Here's a last minute warning about an interesting Wing Commander auction: an 'early typo box' for Wing Commander IV (here). It's got a behind-the-screens story that's worth preserving in our archives:
You are bidding on a unopened, new-in-box first run printing of Wing Commander IV - The Price of Freedom. What makes this box unusual is the type on the front of the sleeve. In the lower right corner, just above the Origin logo, it reads "Biologigal Hazard Risk." Why do I know so much about this box and the typo? I was the packaging design supervisor for Origin Systems when Wing Commander IV was released. And I was the sod who designed the box and didn't catch the typo on sign-off. Neither did anyone else in the marketing department for that matter, well at least until after the boxes had already hit the shelves. The typo was fixed for the second printing of the game. This game has been in my archives (in a box in the closet) since 1996 and is in excellent condition. Here is your chance to own a truly obscure piece of gaming history and in pristine condition no less. A truly unique piece of Wing Commander memorabilia!
The box is being offered by former Origin artist Trey Hermann, who was kind enough toshow us some of his Wing Commander Prophecy and Privateer 3 a while back! Bid quick - the auction ends late tonight.
This is a fairly quiet issue of Point of Origin. It includes an extensive bio of Mike Harrison, who wrote the Wing Commander I & II Ultimate Strategy Guide... but the most interesting note may not have anything to do with WC. A picture of a VR helmet includes a caption which says that such technology might be used with Ultima X, a future Strike Commander or 'Bounty Hunter'. What's Bounty Hunter?
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!
- Of Books and Board Games has some reaction from the recent ORIGINS convention: "(One quick preview: when asked what comes to mind when they think of ORIGIN, by far the three most common responses were 'Ultima,' 'Wing Commander' and 'quality games.')"
- Misc. has a brief announcement of what will be Origin's last independent project: "The two new CD SKU's, the Wing 2 Deluxe Edition and Wing/Underworld will also be hitting store shelves at the same time [next month]."
- Dear Point Man has some sales numbers for Special Operations 2: "How about sales figures for some of our products (a la SO2, U7 and Underworld)? Here you go, These figures reflect Underworld, U7, their clue books and Special Ops 2 (19,000). The number is units sold to the retail channel through July 31."
Point of Origin
Vol. II, No. 24 - August 28, 1992
Contents
Of Books and Board Games
Lunchtime Lectures
Dear Point Man
On the Job
Bio: Mike Harrison
Misc.
Check It Out
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