Cryptic Studios

At the offices of video game developer Cryptic Studios in Northern California, certain rooms look like a Trekkie's nirvana: Posters from the television series "Deep Space 9" and movies "Generations" and "Nemesis" line the walls, along with original sketches of the Borg Queen and new designs for Federation ships. Those who became Trekkies in the past year, however, might not be so dazzled. There are no posters, no sketches, and almost no trace of last year's J.J. Abrams-directed "Star Trek" movie that relaunched the dormant franchise.

At the offices of video game developer Cryptic Studios in Northern California, certain rooms look like a Trekkie's nirvana: Posters from the television series "Deep Space 9" and movies "Generations" and "Nemesis" line the walls, along with original sketches of the Borg Queen and new designs for Federation ships. Those who became Trekkies in the past year, however, might not be so dazzled. There are no posters, no sketches, and almost no trace of last year's J.J. Abrams-directed "Star Trek" movie that relaunched the dormant franchise.

* Japan's economy grew at an annual 0.3% pace in the third quarter, less than expected, suggesting a recovery was faltering as overseas demand for the nation's semiconductors and flat-panel screens slowed. * Mossimo Inc., a maker and licenser of apparel and accessories, said its third-quarter results swung to a loss on higher expenses. The Santa Monica-based company posted a loss of $125,000, or 1 cent a share, contrasted with a profit of $630,000, or 4 cents, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $4.

In the new West Los Angeles corporate offices of Atari Inc., the desks are mostly empty and the walls are mostly bare, but there's a red neon logo in the lobby that almost anyone would recognize. It's the perfect home for the once-leading video game company, which carries a name known around the world. The company is trying to rebuild itself after years of chaos, false starts and financial losses. Most people remember Atari for helping to create the video game business in the 1970s with titles such as Pong and Asteroids, as well as the first popular game consoles that let people play at home.