Article-I.D.: voder.1032
Posted: Tue Feb 25 19:43:53 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 21:27:29 EST
Reply-To: kevin@voder.UUCP (The Last Bugfighter)
Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara
Lines: 46
Xref: watmath net.micro.atari8:12 net.micro.atari16:26


   Recently someone posted a letter they had recieved from Electronic
Arts - a computer game company - in which EA stated they had no intentions
of developing new (or old) games for the Atari ST or the Atari 8-Bit line.
The reasons given were that basicaly the ST was crap and that no one owned
an 8-Bitter.
   A number of people complained about this to both EA and to Antic and
ANALOG magazines, and both of these mags suggested a letter campaign to inform
EA of it's error.  Well in the April `86 issue of Antic you will find this
letter:

	The response of your readers to Antic editorials is growing.  We
	have recieved quite a few letters, and because of the interest
	shown by Atari users, we are planning the following hit products
	for the Atari 800 in 1986:

		Adventure Construction Set
		Heart of Africa
		Mail Order Monsters
		Marble Madness
		Racing Destruction Set
		Skyfox
		Software Golden Oldies (Software Country)
		Ultima IV (Origin Systems)

	   We hope to see at retail the kind of response we have seen in
	our mailbox!

						Trip Hawkins
						President
						Electronic Arts


   So now that we've gotten EA to admit it's error let's make sure that they
realize that their change of mind is justified.  Also, if every EA purchase
was accompanied by a letter of appreciation and a brief ps on how nice this
game would look on an ST we may be able to get the ball rolling in that area
as well.  In the meantime, don't you ST owners give up!  If EA can admit it's
mistake for the 8-Bit line it's only a matter of time as far as the ST is 
concerned.

---
Kevin Thompson   {ucbvax,ihnp4!nsc}!voder!kevin

"It's a sort of threat, you see.  I've never been very good at them
  myself but I'm told they can be very effective."

Article-I.D.: ihlpm.737
Posted: Thu Feb 27 10:17:56 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 22:31:05 EST
References: <1032@voder.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 29
Xref: watmath net.micro.atari8:17 net.micro.atari16:33

 >  
 >     Recently someone posted a letter they had recieved from Electronic
 >  Arts - a computer game company - in which EA stated they had no intentions
 >  of developing new (or old) games for the Atari ST or the Atari 8-Bit line.
 >  The reasons given were that basicaly the ST was crap and that no one owned
 >  an 8-Bitter.
 >  
 >  
 >  
 >     So now that we've gotten EA to admit it's error let's make sure that they
 >  realize that their change of mind is justified.  Also, if every EA purchase
 >  was accompanied by a letter of appreciation and a brief ps on how nice this
 >  game would look on an ST we may be able to get the ball rolling in that area
 >  as well.  In the meantime, don't you ST owners give up!  If EA can admit it's

I have a better idea. Let's admit to ourselves that the ST doesn't need
Electronic Arts products and we ST owners don't care for thier pompous
attitudes. Let's vote with our dollar by not buying any EA products.
If anyone is waiting for a really good game for the ST, wait no longer.
Go out and get a copy of SUNDOG. All of the ST owners I know
have purchased this game and we are all getting really addicted to it.
A lot of other really good ST software is coming, both games and 
productivity. Megamax is here, I own a copy and it is a really
great compiler. A lot of software companies that were taking a "wait
and see" attitude are jumping on the bandwagon (Borland for one).
Believe me, ST owners won't be hurting, even if EA goes totally
down the tubes.

						R.T. Bradstrum

Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8602271344.AA06777
Posted: Thu Feb 27 08:36:16 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 16:47:06 EST
References: <1032@voder.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 24

I personally don't gove a flipive a flip whether Electronic Arts ever publishes
another program for the ATARI.  unless they change their attitudeprotection scheme
techniques. With idiotic messages like "Remove ROM from C000 page" and
"Remove custom OS" they are presumabley trying to protect against OMNIMON
and other custom operating systems that hackers might use to break their
programs. However, they are also indiscriminantly "protecting" agiainst
OMNIVIEW and other custom operating systems which people could never
use tobra breadk a protection scheme. This I consider unethical since they
don't warn you on the outside of the package that the program will not
work if you have enhanced your machine nor offer your money back if
you are dissatisfied with the product. because it is incompatible with
their amchinemachineyour machine.

I have personally written letters explaining how they could protect
against OMNIMON very effectively without being incompatible with any
OS, including any future OS that ATARI might come out with (you wiilll
remember aththat EA got caught looked pretty rediculous when ATARI came out with the
800XL and most of their games would not run on it because of the
"Remove ROM from C000 page" travesty).fiasco). At some point in the future when
all of the problems with software piracy have been solved we are goninging
to look back and laugh at some of the more rediculous attempts.

ADAvied YOunavid Yuoung
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