Interplay Jumps on Y2K Bandwagon

There may only be 33 days until the new year, but the merchandising buzz around Y2K seems like it will never stop. Everyone’s favorite number has been stamped on everything from handbags and halter tops to snow globes and sugar bowls.

So of course, amid rampant fears over the Year 2000 bug and the fate of the world’s computer system, there’s a Y2K computer game. Interplay Entertainment Corp., the Irvine software publisher known for its outrageous marketing antics, will launch in December “Y2K: The Game.” Players step into the role of Buster, a young guy who has just bought a high-tech mansion, and is spending his first night at home snuggling with his girlfriend.

It is New Year’s Eve 1999. When the clock reaches midnight, the power fails and wacky high jinks ensue. Company officials hope that the game, priced at $20, will still interest consumers after the Y2K media blitz ends and the champagne buzz fades.