Subject: Re: Intentional Leak? From: bungie1@aol.com (BUNGIE1) Date: 1995/08/12 Message-ID: <40itjn$khq@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com References: <mike9m-1108951802220001@masinter-mac.parc.xerox.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Reply-To: bungie1@aol.com (BUNGIE1) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games.action Hello- Thought I'd set the record straight on the "intentional leak" theory. While we're touched that you guys think we're that devious, the truth is far more mundane. The Marathon 2 preview was sent to Power Computing, since they were the ones who pressed "The Disc." A few days later, messages started appearing on Usenet. I'm sure you've already seen them, since anything having to do with Marathon 2 was posted and reposted on all the relevant newsgroups and half a dozen Web pages, but I'll paraphrase for clarification. The first message said something like "I work at Power Computing and boy is Marathon 2 cool." The second message said something like "I have a friend who works at Power Computing and boy does Marathon 2 look cool." Notice a trend? And so the preview quickly made its way out onto the net. Given that Power Computing were the first and only people outside our offices to see the preview, I think it's pretty obvious where the leak originated. The Marathon beta leak has a bit more intrigue behind it, but it boils down to the same thing. We showed the beta to a group of out-of-state distributors. During the night, someone broke into the locked hotel room where the beta-bearing Mac was stored and copied it, and 24 hours later it was all over the Net. Incredible what some people will do for the cheap thrill of being the first to pirate a new software title. Hopefully this will quell some of the imaginative theories that are being tossed around. Not that imagination is a bad thing, mind you, but this "Bungie leaked the preview in an attempt to screw their competition" conspiracy-theory stuff is unflattering, not to mention just plain wrong. Regards, Matt Bungie Tech Support |