Game's Over

CyberFlix, the nationally prominent multi-media company located in Market Square, is no longer in the business of creating video games. On Wednesday, the company announced that it will be shutting down its studio division (the creative arm made up of writers, programmers, digital artists, etc.), thus ending CyberFlix's presence in the highly competitive CD-ROM game industry. This comes after the company's successful Titanic: Adventure Out of Time game and the recent launch of Redjack: Revenge of the Brethren, which already had been drawing industry raves. So why stop now? "It's a tough business," says Erik S. Quist, CyberFlix's vice president and general manager. "We have had good success [with games], which had gotten us contract work. But it's good to go out at the top of your game, to get out while the sands are shifting beneath you."

And the sands have been shifting quite a bit in computer gaming as 3D graphics technology has been evolving ever faster, backed by larger corporations with bigger development budgets. Consequently, founder/software guru Bill Appleton will now devote his company solely toward developing its proprietary multimedia software tool, DreamFactory. While some pink-slipped employees will be heading off to San Francisco's "multimedia gulch," one group is planning on starting a new independent studio to be called ACME Digital Studios.

In simple numbers, CyberFlix's downsizing could mean the lay-off of up to 20 of its 30 employees; but the impact may be even larger on Knoxville's growing reputation as being a high tech business wonderland, particularly in multimedia. And what of the city's plans on transforming Market Square into "Digital Crossroads," in which CyberFlix would have been an anchor tenant? Contrary to rumors that CyberFlix would soon abandon Knoxville for Silicon Valley, Quist says it's staying at least until the company's lease runs out in October of next year. "It's our full intention to fulfill our lease," he says. "As we come closer to that date, we might have to reevaluate our space needs."

Dean Danny

Knoxville College is due to get a new Dean of Students. Danny Mayfield has been negotiating with KC to take the position, and his wife, Melissa Mayfield, is slated to become Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs. Both Mayfields are KC grads, and they live within blocks of the school in Mechanicsville. Danny Mayfield will be leaving his position with Tribe One, which will continue to be run by Chris Woodhull, who co-founded the street ministry for inner-city youth.

Pre-Game Warm-Up, Texas-Style

James and Josie Robinson are respected, God-fearing Knoxvillians whom many of you know. They have three grown children, one of whom is Vanetta Robinson Kelso, a young basketball coach working her way up through the ranks of her profession. She coached at Vine Middle School here, and at Austin-East. She is now an assistant coach at Hampton University in Norfolk, Va. Vanetta graduated from Holston High in the late '70s, and was a hoops star.

The low point of her career, and maybe of her life, came last month when she, her head coach Patricia Bibbs, and Bibbs' husband Ezell, were arrested in Lubbock Texas, where Hampton had gone to play Texas Tech. They were accused of attempting to run a "pigeon drop" scam on a shopper at a Wal-Mart, where they had gone to buy juices and snacks for their team. They were arrested on the strength of a shaky eyewitness identification, which the eyewitness tried to recant on the day of the arrest.

"Vanetta said it was like something from the Twilight Zone," said Josie Robinson. The Robinsons worry because Vanetta is pregnant and became so distraught when she was handcuffed and hauled off to jail that the blood vessels in her eyes burst.

The Robinsons saw Vanetta last weekend in Nashville where Hampton played Vanderbilt, and say she is still shaken from the episode. "She's thanking the Lord they got through it, and doing a lot of praying."

Now, it's Lubbock Police Department's turn to pray. Hampton University is considering legal action. They have retained Johnnie Cochran.