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From: silber@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: on SPI
Message-ID: <6700014@uiucdcsp>
Date: Thu, 13-Mar-86 20:11:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsp.6700014
Posted: Thu Mar 13 20:11:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 19:42:28 EST
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Nf-From: uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU!silber    Mar 13 19:11:00 1986



No, "sins" is not an acronym.  The circumstances following the death of SPI
are approxamately as follows.  SPI was having cash flow problems due to
computer foul-ups of the mailing list, moving, getting a new computer etc.
They were also having the perenial printer problems, as every game company
not affiliated with a printer does.  They took out a loan, which somehow
managed to be underwritten or something by TSR, yes, the forces of darkness
themselves (who had already driven some small companies under by lawsuits
that TSR had no chance of winning (they sued everyone who published an FRP
for a while)).  Anyway, TSR "reluctantly" forclosed, and got SPI (this is
after an unsuccessful attempt to but the company.)
TSR did not have to honor subscriptions, lifetime or otherwise (you ended
up getting discounts, but effectively lost about 1/2 your money) or outstanding
orders.  Most of the design staff left, especially after it was announced that
the operation would be moved to Lake Geneva.  They have since formed
Victory Games (under TAHGC umbrella & with access to printers 3M) otherwise
known as "SPI" in exile.  All in all, TSR's actions are somewhat suspect, and
it was a real tragedy that the second largest wargames company should die
in such an ignominious fashion.

Ami Silberman

"...an erect man may expose himself in an aperture..." from the rules to Sniper,
SPI's 1971 game of man to man WWII combat.