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Direct Line, Issue 2 (circa December 1991)

*TurboGrafx-16 | Newsletters | Old School | TG-16: Publications | Working Designs

Direct Line Issue 2Now that Working Designs is gone, what better way to honor the company's memory than by taking a look back at their old newsletter, Direct Line. I think part of what made WD a fan-favorite was their willingness to connect with their fans. Direct Line was a great way to let people know that they were listening and that they relied on the feedback of us, the game players. While other companies' newsletters had a more 'corporate' feel to them, Direct Line felt more personal and down to earth. Unfortuately, I was a little late realizing what a great company WD was, and missed issue 1 of Direct Line (if anyone has it, please let me know!).

Issue 2 is simply one sheet of glossy paper, printed front and back. The main page has a short welcome message, descriptions of their currently available games (Parasol Stars: Bubble Bobble III and Cadash), Turbo Tips for Parasol Stars and Cadash, and the announcement of a contest to see who can score the most points on the first level of Parasol Stars.

Page 1        Page 2

The back page is filled with letters to WD. In one of the responces, they allude to the fact that they are working on Cosmic Fantasy 2, but they don't mention it by name. Some of the letters are humorous in an innocent sort of way. For instance, the brother and sister who think Working Designs created the Bubble Bobble series and question why WD can't make Bubble Bobble III for the Super Nintendo. Classic.

One thing I was trying to nail down is the date at which this newsletter was mailed. It had to be after November 1991 since they refer to a review of Parasol Stars in the November 22, 1991 issue of Entertainment Weekly. We also know that it had to be before March of 1992 since they refer to the release of Cosmic Fantasy 2 coming at that time. Also, the contest on page 1 refers to a drawing to win a Cadash TurboChip Card starting in January 1992. Thus, this issue was mailed out (or meant to be mailed out) sometime in December of 1991.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this issue of Direct Line. I dedicate this post to the memory of Working Designs. Keep on truckin', Vik.

Issue 3 will be posted soon.

1

Posted by Gyoshi on February 22, 2006 02:44 AM |

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