Found in a comment tag on the bwgame.com main page:
<!--
Yes, its offical and its true.
Finally, after over 3 years of development, Black & White has gone gold.
And we all here at Lionhead Studios are proud and happy that we finally did it.
A big Thank You to everybody who supported us over the last 3 years.
So in a few weeks you can finally play Black & White and we
hope that you're going to enjoy it as much as we enjoyed
developing it.
Drop us a message if you want: gonegold@bwgame.com
"Why do you fear time, my good old friend?"
"At the same moment where Time is responsible for the most amazing smile,
somewhere else it covers a face with anger and sadness.
Time is Good and Evil, Black & White."
First of all... EA didn't buy Sierra. Cendant Corp did, along with Davidson Software, Blizzard, and Knowledge Associates. Then after Cendant's accounting scandal, they sold all of their software assets very quickly to a french company called Havas. Havas still maintains the Sierra brand. EA is involved only in North American distribution. More info on Sierra history here.
Second of all... EA doesn't own Lionhead or Black & White either! Just like with Sierra, EA is only doing North American Distribution. So stop worrying about it.
EA is one of several major software distributors in North America... Lots of companies use them for that as an alternative to going through Ingram Micro.
Sadly, those days of readily available, easily navigable information are long since gone. With Google's recent sell-out to Yahoo, I've been getting results that seem to be less focused on accuracy, and more focused on whoever is paying Google the most for the top ranking.
I think that what you are misinterpreting as Google being overly commercialized is just the natural result of Google's increased popularity. Google's spider bots are being targeted by companies (like mine) who are willing to do what it takes to get higher search rankings with no bearing on relevency. Thats called Agressive Web Marketing, and every popular search engine suffers from it.
Hmm.. If the source code for this thing is readily available, then wouldn't it make sense for the FBI/CIA/Big Brother/Men in Trench coats just to incorporate this program into their e-mail reading software?
It would make their job a lot easier if people were using this instead of PGP. Carnivore could just flag down any e-mail that actually decodes to something. Hell, it would be easier for the FBI to intercept these things than it would be for the intended recipients to actually identify and then read them on their own.
If this venture actually takes off, it will only be self defeating.
Hacker is a term used to describe those who illegally break into computer systems to steal or copy information. Sometimes, they alter the content on a Web site and write offensive material. Young, adventurous minds are said to resemble those of hackers.
As an Egghead customer, I just received this spam..err target marketing bulk e-mail from the CEO:
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Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 09:43:41 -0800
From: "Egghead.com Special Update" <specialdeals@PROMO1.EGGHEADLIST.COM>
Subject: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM EGGHEAD.COM CEO
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Dear Customer,
Egghead.com has discovered that a hacker has accessed our computer
systems, potentially including our customer databases. While there
is no indication that any customer information has been compromised,
as a precautionary measure, we have taken immediate steps to protect
you by contacting the credit card companies with whom we work. They
are in the process of alerting card issuers and banks so that they
can take the necessary steps to ensure the security of cardholders
who may be affected.
We wish to underscore that we have taken these steps as precautions.
We have no information at this time to suggest that any credit card
information has been compromised. We are investigating this possibility,
and we are doing everything we can to proactively protect you. If you
would like further information, you may wish to contact the issuer of
your credit card to determine what steps they are taking. We regret any
inconvenience this may cause you.
We issued a press release on this matter earlier today. It is appended
below this message. If you have additional questions, please call our
customer service team at 1-800-EGGHEAD (344-4323).
Egghead.com Investigates Breach of Company Computer Systems
Company Undertakes Immediate Precautionary Measures
MENLO PARK, Calif., December 22, 2000 - Egghead.com ®, Inc. (Nasdaq:
EGGS), released the following statement today:
"Egghead.com has discovered that a hacker has accessed our computer
systems, potentially including customer databases. As a precautionary
measure, we have taken immediate steps to protect our customers by
contacting the credit card companies we work with. They are in the
process of alerting card issuers and banks so that they can take the
necessary steps to ensure the security of cardholders who may be affected.
"Simultaneously, we have retained the world's leading computer security
experts to conduct a thorough investigation of our security procedures
and an analysis of this breach. We are also working with law enforcement
authorities, who are in the process of conducting a criminal investigation.
"For many months, we have been in the process of strengthening our security
systems in an effort to combat the increasing, industry-wide problem of
malicious hacking. We are committed to providing the highest security
standards in the industry, a process that has been ongoing and has
involved a considerable investment on the part of our company. Those
principles will continue to guide us going forward."
About Egghead.com: Egghead.com is a leading Internet direct marketer of
technology and related products. With an emphasis on Small- to Medium-sized
Business (SMB) customers, Egghead.com offers a wide range of products from
computer hardware and software, consumer electronics and office products,
to sporting goods and vacation packages. Its Clearance, After Work and
Auction formats offer bargains on excess and closeout goods and services.
Egghead.com combines broad selection, low prices, and excellent service
to provide an outstanding online shopping experience for businesses and
consumers. Egghead.com is located on the Internet at http://www.egghead.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to statements relating
to steps taken to protect our customers. These forward-looking statements
are based on information available to the company at the time of this
release and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future
performance. Actual results could differ materially from current expectations
as a result of numerous factors. For example, our ability to protect our
customers from potential misuse of private information is limited, and the
impact of compromised computed security on our business is unpredictable.
Other risks and uncertainties associated with the business are detailed in
our most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q which are on file with the SEC and
available through www.sec.gov
Due to our desire to ensure every person who may be affected has been notified,
you may be receiving this message even if previously expressing a desire not to
receive email from Egghead.com. If this is the case, please be assured you will
not be receiving promotional emails from Egghead.com in the future.
To be removed from our mailing list please go to:
http://promo2.eggheadlist.com/blist.asp?e=JRY@IN AM E.COM
I recently bought a RCA dish and receiver combo for $50 at the local Best Buy. After finding out that I did not have a direct line of sight to the satellite (!@#$@$ tree!!!), I signed up for Digital Cable through MediaOne (recently bought out by AT&T Broadband).
Now it turns out that MediaOne is offering a promotion to dish owners-- Turn in your dish, and get a $200 credit towards digital cable service (about 5 months worth). So for a $50 dish, I get $200 worth of Digital Cable, plus a really fancy cable box that actually works well with my TiVo.
From AT&T Promo E-mail:
Do you have AT&T Road Runner service, but still have that Dish on your house? Well, here's your chance to dump that dish!
If you give up your dish AT&T Broadband will give you $200! Now when you sign up for Digital Cable you'll get a FREE installation and $200 in discount coupons* you can apply toward your monthly cable bill. Plus, we'll haul away your satellite dish and receiver for free! This is a limited time offer, so call us today at 1-877-407-7862.
*Call AT&T Broadband for complete details about service and prices. Certain services are available separately or as part of other levels of service and not all services are available in all areas. You must subscribe to a Digital Cable Package to receive the (4) $50 discount coupons.
Verizon (Bell Atlantic/Nynex/New England Telephone) has announced that they will enforce 10-digit dialing for every call, including local intra-LATA calls, starting in March 2001. That means even if you are calling your next door neighbor, you will have to dial 1+Area Code+Number.
The way you dial a local call will change beginning September 15, 2000. To prepare for the new area codes, beginning September 15, 2000, all customers in Eastern Massachusetts should begin dialing all local calls using 10 digits (area code + seven digit phone number).
We call this a Ten-number Number SM.
From September 15, 2000 until April 2, 2001, all local calls can be dialed with the 7-digit number or with ten-digit dialing (area code + seven digit phone number).
Ten-digit dialing is required on April 2, 2001 for all local calls within Eastern Massachusetts.
Telephone numbers are not changing.
Local calling areas are not changing. A local call is still a local call. A toll call is still a toll call.
Reaching emergency service providers (911) will not change.
You have a Ten-number Number even if you do not have one of the new area codes. When giving or getting a telephone number, be sure to include an area code.
Check any telephone equipment or service that dials or stores telephone numbers and reprogram it to dial ten digits for local calls.
Starting September 15, 2000, dial ten digits (Area Code + 7-digit telephone number) when you make any local call in Eastern Massachusetts (area codes 617, 781, 978 and 508).
If you have questions, you may call the Area Code Information line at 1-877-554-3685, Monday through Friday, 9 am - 5 pm EST.
Beginning April 2, 2001, if you do not dial local calls using the Ten-number Number, you will get a recorded message instructing you how to correctly dial your calls.
Nothing survives without an audience. Emulators should be public, and I have no problem with the posting of 4-year old ROMs-- Games which the original licensors have ceased making money on anyway due to the product falling into the death and decline stage of its life cycle.
To say that the point of making a great emulator isn't to let people play games is just insane. You talk of technical beauty-- Why make a functional program only for engineering prowess? It seems to me that someone trying to create a program, or anything else for that matter, with technical beauty in mind would work on something completely different than a game console emulator.
-Jared
Why don't you just return them? Buy another brand.
on
Toshiba and EULA
·
· Score: 1
I'm quite sure that Toshiba didn't do this to make things more difficult for you. They probably wanted to make the installation process easier for Windows users.
As a consumer, your opinion matters to companies you buy products (such as expensive laptops) from. Let them know you are dissatisfied with this new 'convenience' and inform them that you will return the laptops if they do not allow you to receive a credit for the Windows installation which you do not want.
If they are still uncooperative, simply return the laptops to Toshiba and buy from another brand. NEC for instance makes rather high quality laptops, and they do not come in EULA-sealed bags. There are also companies that will sell you laptops with Linux preloaded rather than Windows. Look into it, vote with your dollars.
Slashdot Mirror
Found in a comment tag on the bwgame.com main page:
<!--
Yes, its offical and its true.
Finally, after over 3 years of development, Black & White has gone gold.
And we all here at Lionhead Studios are proud and happy that we finally did it.
A big Thank You to everybody who supported us over the last 3 years.
So in a few weeks you can finally play Black & White and we
hope that you're going to enjoy it as much as we enjoyed
developing it.
Drop us a message if you want: gonegold@bwgame.com
"Why do you fear time, my good old friend?"
"At the same moment where Time is responsible for the most amazing smile,
somewhere else it covers a face with anger and sadness.
Time is Good and Evil, Black & White."
-->
Second of all... EA doesn't own Lionhead or Black & White either! Just like with Sierra, EA is only doing North American Distribution. So stop worrying about it.
EA is one of several major software distributors in North America... Lots of companies use them for that as an alternative to going through Ingram Micro.
Well I sure wish that they were helping me write a really boring essay on why Antigone is a good feminist. *shiver*
Unlike some search engines, you can't pay Google to have your website ranked higher. Their adwords program lets you buy advertising space listed on the right side of the page, or above the search results with a colored background.
I think that what you are misinterpreting as Google being overly commercialized is just the natural result of Google's increased popularity. Google's spider bots are being targeted by companies (like mine) who are willing to do what it takes to get higher search rankings with no bearing on relevency. Thats called Agressive Web Marketing, and every popular search engine suffers from it.
Hmm.. If the source code for this thing is readily available, then wouldn't it make sense for the FBI/CIA/Big Brother/Men in Trench coats just to incorporate this program into their e-mail reading software?
It would make their job a lot easier if people were using this instead of PGP. Carnivore could just flag down any e-mail that actually decodes to something. Hell, it would be easier for the FBI to intercept these things than it would be for the intended recipients to actually identify and then read them on their own.
If this venture actually takes off, it will only be self defeating.
bahh.....
As an Egghead customer, I just received this spam..err target marketing bulk e-mail from the CEO:
.EGGHEADLIST.COM>
.EGGHEADLIST.COM>; Sat, 23 Dec 2000 16:18:07 -0500 (EST)
N AM E.COM
Return-Path: <owner-CUSTOMERSERVICE*jry**INAME*-COM@MORPHEUS
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Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 09:43:41 -0800
From: "Egghead.com Special Update" <specialdeals@PROMO1.EGGHEADLIST.COM>
Subject: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM EGGHEAD.COM CEO
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
To: jry@INAME.COM
X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by smv664-leg.mail.com id QAA05037
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by chmls12.mediaone.net id eBNLI7e22988
Dear Customer,
Egghead.com has discovered that a hacker has accessed our computer
systems, potentially including our customer databases. While there
is no indication that any customer information has been compromised,
as a precautionary measure, we have taken immediate steps to protect
you by contacting the credit card companies with whom we work. They
are in the process of alerting card issuers and banks so that they
can take the necessary steps to ensure the security of cardholders
who may be affected.
We wish to underscore that we have taken these steps as precautions.
We have no information at this time to suggest that any credit card
information has been compromised. We are investigating this possibility,
and we are doing everything we can to proactively protect you. If you
would like further information, you may wish to contact the issuer of
your credit card to determine what steps they are taking. We regret any
inconvenience this may cause you.
We issued a press release on this matter earlier today. It is appended
below this message. If you have additional questions, please call our
customer service team at 1-800-EGGHEAD (344-4323).
Respectfully,
Jeff Sheahan
President & CEO
Egghead.com, Inc.
Press Release:
Contact:
Joanne Hartzell
Egghead.com, Inc (650) 470-2713
John Stodder, Shoreen Maghame
Edelman Worldwide, (323) 857-9100
Egghead.com Investigates Breach of Company Computer Systems
Company Undertakes Immediate Precautionary Measures
MENLO PARK, Calif., December 22, 2000 - Egghead.com ®, Inc. (Nasdaq:
EGGS), released the following statement today:
"Egghead.com has discovered that a hacker has accessed our computer
systems, potentially including customer databases. As a precautionary
measure, we have taken immediate steps to protect our customers by
contacting the credit card companies we work with. They are in the
process of alerting card issuers and banks so that they can take the
necessary steps to ensure the security of cardholders who may be affected.
"Simultaneously, we have retained the world's leading computer security
experts to conduct a thorough investigation of our security procedures
and an analysis of this breach. We are also working with law enforcement
authorities, who are in the process of conducting a criminal investigation.
"For many months, we have been in the process of strengthening our security
systems in an effort to combat the increasing, industry-wide problem of
malicious hacking. We are committed to providing the highest security
standards in the industry, a process that has been ongoing and has
involved a considerable investment on the part of our company. Those
principles will continue to guide us going forward."
About Egghead.com: Egghead.com is a leading Internet direct marketer of
technology and related products. With an emphasis on Small- to Medium-sized
Business (SMB) customers, Egghead.com offers a wide range of products from
computer hardware and software, consumer electronics and office products,
to sporting goods and vacation packages. Its Clearance, After Work and
Auction formats offer bargains on excess and closeout goods and services.
Egghead.com combines broad selection, low prices, and excellent service
to provide an outstanding online shopping experience for businesses and
consumers. Egghead.com is located on the Internet at http://www.egghead.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to statements relating
to steps taken to protect our customers. These forward-looking statements
are based on information available to the company at the time of this
release and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future
performance. Actual results could differ materially from current expectations
as a result of numerous factors. For example, our ability to protect our
customers from potential misuse of private information is limited, and the
impact of compromised computed security on our business is unpredictable.
Other risks and uncertainties associated with the business are detailed in
our most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q which are on file with the SEC and
available through www.sec.gov
Shoreen Maghame
Edelman Worldwide
(323) 857-9100 ext. 231
e-mail: shoreen.maghame@edelman.com
Due to our desire to ensure every person who may be affected has been notified,
you may be receiving this message even if previously expressing a desire not to
receive email from Egghead.com. If this is the case, please be assured you will
not be receiving promotional emails from Egghead.com in the future.
To be removed from our mailing list please go to:
http://promo2.eggheadlist.com/blist.asp?e=JRY@I
I recently bought a RCA dish and receiver combo for $50 at the local Best Buy. After finding out that I did not have a direct line of sight to the satellite (!@#$@$ tree!!!), I signed up for Digital Cable through MediaOne (recently bought out by AT&T Broadband).
Now it turns out that MediaOne is offering a promotion to dish owners-- Turn in your dish, and get a $200 credit towards digital cable service (about 5 months worth). So for a $50 dish, I get $200 worth of Digital Cable, plus a really fancy cable box that actually works well with my TiVo.
From AT&T Promo E-mail:
Do you have AT&T Road Runner service, but still have that Dish on your house? Well, here's your chance to dump that dish!
If you give up your dish AT&T Broadband will give you $200! Now when you sign up for Digital Cable you'll get a FREE installation and $200 in discount coupons* you can apply toward your monthly cable bill. Plus, we'll haul away your satellite dish and receiver for free! This is a limited time offer, so call us today at 1-877-407-7862.
*Call AT&T Broadband for complete details about service and prices. Certain services are available separately or as part of other levels of service and not all services are available in all areas. You must subscribe to a Digital Cable Package to receive the (4) $50 discount coupons.
From Verizon's website:
Come on Panix,
Nothing survives without an audience. Emulators should be public, and I have no problem with the posting of 4-year old ROMs-- Games which the original licensors have ceased making money on anyway due to the product falling into the death and decline stage of its life cycle.
To say that the point of making a great emulator isn't to let people play games is just insane. You talk of technical beauty-- Why make a functional program only for engineering prowess? It seems to me that someone trying to create a program, or anything else for that matter, with technical beauty in mind would work on something completely different than a game console emulator.
-Jared
I'm quite sure that Toshiba didn't do this to make things more difficult for you. They probably wanted to make the installation process easier for Windows users.
As a consumer, your opinion matters to companies you buy products (such as expensive laptops) from. Let them know you are dissatisfied with this new 'convenience' and inform them that you will return the laptops if they do not allow you to receive a credit for the Windows installation which you do not want.
If they are still uncooperative, simply return the laptops to Toshiba and buy from another brand. NEC for instance makes rather high quality laptops, and they do not come in EULA-sealed bags. There are also companies that will sell you laptops with Linux preloaded rather than Windows. Look into it, vote with your dollars.
-Jared