Hello and thank you for joining us as we present this week's edition of The Neopian News Brief, your one-stop guide to everything that's been going on in Neopia, from the confounding corridors of the Virtupets Space Station to the snowy slopes of Terror Mountain. There are a number of fascinating headlines to go over this week, so let's get started!
 Our lead story this week is Monday's celebration of Tyrannian Victory Day. It seems like only yesterday when all of Neopia breathed a collective sigh of relief, as the mighty Monoceraptor fell to defeat. Ever since, Neopians from far and wide have commemorated the event by taking a day to salute the brave warriors who rescued them from the perilous clutches of defeat. The twelfth day of Hunting is particulary special to Tyrannian natives, who spare no measure in hosting a lavish celebration to mark the occasion.
 A stunning array of Tyrannian goodies made their debuts on Monday, including a furry three-piece Tyrannian bath set (toilet, tub, and sink) and a quartet of Tyrannian Petpet paint brush styles for Meepits, Snorkles, Bearogs and Snowbunnies.
 That wasn't all, though, as more Tyrannian items came to market later in the week. Tuesday saw an introduction for the stone cool box, while Thursday brought us four more foods to put in it, as a quartet of furry Tyrannian delicacies (including the grapple and fuzzly pear) were unveiled. Yay, Tyrannia!
 Last week we reported that a number of older Rare Item Code items had been retired, and that a whole new batch of goodies had emerged to take their place. Well, the transition to new items continued this week, as even more new releases were disclosed. Tuesday saw the debut of some nifty Blumaroo items, including the ultra-cozy blue Blumaroo slippers (perfect for wearing around the house!).
 That was followed up on Friday by a pair of pretty pink Kacheek accessories (shorts and comb), and two deluxe Uni items (the golden Uni pen and adorable blue Uni pillow). In a related story, as most would expect, many of the retired rare items have skyrocketed in value. However, quite a few bargains still remain, so be sure to keep an eye out for them...
 In other news from the merchandising front, there were a pair of major announcements that came out during the past few days. First up, on Wednesday, was the revelation that a Neopets PlayStation game, entitled The Darkest Faerie, was currently being previewed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³) in Los Angeles, and that it would be released this November. Also, in what appears to be tangentially related news, a small storm appears to have begun forming over Maraqua. Hmm...
 Then, on Friday, there was an announcement that members of the Neopets Team would be heading to London for the UK release of Neopets Voice Activated Toys. On Saturday, the 24th of May, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM at Hamley's on Regent Street, Adam and Donna will be on hand to meet everyone. Rumour also has it that, if you ask really nicely, Keith or Ants might even draw a picture of your pet! Also, be sure to tune in to GMTV on Friday, where there'll be a demonstration of the Voice Activated Pets on television. Excellent!
 Compared to last week, things have actually been pretty slow at the Rainbow Pool these past few days, but we've still got a handfull of new PB styles to report nonetheless. Tuesday brought us the arrival of electric Ixi, while Cyodrakes got in on the fun over at the Petpet Puddle, chipping in with four new styles of their own (yellow, green, red and black). That was followed by cloud Myncies, who received their release on Thursday. Also of note were the latest additions to the ongoing makeover of Grundos. Shadow Grundos were updated on Wednesday, while ghost Grundos were added on Friday. Additionally, the Grundo animation was also brought up to date this week.
 As we mentioned earlier, there was quite a bit of fanfare surrounding the celebration of Tyrannian Victory Day. However, we couldn't let the Tyrannians "hog" all the glory this week; there's no way we could leave out this week's Moehog Day festivites, which were undertaken with great enthusiasm on Wednesday. Among the goodies that Moehogs could expect to find on their special day: a quartet of scintillating new books (including a guide to tusk care that's an absolute page-turner!), a wide range of tasty treats (the Moehog marmalade is highly recommended) and some essential Battledome accessories (featuring new weapons, moves, and, as always, free training from Cap'n Threelegs). This year Moehogs also received two new paint brush styles (electric and spotted, which actually followed on Friday) and a trio of NeoGreetings. Way to go, Moehogs!
 It's now time to take a closer look at today's headlines from the world of finance. This past month has certainly been a topsy-turvy time for the Neopian economy, as the Neodaq has alternated between gains and losses for the past four weeks. This trend continued to hold true, as the Big Board followed last week's promising forty-five point gain with a deflating forty-four point decline. In a stunning turn of events, Shop Wizard N-Commerce led the way among the losers, falling an unbelievable seventy-two points in one week, dropping from 131 all the way down to fifty-nine NPs a share. Despite such a colossal loss, SWNC remains the fourth most valuable company in Neopia, and many analysts have already begun predicting their imminent comeback.
 After the plunge of Shop Wizard N-Commerce, investors looked up to find Skeith Bodyguards situated as the new Kings of the Big Board. In the wake of SWNC's collapse, SKBD kept on rolling right along, picking up another twenty-three points to bring their share price to 138 NPs, exactly double the value of their next closest competitor, Peophin Water Parks. Speaking of PEOP, their shares dove for the third straight week, following up previous declines of forty-one and thirty-nine points with a loss of twenty-two points, dragging their shares down to sixty-nine NPs each.
 We mentioned last week that Mynci Imports had been a rising star in the economy, gradually building up their value over the past few weeks. Well, this past week they managed to tack on their fourth consecutive double-digit gain, rising another fourteen points to go all the way to sixty-six NPs a share, third highest on the board. Considering the market's overall turbulence, MYNC's performance this past month has been downright incredible. Is there any way they can possibly keep this improbable streak going? We'll just have to wait and see....
|
