Rare Babe Ruth Miniature Fetches $1,325 for Charity

November 22, 2004 (SEATTLE) - Topps Inc. and WizKids Inc., makers of the hit collectable miniatures game (CMG) MLB SportsClix, announced that the charity auction for the Babe Ruth Masterpiece Figure netted $1,325 for the Boys and Girls Club of America.

The figure is well-known, as it features Babe Ruth in his 1917 Red Sox uniform - only two years before the "Curse of the Bambino" struck Boston!
Chris Hart, the WizKids painters who completed this piece, finished putting Ruth back in his Red Sox uniform on October 20th - the night of the Sox'
historic Game Seven victory, when the "Curse" was finally put to rest!

"We couldn't be happier that this historic game piece brought in so much for the Boys and Girls Club," said Mike Samora, Vice-President of Marketing at WizKids. "It shows just how much our fans are willing to help others." The Babe Ruth miniature, one of only fifty hand-crafted pieces made, is hand-numbered #1 of 50 and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Beckett.

This auction was the first chance to purchase a piece from the MLB SportsClix 2005 set, which releases in April of 2005.

ATARI'S SID MEIER'S PIRATES! SAILS INTO STORES

Highly-Anticipated Sequel From Firaxis Games Re-Captures
The Magic of One of the Greatest Games of All Time

BEVERLY, MA - November 22, 2004 - Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) and Firaxis Games announced today that the highly-anticipated sequel to one of the most popular and loved titles in gaming history has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Sid Meier's Pirates!® received unprecedented critical acclaim when it was first released in 1987 and set the industry standard for innovative game design with its unique blend of open-ended role-playing, real-time adventures and thrilling action sequences. The new game uses an entirely new game engine and delivers updated gameplay, spectacular 3D graphics and many new features.

"Pirates!® is recognized as one of the greatest games ever created and there has been a lot of anticipation for the return of this classic," said Nancy MacIntyre, vice president of marketing, Atari, Inc. "Firaxis has done an amazing job balancing the addition of new features and gameplay while maintaining the spirit and addictiveness of the original."

"Pirates! is among the most popular and loved titles in gaming history and Sid and the team have far surpassed our expectations by delivering a game that has the highest quality graphics, new features, and enhanced gameplay that improve upon the award-winning original," said Jeff Briggs, Firaxis Games founder, president and CEO. "Firaxis Games and Atari are thrilled to offer this incredibly fun, action-adventure game to a new generation of gamers around the world."

The new Pirates! carries on with the great gameplay and design simplicity tradition of the original while adding more challenging and exciting battle options, and a deeper and more varied role-playing experience. In the leading role as a Pirate Captain in the 17th century Caribbean, you explore high seas and exotic ports, overtake enemies in fierce naval battles, engage in duels and try to seize valuable booty in an attempt to become the most revered and feared pirate in history. As your reputation and skills grow, so will the size and quality of
Atari/ Pirates! Shipping Release/ Page 2

your crew, and your ability to take on larger enemy ships, raid and plunder heavily fortified ports, and locate ancient treasure. There's a whole cast of interesting and dangerous characters to meet, mysteries to solve, exotic island destinations to discover, and powerful alliances to forge.

Sid Meier's Pirates! is rated 'E' for Everyone and is currently available at retail stores nationwide for a suggested price of $49.99. A Limited Edition version is also available for the same price and is packed with tons of bonus material including the original Pirates! game, the full behind the scenes making-of video, developer diaries, unique exclusive content and bonus material. Additional information can be found on the official site, www.atari.com/pirates.

Firaxis has re-launched their corporate site and is giving away a treasure chest full of booty to celebrate the release of SID MEIER’S PIRATES!

Enter to win the PIRATES! PLUNDER contest where you could sail away with:

$250 Atari Gift Certificate
Signed Pirates! Games
Pirates! T-Shirts
$50 Best Buy Gift Cards
and more…

ENTER TODAY Full Story

Zombies give franchise bite

Eden Studios made a killing with game "All Flesh Must Be Eaten," winning clout in niche role-playing industry

Anthony Gallela, executive director of the Game Manufacturers Association, said the role-playing game industry is one where entrepreneurs working out of their basements and bedrooms can still be successful.

"For a few thousand dollars, you can get your book printed and sell it at conventions," he said. "That's how word-of-mouth starts." Full Story

Here there be Dragons: After 30 years, D&D players shape pop culture

Thirty years after the introduction of Dungeons & Dragons, the iconic role-playing game may have finally shed its reputation as the realm of basement-dwelling, misfit geeks.

Those D&D ``misfits'' have grown up to produce TV shows and movies, write best-selling fiction and create video games. Some even helped develop a little something called the Web. Full Story

Star Wars This Weekend -- For Fans Across the World!

This coming weekend Star Wars fans on opposite sides of the globe can enjoy the start of their December holiday seasons at Star Wars festivals and events -- both in Spain and California. Full Story

Merchant sues insurer over stolen cards

"I would say that ... the insurer never understood what it was they were insuring," said the owner of Star City Comics and Games.

Pete Hoefling Jr. is very experienced at the popular trading card game called Magic: The Gathering.

Unfortunately, all the creature cards and spell cards in the world could not protect him from his latest opponents: thieves and insurance companies.
Full Story

Ghost Recon 2 invades PS2

Ubisoft's shooter sent into retail action; prequel to Xbox version features storyline that has both Korean governments infuriated.

Ubisoft today announced that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 for the PlayStation 2 has been sent into retail battle. The game is the prequel to the Xbox version that was released earlier this month. Set in 2007, the PS2 version takes place after the previous wave of Ghost Recon games and four years before its Xbox brethren. Full Story

Pokemania: Children can’t get enough of toon

Chandigarh, November 28: SURAJ’s mother knew she had to give in. For hours she had held out but when Suraj complained that his friends had got it too, she had to take him to the carnival for the ubiquitous Pokemon tattoo being done at the carnival.

The ten-year-old was brought to the carnival again, Rs 20 paid for the Pikachu tattoo and an hour later a happy Suraj joined his friends with his Pokemon tattoo. Full Story

In a recent interview with Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, Shigeru Miyamoto, let slip some mightily interesting details. Here are the translated highlights:

Within the next 3 to 4 years, online gaming will be mainstream. Nintendo knows that and will try to move into that direction.

The Nintendo DS will get online gaming ‘sooner than we all think’.
Square-Enix and Nintendo are working on getting the Nintendo DS online.
The recently announced Mario Baseball is a joint project with Namco.
'Mario 128' is still in development for the GameCube (not for the GameCube successor, codenamed 'Revolution'). Miyamoto could not tell when the game will be released.

Nintendo is working on a new Pokemon game for the GameCube. Shigeru also added that this game is in development with strong allies. Source

Nintendo Enters Movie Biz
It's official. First movie to hit sometime 2006.

November 30, 2004 - Nintendo has officially announced it will enter the movie business, according to the Nikkei Journal. The company plans to produce its own animated motion pictures, the first of which should hit theaters sometime in 2006. Full Story

SpongeBob a threatened species

BARNACLES! Something is amiss in Bikini Bottom.
Thieves have climbed onto the roofs of two Burger Kings in Redwood City and stolen giant inflatable dolls of the beloved, but naive, cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

And Burger King officials can't rule out as a suspect SpongeBob's one-eyed arch-nemesis, Plankton, who lives in the cartoon sponge's hometown of Bikini Bottom. Full Story