Point of Origin: Vol. VI, No. 9

We are approaching the end of The Point of Origin - this (December 19, 1996) is the last regular issue (in Origin's archive, anyway.) After the end of 1996 there are only one or two each year... and they disappear completely by 1999.

A very special thanks to Joe Garrity of the Origin Museum for making this resource available and to Electronic Arts for sending them to him in the first place!

• In Ink has a holiday round-up:

ORIGIN has a couple of titles in CGW's space sim category. Privateer 2 came in at number two and Wing Commander IV was number five. "The Darkening looks like a fantastic game," editors wrote. "What great action -- the combat will surely satisfy any space sim fan," they exclaimed about Wing Commander IV.

... Meanwhile PC Gamer is out with its Top 40 Games article. (Essentially it's a holiday gift guide). Wing Commander Iv, Crusader: No Regret, AH-64D Longbow and Cybermage made the final cut. These were all games that scored 88% or higher in PC Gamer this year. Take notice of this because it means that every PC game that this studio released this year mad it in the Gamer's Top 40. Congrats to all the development, QA and marketing teams behind these products.

Additionally, PC Gamer listed a couple of ORIGIN titles in its holiday season previews. Kilrathi Saga was one of those. "Here's your chance to enjoy some of the most popular and enduring space shoot-'em-ups around the way they were meant to be played." Another title in the preview category was Privateer 2. "If you enjoy the Wing Commander universe, it's a sure bet this will be right up your alley."

Speaking of Wing Commander, the just-released Consumer Guide's Computer Buying Guide listed Wing Commander IV as a "Best Buy" and gave the game a final score of 10. "Playing Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom is like stepping inside a movie. A perfect mixture of movie sequences and combat missions."

Privateer 2 is getting its coming out party in Taiwan. Check out the accompanying picture with this article from Soft World Magazine. The Chinese publication sent one of its writers to Austin a couple of months ago for at two-part cover story on ORIGIN. You may recall the cover of Lord British in the last Point of Origin. This month it's Privateer 2 featured on Soft World's cover.

... Next time we should have some reviews on Flash Point Korea and some of what the early reviews are saying about Privateer 2.

• One of the New Hires wants the same thing for Christmas that I did that year: "Tim Bell would like his very own copy of Privateer 2: The Darkening Hint Book."
• Who Is This Guy? introduces the new man in charge of Wing Commander:

Wondering who that new guy is in the corner office on the fourth floor? Why it's none other than Rod Nakamoto, the new executive producer of Maverick and Loose Cannon Productions.

A pioneer in the hardware and software industry, Rod comes to ORIGIN by way of SegaSoft. However, his first introduction to EA was way back in 1981 when he introduced the BockingBoard sound and synthesized speech board for the Apple ][.

From 1984 to 1992, he was president and owner of Interactive Designs. Working with a myriad of companies, he developed products primarily for the PC, but also for the Apple ][, Amiga, and Commodore 64. His successes range from the 1984 release, Ikari Warriors, one of the first games to utilize EGA graphics technology, to Sega's 1992 release, Eternal Champions, the division's first million unit seller.

He says, "I'm excited to be a part of Origin and hope that my efforts will be both fun and successful."

Welcome aboard!

Point of Origin
Vol. VI, No. 9 - December 19, 1996 Contents Spotlight: ORIGIN Honors the Best
Product Support Spotlight
Kat's Korner
Centerfold Pictorial
In Ink
New Hires
EOM
Ticker
Who is this guy?