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

To: Sleeperz who wrote (231)	2/8/1998 9:00:00 AM
From: Charles Hughes	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 633

>>>Well I guess that explains why the best game MPRS is currently selling is not making a dent in the earnings picture.<<< This is something everybody here needs to understand. A big (not mega) hit in Windows games might sell a million copies. If MPRS got 10 bucks of that per copy, that would be 10 million dollars, half a quarter's burn rate. That means they need at least 4 of these a year to break even, if they also kept up the sales levels of the less popular products. Meanwhile the console game mfrs suck all the profits out of that industry segment. What is the best selling game of all time? Myst. Total sales in the low millions of units. Do the math. And MPRS has never shown an understanding of any of the new game buying market segments / demographics like the Myst buyers, so they don't have that kind of potential, maybe. They're still focusing on the pimply boy set, the conventional wisdom of game marketing from 1983-1993. If MPRS has negative net value, and success depends on an unlikely series of hits, why would anybody buy them out? Why wouldn't they wait for chapter 7 and buy the assets by paying off the bond holders, leaving the common holders with zip? Also, since they switched to a licensed product strategy a couple of years ago and it bombed, I haven't heard much about it. But it is worth noting that you can't just sell licensed character games without the consent of the character owners, generally. That can include not being able to sell the product to another game company. This would not affect Falcon 4 or Worms, presumably. I don't know the background of Worms. Like many a game company before, this one looks like road kill. I'm not long or short right now (can't go short, can I?), but I would like to hear how this company can survive. The one bright spot - I haven't been able to see how it was going to survive for 2 1/2 years now, so up to this point I have been too pessimistic about it. I had thought it would fold up by '97. In fact they have been around for maybe a decade with very few profitable quarters (as SBYT.) So maybe there is another rabbit in the hat. Every time they pull out another one I find it educational. Chaz

To: Sleeperz who wrote (231)	2/9/1998 3:16:00 AM
From: Jasman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 633

Buyout of Microprose is sensible We should be buying on these rumors. Microprose has the creative ability to make fun games and they have losses which can amount to a hefty tax deduction for a profitable company. The appeal to Microprose at these levels is a buyout. Yes, I know... management has denied this possibility and warns of a reverse spilt but to be honest... this is the conservative stance. Would any company publicly announce a merger twice with the possibility of two failed mergers. NO! If a merger is going to happen, it will be announced the day of agreement with sufficient guarantee of a buyout! My speculation is that Microprose would be bought out by a big software company with good earnings. A company that has the ability to weave Mircroprose's upcoming releases with its own titles and make money... who knows but I like the short term outlook on the stock!