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NEWS 242 - 50 Comments
From: Jackzilla Entered on: December 15, 2004 8:12 AM
EA just recently signed an exclusive deal with the NFL giving EA a monopoly on NFL games for 5 years. Great deal for EA -- Crappy deal for anyone that likes NFL video games. Say goodbye to any competative innovation! I guess their Madden game had been losing market share to the competition. What a bold, Microsoft-ish solution for them.     Speaking of EA, Goldeneye is the first xbox game of theirs that supports system link that I know of. Too bad that -- say it with me guys -- "it's no Halo!"     Ubisoft is one of my fav software houses. They do Prince of Persia and the Clancy games (Splintercell, Ghost Recon, Rainbow 6). How's their stock, Fatty?
From: Ross Entered on: December 15, 2004 9:56 AM
What else does EA do besides sports games and sub-par movie licenses? I've lost interest.     As for investing, I've taken a break for a while to get rid of my car payment. After that, I'll be more interested in new investments - a guy at work asked me to join an investment club, where you commit X dollars a month (amount up to you) into a group of stocks picked by the group. Each person is responsible for picking and researching one or two stocks and reporting to the group. Sounds cool but at the same time I'm skeptical of the value. As I told him, fund managers and others spend their whole lives researching the stock market and on the whole don't tend to perform any better than the S&P 500 over time.     So in my mind, if the goal is to make money, might as well invest in an index fund and let your money alone for a long time. If, on the other hand, you want to have some fun (and as long as that's how you look at it) it couldn't hurt to play around with thsi kind of thing.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: December 17, 2004 4:17 PM
Interesting article regarding EA's NFL deal. I hate crap like this (big company muscling the competition out). Fortunately I don't like football games.     http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/14/commentary/game_ove r/column_gaming/
From: Jackzilla Entered on: December 17, 2004 4:29 PM
Way to go, Fatty, investing in an amoral corporate whore of a company like EA.     I will now take the high road and sell some over-priced Yu-Gi-Oh cards to an 8-year-old.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: December 20, 2004 9:35 AM
Good lord! I just wrote that I liked UbiSoft! Electronic Arts announced today an investment in international game developer and publisher UbiSoft Entertainment. The investment represents approximately 19.9 percent interest in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed. Electronic Arts has also confirmed its decision to change one of the conditions for the offer to the shareholders of Digital Illusions CE (DICE) and to extend the acceptance period. The acceptance period for EA's offer to the shareholders of DICE, made on November 15, 2004, expired on December 16.
From: BigFatty Entered on: December 20, 2004 4:59 PM
Thats right, EA is my Whore! Bitch better get out there and get my money! I got in before the DICE deal. The UBI deal is icing on the cake. I am waiting for EA to become the next Microsoft so I can retire early. You guys can tell the story of 'I new a guy who invested in EA.....' and no one will believe you.
From: The Bone Entered on: December 20, 2004 5:39 PM
Dude, you are supposed to give me stock tips before they go up - arsehurl!
From: Jackzilla Entered on: December 21, 2004 4:45 PM
EA sure is in the buying mood! They apparently tried (unsuccessfully) to get an exclusive NBA contract too!     http://sports.ign.com/articles/574/574539p1.html?fr omint=1     Ok. Enough on EA. So what other investments does the Fatty suggest?
From: BigFatty Entered on: December 21, 2004 5:21 PM
Dude - I have told you about EA a few times. The other stock I have and like is local bank called Bank Macatawa MCBC. I bought them on a tip from Rich Mashall of all people. But, after some digging, I found them to be a strong buy. They are a new bank and have been growing quite steadily and so have their profits. I bought them about 2 years ago and I figure soon they will be ripe to be bought out from a big boy. Until then I am happily watching the share price grow (oh and one split) from $19 to over $31. I wish I had more money! Oh, but the entire market has been moving up. Don't think I am too sweet, well EA and MCBC are sweet, but I am getting ready for a small break down. Get your cash together and buy on the bounce!
From: Jackzilla Entered on: December 21, 2004 5:27 PM
Dude, I have to sell some Pokemon cards first. My investment capital is tied up in Charizards right now.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 18, 2005 1:32 PM
The Evil Empire Grows... Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal For the next fifteen years, EA will be the sole licensee of the ESPN brand in the area of sports games, which will include console, handheld, PC, and wireless games. The news is the second blow to current ESPN license-holder Sega (and its Visual Concepts development studio). It recently lost the right to publish sports games using the NFL license when EA scooped that license up. Now, it loses the right to the ESPN brand as well.
From: BigFatty Entered on: January 18, 2005 3:28 PM
You got any spare dump trucks over there? I will need some help with all that EA money that is rolling in.     Don't worry Jack, there are always little guys that can compete with the Big Boys, just not head to head. Good games will still be made.
From: Ross Entered on: January 18, 2005 5:01 PM
Isn't Burnout made by EA?
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 18, 2005 5:18 PM
Ahhh... good point, Bert. But EA bought the developer while they were making BURNOUT 3. It was nice in that EA was able to throw some money at 'em but we'll see what happens with a Burnout 4. A lot of times the sweet people leave after a buyout and go on their own: Then they start a company; get successful; get bought out again. It's the circle of life (Or the circle-jerk of big business).     By the way, PRINCE OF PERSIA 2 is DONE over here!
From: Ross Entered on: January 18, 2005 5:45 PM
Indeed, I know it well. That's what happened with my previous company - we were sweet, got bought out for mucho dinero (I only got a small chunk as I'd been there a short time), and then left a couple years later. Now the trick is to repeat with a bigger chunk next time.     First step: stop working for the man.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 18, 2005 10:44 PM
Rumors are that BURNOUT 4 will be an XBOX 2 launch title.     http://spong.com/detail/news.asp?prid=8229
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 20, 2005 1:17 AM
Check out Playboy: The Mansion:     http://media.xbox.ign.com/media/664/664371/vid_1026 772.html?mu=http%3A%2F%2Fstreamingmovies.ign.com%2 Fps2%2Farticle%2F581%2F581065%2Fplayboy_011905_3av i_wmvlow.wmv
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 22, 2005 9:37 AM
BONE!!!     You gotta check out THE PUNISHER xbox game! We played it a bit last night and its SWEET! Can you think of 100 ways to kill a man? Garth Ennis (comic scribe who helped on this game) did. It's brutal. Apparently the game turned out so violent that the company made the developer's tone it down a little. But there's a patch floating around that returns it to it's full technicolor, uncensored, bloody glory/gory.     I'm not sure of the replay value once the 16 or so missions are completed, but its certainly a riot the first time through!     There's some funny dialogue too. My favorite line so far: Someone asks Punisher how many people he killed. He answers, "I'm not sure. There were a lot of explosions." You gotta hear it delivered in his serious, gravely voice...
From: Ross Entered on: January 22, 2005 9:54 AM
I got that patch! I JUST put the game on my xbox in fact. Now I can't wait to play it...
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 22, 2005 10:11 AM
It's one of those games that um, say you see a woodchipper? There's probably a chance of you going Fargo on some poor bastard. And Ross, don't miss out on throwing people over cliffs and windows. It's good fun.
From: The Bone Entered on: January 22, 2005 2:42 PM
I'm getting The Punisher and the patch right now. How do you incorporate the patch by the way? Is there something special you have to do?
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 22, 2005 3:07 PM
The patch is either a "PPF" patch program that you apply to the default.xbe file or it could just be a replacement default.xbe file.
From: The Bone Entered on: January 22, 2005 3:17 PM
It's the.xbe file. What do I with it? I'm DL'ing the game and the patch to seperate folders on my computer. How do I replace the file - in idiots terms?
From: Jackzilla Entered on: January 22, 2005 4:05 PM
Just copy the patched default.xbe file over the one in the Punisher game folder. Need to know how to do that? Better call Bertstain.
From: The Bone Entered on: January 22, 2005 4:17 PM
Thank's Jack, Bertstain has saved my ass many a time. I think I may be able to figure this one out on my own - I hope.
From: BigFatty Entered on: January 26, 2005 4:17 PM
I hope you fuckers were smart and dropped grips of dollars into ERTS. Today it jumped up over $5 a share to around $62.     Ya, you are kicking yourselves. Well, it is still a great stock for the long-term. Plus my other Fav. stock MCBC is a Fatty Recomended strong buy.     BigFatty is a shareholder in both stocks (I have to give full disclosure to my fans so they know I am not pumping and dumping!)
From: Jackzilla Entered on: February 24, 2005 9:47 PM
EA Sport Fight Night Round 2   The best boxing game there is just got better     IGN rates it a 9 overall. Bells and Bone: Commence self-pleasuring til it hits your xbox.     http://xbox.ign.com/articles/590/590564p1.html
From: The Bone Entered on: February 24, 2005 11:43 PM
It better be hittin my XBOX soon.
From: The Bone Entered on: March 1, 2005 9:55 AM
It's happening baby!
From: Ross Entered on: March 2, 2005 1:58 PM
Have you guys noticed that Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is ou on March 31? Woohoo!
From: BigFatty Entered on: March 2, 2005 3:23 PM
Fatty's USA ticket is going to come about REAL soon. Damn the XBOX. Zilla - you are gonna have to get my box together and make some room on my drive - I got some playing to do. I figure a month straight of BOX'n will get me back to the Good Life.
From: Ross Entered on: March 2, 2005 5:33 PM
Good to hear, Fatty. Will enjoy getting pissed off by someone other than Zilla some game night in the future...
From: Jackzilla Entered on: March 2, 2005 6:05 PM
FATTY COME HOME! WE GOT MUCH TO PLAY!
From: Jackzilla Entered on: March 4, 2005 8:29 AM
Bone - You were one of those kids that cried on Christmas after all the presents were unwrapped, aren't you?
From: The Bone Entered on: March 4, 2005 11:30 PM
Ok, maybe I spoke too soon. Once you switch to controller config 4, it's much better.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: March 5, 2005 7:51 AM
Bone - You didn't have your controller plugged in, did you?
From: Ross Entered on: March 5, 2005 9:56 AM
It's one of those games that has the punching being done with the stick rather than buttons, right? I know that's what threw Bells off originally when we were all laughing at his fatter likeness getting pummelled by Fatty.
From: The Bone Entered on: March 5, 2005 10:29 AM
Yeah, fuck the sticks. Buttons are the way. STill, the characters don't move quite like they did in FN2004. I was ridiculously sweet at dodging and countering, now it's all fucked up for my style of fighting. Also, when you get a guy ready to be knocked out, it's fucking hard as hell to finish the job. In FN2004, I'd be knocking fools out with a swftness in hard mode. I'm struggling in medium with round 2.     Although, I'd still knock Jack out even with the controller unplugged :)
From: Jackzilla Entered on: March 5, 2005 11:05 AM
Bone - Changing the controls from the innovative stick to plain ol' buttons? I know Bells does the same. Shit negro! You're reducing the game to Street Fighter II Turbo!
From: Ross Entered on: March 5, 2005 1:38 PM
But isn't a challenge a bit better? Who wants it to always be easy?
From: The Bone Entered on: March 6, 2005 6:42 PM
Ok. FN RD 2 is sweet as hell. I've mastered the controls, with the exception of the Haymaker. I'm dancing to a whole new tune.
From: Creeko Entered on: March 7, 2005 6:53 AM
I finally got Halo 2 to work, SWEET!!!     I ended up copying it to another DVD. I got it on a cheapy DVD-R that I'm guessing my drive didn't like so I tried copying it to a Sony DVD+R and that's all it took.     But now my TV is F'ed in the A and I can't play.     Zilla's Law is true (screw Murphy): The probability of process fornication occurring is directly correlated to one desire to play.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: March 8, 2005 8:23 AM
Creeko - So what do you think so far? After playing Halo 2 exclusively for 3 months or so, we've now been mixin' it up between Halo 1 and 2. My thoughts:     Halo 1 Pros: Plasma guns freeze more, melee attack is more effective, cool levels (Chill out, Longest, Rat Race I miss the most), frag grenades feel more effective, ability to snipe people out of the tank.     Halo 2 Pros: Vehicle destruction ROCKS, new vehicles are fun/old ones are improved, turrets, swords, lock-on rocket launcher, multiple teams (and they don't change your color between rounds), players NOT on your team can enter the warthog with you, higher jumps, falling doesn't damage you, Zanzibar rocks, up to 16 individual xboxes can link up (Halo 1 limits you to 4)... an issue at ZAGNUT.     Word is that MicroSoft just doubled the work crew at Bungie. Hmmm... Halo 3 may come sooner than the last sequel!
From: Creeko Entered on: March 8, 2005 8:58 AM
Halo 2 is sweet, unfortunately I havent been able to play much. Only a few hours until my TV crapped out on me.   After my sphincter recovers from paying the TV repair man, I plan on a Halo 2 marathon weekend.
From: Creeko Entered on: March 11, 2005 2:59 AM
My Tv?s finally fixed and my sphincter is a little sore after taking a ramming to the tune of $230. By some unexplainable cosmic force, the TV sustained no internal damage from the fall. It cost me $95 to fix the original problem and $135 to replace shell with a used one. The TV works fine, but the tube is a little scratched from rolling around on the pavement. You can?t really tell when it?s turned on, but it?s pretty visible when it?s off.
From: BigFatty Entered on: March 11, 2005 5:07 AM
That is very cheap - amazingly cheap, if you ask me. Normally when a TV heads to the shop, its cheaper to buy new. I would not gripe too much. $230 beats the $1000 you'd be shelling out for a new one, plus you didn't have to fix the shell. A little duct-tape and paint and you got yourself a DIY project! Thats $135 right in your pocket!
From: Creeko Entered on: March 22, 2005 4:41 AM
Buy, Buy, Buy!!!     EA's stock has just taken a hit     http://xbox.ign.com/articles/597/597765p1.html?from int=1
From: Jackzilla Entered on: March 22, 2005 8:58 AM
Sell, Sell, Sell!!!     The big boys coming down!!!
From: Ross Entered on: March 22, 2005 9:28 AM
Screw EA. I mean, really.
From: BigFatty Entered on: March 22, 2005 5:20 PM
Dude - come on! You invest in a company based on their ability to make money and grow. Any competitive advantage they gain serves to make their shareholders more. Sure, as a gamer, you can bellyache all you want about their near monopoly choking the creativity and closing out the smaller studios. But as an investor, this is exactly what you wish for. This dip is what you should be jumping on! With the new consoles coming out, the success of the gaming genre, and the continued expansion into new and existing markets,, this is a great company. With its size and talent, EA will be the ones developing most of the new technology in gaming. They will be the leaders for a long time to come. Look at their Balance sheet with like $3 billion in CA$H! This is a no brainer! Most gamers will be replacing their consoles in the next 2 - 3 years. Then they will be buying the new games to play on them. Its a beautiful cycle! Screw ideology, this is business. As long as it is legal, I want a company to make me money. As a gamer, I will be cursing EA all the way to the bank!