Dynamix Offices Destroyed in Riot

Computer game company Dynamix is dealing with the aftereffects of a large riot that occurred at their Eugene, Oregon-based offices today. A crowd of several hundred people, apparently enraged at the recently announced delay in the release of Tribes 2, "went postal" at the company's office building, breaking windows, smashing office furniture, and scaring the bejesus out of the astounded Dynamix employees.

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, quickly responding to overwhelmed local authorities, declared an emergency and activated the National Guard to help restore order and prevent looting. "It's like a war zone," said one witness.

"It was horrible," sobbed Stacy Jackson, Dynamix receptionist working in the office lobby, which was the flashpoint of the riot. "All I heard was, somebody yelled 'VGG!' and then all hell broke loose. They were screaming, breaking things, downloading MP3s on my workstation... all I could do was hide under my desk."

Dynamix officials were shocked by the severity of the riot. "I know the fanbase is anxious for us to ship Tribes 2, but we never expected anything remotely like this," said Dave Georgeson, producer of the delayed game. "It took us totally by surprise."

Eugene police initially responded to frantic calls for help, but were unable to quell the mayhem. "This is a college town. Ordinarily, we can handle these pasty-faced geeks," said Eugene Police spokesperson Lester Bernacelli. "But when you have a large group and they're riled about something nerdy, then even autographed posters of Lara Croft won't do much to slow 'em down."

Only the arrival of Oregon State Patrol officers and a battalion of National Guard troops provided enough manpower to stop the rampaging game fanatics and bring order to the scene.

Dynamix officials are left to assess the damage. "I don't know if the fans that were here today know what they've done to negatively impact our release schedule," said Georgeson, "although they might not care any more." Pressed for details on this comment, he added, "Let's just say there are suddenly a few hundred more beta testers."