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Introduction
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1998
January
TITAN delisted at a
then record HSX $199.
I guess it should be
mentioned that the Bond system was finally being shored up here
too. The new TAG system was implemented, and people started questioning
it on TT and other places.
Jeff Sandler left HSX.
Upside Magazine mentions
HSX in it's pages among other virtual stock markets:
"...The success of fantasy-game
stock markets would seem to validate the notion that there is broad
public interest (among Internet users, at least) in investing in
entertainment." *
Dale Borgen is interviewed
by the New York Times for a weekend feature on HSX
RELATED LINKS:
March
As always, March brings
with it the smells of Spring and Summer and the Oscars. HSX offered
warrants for a lot of the categories. The sure things this year
were that Best Original Screenplay would go to Matt Damon and Ben
Afflek for Good Will Hunting. Also, Best Picture going to Titanic.
Due to these sure things,
traders were able to make a killing advancing up the leaderboards
in nothing flat. Millions were made on these warrants.
In addition, the bonds
that were involved with the Oscars (Robin Williams, etc) also enjoyed
huge adjustments. It was enough to bring people to buy bonds. *
Due to the excessive
value of the winning securities, the market became hyper-inflated.
Periodic 'adjustments' followed, with a number of traders
becoming quite angry with the HSX management for allegedly 'fixing'
a problem that the traders didn't create
March 30: People Magazine
mentions HSX in it's "Picks and Pans" column. HSX is called a "rotisserie-baseball-style
Web game."*
Matthew Kinney (the
current Mac Daddy as of Sept 00 update) joins the HSX Staff
RELATED LINKS:
- The full People
article. (apparently bought AOL *grumble*)
April
On the First of April,
HSX IPO'ed a warrant, JERRY whose delist was to be based on the
total number of viewers that watched the final episode of Seinfeld.
It eventually delisted around $71 so it turned out to be an excellent
buy and one of the best TV Warrants HSX has ever issued.
May
DPIMP opens to 13Million
on a Friday Night. Of course, it's a lovely adjust upwards.
May 18th - JERRY delists
and makes people mucho casho.
Max divulges that HSX
has about 91,000 traders, out of which about 35,000 are active.**
Max also divulges that
he spends an impressive 80 hours a week on HSX, on average.**
Ben Curtis (The support
Ben) joins HSX staff
June
The 100 Best Movies
of All time by the American Film Institute is lauded by some traders,
chided by some.
On June 3rd, one of
HSX's most respected traders had a son. Pictures were available
on the HSB&R's web site of Broker Tom Miller's baby boy.
RELATED LINKS:
On the weekend of Godzilla's
opening, a group of people from HSX got together in Kansas City. They
included Devlin, Mali and kat.*
RELATED LINKS:
- Photos from the
KC trip (Now part of Doug Tabb / Max'D Photo album which then
was adopted by the Hollywood
Hostel) No Pictures of KC gathering any more though
Tex creates the first version
of TickerMaster, yet another release schedule. Within three
weeks, Big Baby Jesus joins him and expands the site to include reviews
and ultimately HSX adjust predictions
Raoul K Duke posts the
famous (infamous?) words: "Oh, SH*T, duck, here comes Ramon."
Ramon's reputation as stat man extraordinary and destroyer of newbies
is neatly summed up.
July
TT becomes overtaken
by posts about films that worked. Many players are outraged,
and some become fast friends. Later referred to as Sex Day,
1998, it was the foundation of the Prophets. The first of
many a board to be dominated by the Prophets.
August
August was the start
of big cash here on the Exchange. First off, Mac and Max introduced
a new IPO system where all of the IPO's could be bought at one time.
Also, they would be adjusted based on their popularity. Based on
this, many stocks dropped due to people putting cash into IPO's.
The new IPO system is
wonderful and makes people a lot of money.
The other big deal to
hit the Exchange was the launch of the Fan Site Funds. The Trades,
Max'd on Movies, HSB&R and the HSJ each got a fund. A final
fund is issued after a couple days delay, TICKR, for the TicketMaster
site. Max'd took an early lead, but the Trades took that lead
away. It's anyone's game now, and anyone's guess when the funds
will delist.
Also, HSX debuted other
funds: The Bippy Fund (Bippy and Spike run it from the Trades) and
Obiah's Daily Fund. Never has the market been so saturated with
funds :)
There was a crash on
the weekend of the 22nd. Many people lost money as stocks across
the board. HSX has claimed that the cause was the huge amounts of
money made in the SVPRI Bond adjustments. This is where some bonds
doubled under the new Bond TAG system.
There was a widespread
panic, and traders sold off much of their stock and putting it into
cash. There are rumors that HSX masterminded the crash to cut down
on the cash in the market.
RELATED LINKS:
- The HSB&R Fund
Article
- The Trades Fund
Article (first to delist, first to get rid of fund column)
- Max'd-Movies Fund
Article (link down)
- TickerMaster Fund
Article (PROPH fund)
- DAILY
fund Updates
September
September 3 - Mr. Mike,
notorious TickerTalk personality posts "The TickerTalk Drinking
Game" lampooning the Money's message boards. Among the suggested
actions:
- Take a shot if:
*Mali turns out to be Bill Gates double
- Take one sip if:
*ICSS asks for a new columnist
- Take a gulp if:
*Someone mentions Sterling Wolfe by his imaginary ticker symbol
RELATED LINKS:
Local Copy of the TT
Drinking Game.
Late September - A new
fansite, The Prophets comes
on the scene. Starting with a core of features such as The Gutter
Report and the TicketMaster release schedule, The Prophets gets
off to fast start with many notable Ticker Talk types being given
columns.
- The
Prophets
- The Gutter Report
(gone)
- TicketMaster
(Ended March 1999)
October
DAILY delists at HSX
$100.00
Frito Lewis controversary
strikes the Ticker Talk. A particularly nasty Ticker Talk
poster under the name Frito Lewis seems to know exactly the right
things to say to get under TT regulars' skin. Things continue
to escalate to the point where Miller Lite gives Frito a huge portfolio
(on the LB) so as to put Frito on display. This action is
generaly met with disapproval. Eventually it is revealed that
Frito is an alter-ego of Bippy.
The Hollywood Stock
Journal II is started and thus become the first fan site sequel.
Headed up by original members Mike D and JD, the sequel staff features
experienced players and columnists like kat as well as newer members
such as Ash (manager of the SCIFI fund) and Susan.
HLYMN flops miserably
and takes many a portfolio with it. Among them is DAILY II.
The fund manager Obiah continues onward with a new fund value of
approximately $1M.
Mr. Hub retires from
the HSBR.
inargunzargun is started
by mud. Kind of a fansite of the fansites, mud's site will
host two of the more important columns in the HSX world.
RELATED LINKS:
November
Waterboy (WTRBY) sets
opening box office records as well as HSX adjustment records.
ICSS undergoes a complete
site face lift and places its bid to become the latest major fansite.
ICSS also sponsors the first Frito Awards. These awards are
met with a variety of responses. ICSS takes all feedback and
vows to continue on with their seasonal awards. Highlights
listed below, please see link for complete list.
- Best Site: The Trades
- Most Improved Site:
The Prophets
- Most informed Trader:
Gordon Gekko
- Best Columnist:
Jihad aka David at the Prophets
- Newbie Award: FLuiDCoW
HSX Advice becomes "Alan
Smithee's HSX Advice" reflecting recent changes
RELATED LINKS:
TRADE continues its amazing
performance and becomes the first fansite fund to delist at 500.
The race wasn't even close as the remaing funds continue their climb
to 500 into the next year.
TIGER also delists at
500.
Thanksgiving sees mixed
blessings on HSX. A Bug's Life has a record Turkey day opening
and continues Disney's stranglehold for the top opening movie for
the holiday weekend, a trend that started with Toy Story and will
probably continue in 99 with Toy Story 2. However, all other
openers bomb with the largest loss being seen on Babe 2.
RELATED LINKS:
December
Blueduck retires from
the HSBR.
Dano (Dan Krovich) rejoins
the HSJ II.
Max'd unveils a new
look that features both HSX and general cinema sections.
Standard Christmas 'legs'
yield profits for everyone as even films such as Jack Frost show
much better than 2.9 delist multipliers.
V2 starts beta test.
Short selling is indeed among the features but the beta testing
does not seem to be going very well and it seems almost certain
that the Jan. 4th start of V2 will slip.
One of the game's premiere
staticians, Ramon, finaly gives into David and joins the Prophets.
HSX Advice undergoes
a site revamp. ABbond, Collegeman, and Tones join the site.
RELATED LINKS:
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