Hawthorne, CA In what has been regarded as a bold, risky move, Time Warner has announced a partnership with Intellivision Productions in which the team will resume offering the PlayCable service in limited markets. PlayCable, a service first offered in the early 1980's that enabled subscribers to download games for the Intellivision console directly to their homes, was a minor success until the hardware's capabilities were outstripped and the video game 'crash' of 1984 hit.

"We receive hundreds of requests each week from customers wondering what happened to the PlayCable service, and if and when it will resume. With the recent rise in the popularity of 'classic' games, such as the Atari 2600 and 'Activision Classics' offerings, we felt that it was time to offer our customers a chance to relive their childhood," a company official stated, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "We mothballed the hardware years ago, hoping that the market would again be right for the services PlayCable can provide. We believe that time is now."

"This development is not at all surprising to us," stated Keith Robinson, President of Intellivision Productions. "With the recent release of the Intellivision Greatest Hits compilation, as well as Activision's Intellivision Classics for the Playstation a couple of years ago, in addition to our own products and the deal with Nokia and others for the portable Astrosmash game, the time just seems right to resurrect this excellent service."

Opinions in the industry are mixed. "Sure, I enjoyed my Intellivision when I was ten years old" one analyst reported. "But come on. Why would I want to scrounge around a filthy second-hand store or take the risk of buying 20-year-old hardware online when I can go to Best Buy and get a GameCube and be totally blown away?" Others disagree. "Personally, I find it quite cathartic to sit down on the floor in front of my TV after the kids have gone to bed and blast rocks for a couple of hours in a soothing game of Astrosmash! It really calms me down. But when I get to the aqua-colored background, my eyes always start to hurt. I hate that part of the game."

Sony, regarded by many as the king of the console hill in the current market, responded by stating that, with the Playstation 2's recently available broadband expansion, the PS2 clearly offers a superior 'network' format for their games. "Our graphics, sound, and speed are simply so much better I can't believe you're even mentioning this to us. Besides, offering a service similar to PlayCable would be an unwise decision. It's a known fact that the service is rife with security holes, and could allow unlicensed development of games and reverse engineering of the product to take place. This kind of unfettered ability to develop software for a gaming platform is what destroyed the industry twenty years ago. Frankly, I find it incredibly irresponsible for Keith Robinson and his gang to open this Pandora's Box. Especially at a time when the market is increasingly similar to what we had back in '83."

Microsoft, meanwhile, countered with its own offering. "We recognize the unique opportunity available in the marketplace that PlayCable offers, but feel that the service could be improved significantly," Microsoft's Bill Gates stated. "We feel that, by combining the X-Box's inherent broadband connectivity with WebTV, MSN Passport and .NET services, we can provide a far more gratifying experience."

Officials at Nintendo could not be reached for comment.

When pressed for details about the exact date when the PlayCable service will resume, Robinson and his collegues, sometimes called the Blue Sky Rangers, were less forthcoming. "Sometime this spring, after we work out the last few remaining kinks in the Keyboard Component accessory required to connect to and use PlayCable."

Happy April Fool's Day!