have been playing "Magic(R)" on the World Wide Web in a limited release. "ManaLink" is now available in five languages, including English, French, Italian, Spanish and German at www.gathering.net. For the first time, "Magic" fans can reach out to challenge players next door, or on the other side of the world, to play the number one strategy card game on the PC any time of the day or night. "Magic: The Gathering" has become the intellectual sport of the '90s, and has even been featured in such high-profile, mainstream outlets as ESPN2 and "Sports Illustrated." It is a turn-based strategy card game that appeals to all ages. With more than two billion of the Wizards of the Coast(R) trading cards sold to date and the shipment of more than 270,000 copies of MicroProse's original interactive computer game on CD-ROM, the game has successfully transitioned from paper format to computer game and now the Internet. Free "Magic: The Gathering" Internet game play is hosted exclusively by Total Entertainment Network(TM) at the GatheringNet(TM) Web site on www.gathering.net. "As MicroProse's most anticipated endeavor in the online gaming business, the debut of 'Magic: The Gathering' on the Internet marks the realization of a long-time vision for millions of fans," said Derek McLeish, senior vice president, marketing at MicroProse. The "ManaLink" multiplayer update enables two players to duel over the Internet, chat, send messages and taunt opponents inside and outside of the Duel. For easy opponent matching over the Net, "ManaLink" creates a "live" player environment, allowing players to view a list of other "Magic" players who are currently online and playing over the Internet. Players can sort potential opponents by attributes such as skill level and concede rate. Impromptu tournaments over the Internet are already beginning to appear online, and together MicroProse and Wizards of the Coast plan to build formal tournaments into online "Magic" play in the near future. In addition to premiering the "ManaLink" multiplayer update, MicroProse has shipped the PC CD-ROM "Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planewalkers(TM)," a compilation of everything a player needs to compete in "Magic" play on the Internet. The "Duels of the Planeswalkers" CD-ROM includes MicroProse's original "Magic: The Gathering" for the PC, the "ManaLink" multiplayer update, and cards from "The Dark(R)" and "Legends(R)" card sets that are new to the PC game. Among the over 80 new cards exclusively available in "Duels of the Planewalkers" are Angelic Voices, Acid Rain, Divine Offering, Fallen Angel and Storm Seeker. With proof of purchase for the original "Magic: The Gathering" for the PC, purchasers of "Duels of the Planeswalkers" can receive $15 back in a special rebate offer. "GatheringNet" ( www.gathering.net ) is the official "Magic: The Gathering" for the PC Web site. It is a rapidly growing online community where "Magic" enthusiasts meet to play "Magic," discuss "Magic" topics of interest, learn the latest "Magic" news and hear about "Magic" events taking place both online and in the real world. The "Magic: The Gathering" trading card game is an imaginative game that promotes strategy, mathematics and critical thinking. Developed by a math professor, the "Magic" card game contains elements similar to bridge or chess and is often played in a tournament setting, with amateur and professional "Magic" players competing throughout the year to earn rankings and win prizes. Wizards of the Coast is a leading developer and publisher of entertainment products, including the world's best-selling "Magic: The Gathering" trading card game. Wizards of the Coast subsidiaries include TSR, Inc., creators of the popular Dungeons and Dragons(R) adventure game, and Five Rings Publishing Group Inc., best known for the Legend of the Five Rings(R) trading card game.