Bleem! Gets A Date

The magical numbers are "5/5 at 5:55" for thousands of anxious bleem! customers who have been waiting for their PlayStation emulator for Windows95/98.

Just last week, bleem! CDs began shipping to customers who preordered the software. The CDs, however, only contained a key that would let users download the full version from bleem!'s web site. To everyone's surprise, there was no such version available from the site, nor was there any word on the status of the download's availability. Over the weekend, however, the two-man development team responsible for bleem! spoke.

"The final release will be available on the site just in time for Margaritas, cervezas, and all that Cinco de Mayo revelry at precisely: 5:55pm, 5/5/99", said David Herpolsheimer, bleem!'s president. "Guaranteed, pinky-promise, cross our hearts and hope to die."

Despite constant claims by bleem! that the emulator will benefit sales of PlayStation games, Sony has twice tried unsuccessfully to file temporary restraining orders against the shipment of bleem! software. And while those orders were overturned in court, Sony's actions have successfully delayed bleem!'s development and cost the upstart California company thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Barring any additional roadblocks, bleem! should be available for download this Wednesday.