Why hello there, my fine not-as-furry friends. It's time for another edition of Drama Llama, your free, unfettered and underfed source for the seedy side of game dealings.

Today's topic: money. Specifically, the many ways people are making or losing it lately.

 

You Know Circuit City? Not For Long

Circuit City --gosh, remember when they mattered?-- has filed for bankruptcy protection through the holiday season. (Christmas season if you're Bill O'Reilly, I guess.)

This news already comes on the heels of Circuit City closing 20% of their stores (over 500 locations) to lower costs. They now intend to stay in business during the holidays and restructure themselves in 2009, therefore filing the bankruptcy protection as a gesture to restore seller confidence.

Will it work? Welllll...

Los Angeles Times: Circuit City files for bankruptcy protection

 

ESA Smashes Mexican Game Bootleggers

What if you don't have the dough to retail real games? You pirate them, of course. But if you're in Mexico, the Electronic Software Association is still gonna get you.

GamePolitics reports that the ESA, working with Mexican police, has raided a bootleg game retailer in Guadelajara, Mexico, recovering over 90,000 illegal games. As a llama, I feel compelled to say ¡Dios mio!

GamePolitics: ESA Visits Mexican Market, Returns with 91,000 Bootleg Games

 

Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy

Well, at least someone's getting lu-- Wait, no, this isn't a headline at all!

Moving on!

 

Llama Update: NFL Retirees Get Their Moolah

Lastly, a story of at least one group making money at the moment.

I wrote previously on Drama Llama about a coalition of retired NFL players who were suing NFL Players, Inc. for what they felt were denied royalties in everything from trading cards to the popular Madden series.

Although Electronic Arts was not named as a defendant in the suit, it did come to light that EA had been instructed to "scramble" the identities of retired players, effectively cutting them out of the game with the intention of skipping out on likeness royalties for the retirees.

This morning, GamePolitics reports that a U.S. District Court has found in favour of the plaintiffs.

The jury returned a $7 million verdict against the NFLPA and then piled on $21 million worth of punitive damages.

While Madden publisher Electronic Arts was not a party in the case, the NFLPA's negotiations with EA over licensing the images of retired players was a central piece of evidence in the trial, which lasted for three weeks.

The lawyer for the defence, Jeffrey Kessler, says he expects the verdict to be overturned on appeal, calling it "unjust". So I guess they won't be getting that money in time for Christmas?

GamePolitics: Old School NFL Players Score $28 Million in Court... Madden Document Played Critical Role

 

That's it for this Drama Llama! Join us next time as I... beg for quarters to feed my family. God, I need a job.