Starcraft Gold Disc Disappears

April 1 - Less than a week after Blizzard announced that its real time strategy game Starcraft had gone gold, the company shocked the gaming industry with the news that the lone gold master disc has disappeared.

A statement posted on the Blizzard web site (but released to the press an hour earlier) described the events that led up to the realization that the disc was missing. Only after a frantic search for the disc took place, and after Blizzard officials realized there was no duped gold master disc, did they admit to themselves that the years of work must begin anew.

"Our deepest apologies are extended to our devoted fans, the hundreds of beta testers, our families, and our pets. The path that took so many hours, days, months, and years must be trod once more," the statement said in part.

"Once we sent the gold master out of the Blizzard offices late last Friday night, the entire Starcraft team took a brief nap and ordered in one last dinner of pizza and Diet Coke - just for the heck of it. We were just so darn happy. Sure, we sent the gold disk out buggy as all heck, but enough was enough. Little did we think our work was for naught. But we're not gonnna give up on this little sucker - even if it kills us."

When asked how long it would be before the Starcraft team could come up the game anew, a spokesperson said it was too early to tell, but the team hoped to show a partial build of the game by the time E3 rolls around this May.