Point of Origin: Vol. 1, No. 5

This is part five of our series highlighting archived copies of Point of Origin, Origin Systems' internal newsletter (Point Motto: We Create Words). The date is October 25th, 1991: Wing Commander II has hit the stores and Ultima VII and Strike Commander are in development - and the company is growing by leaps and bounds.

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!

Here's the breakdown for Wing Commander:

• Viva Las COMDEX!, an article on the recent trade show, ends with good news for WC2's sales: "Wing Commander II debuted at #8 on Merisel's Entertainment Top-10. That's the first time we've ever made their chards and considering that Merisel's a big-time hardware distributor in the business channel, it could mean big-time orders just in time for Christmas."
• Black Thursday, an article about the Customer Service department, lauds an employee for providing help with WC2: "Our 'Best of the Quest Award' this issue has to go to Michelle Lindner, who helped a guy who was having toruble with Wing II in Chula Vista, California. He wrote Robert a letter which reads: 'Michelle was undoubtedly the most helpful and sincere Customer Service Representative I have ever dealt with, and that includes the legendary rep's at WordPerfect! One day (when finances allow), I plan to uprade to a SoundBlasterboard. As long as individuals like Michelle represent ORIGIN and provide what I consider to be the utmost in customer service, I am sure that I can upgrade without fear."
• Author! Author! is an entire article about the newly published Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide:

  No gamer's bookshelf will be complete without Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide, written byour own Creative Services Manager Pro-Tem Mike Harrison. It's ORIGIN's first venturewith Prima Publishing. 'It's the best looking publication we've ever done,' says Publications Manager David Ladyman.

  Mike says the biggest challenge was writing on a project in progress. 'I had to weave this fiction into the book, which I'd never done before,' he explains. 'There were several characters I was working on (with Wing II) who were killed off, so I had to go back in and re-work that. With the Wing Commander series, it's tough tow rite about the outcome of the story, ecause nobody knows exactly what the outcome will be. Still, it was a great project for me because I'd worked with ORIGIN for three years and I knew all the people.'

  The book's chocked full of tactics and tips, even pictures of the product teams and an interview with Chris. The timing couldn't be better, either. Wing Commander II is still soaring at software stores and Special Operations is about to hit the shelves. If you don't have a compliemntary copy of the book yet, check with Wayne. And, of course, recommend that all your friends, family, neighbors and pets shell out $18.95 for theirs.

• Rank and File lists both the SFA Top-10 for August, 1991 and the Software, Etc. Top-5 for September, 1991. The SFA list includes Wing Commander at #6 and Wing Commander Secret Missions at #22. The Software, Etc. list is even more impressive: "1. Wing Commander II (3.5 vers.), 2. Wing CommanderII (5.25 vers.), 3. Wing Commander II: Speech Pak (Editor's Note: Software, Etc. says Speech Pak 3.5 would havetaken the #4 spot, but they ran out of stock and ORIGIN did, too!)"

Point of Origin
Vol. 1, No. 5 - October 25, 1991

Contents
Viva Las COMDEX!
Back to (Almost) Normal
Black Thursday
... But I Know What I Like
The Inside Scoop
Autho! Author!
Help Wanted
A Letter from the Freditor - Heads-Up on Holidays
401(k) Plan Update
Movin' Up the Hill
Front & Center
Rank and File