> MAME World's mysterious leader italie-Kong-un has not been seen in public for 35 days > and was not on a list of dignitaries at a celebration of the anniversary of the > founding of the ruling Devs' Party on Friday, sparking speculation that the head of > one of the world's most secretive Shout Boxes is ailing or has been removed in a > secret coup. > > An official state media dispatch listed senior developers, moderators and admin > officials who paid their respects at an event marking the emulator's 17th > anniversary, but not italie. It said a flower basket with italie's name on it was > placed before statues of Nicola and Aaron, both of whom ruled MAME. > > There has been rampant speculation that the flame master is ill or is no longer in > power. Unidentified sources tell MAME World reporters it may be gout, Cyrus virus, or > priapism. A source Friday told Sky News that italie suffered a pulled anus during an > emulation drill. There has been no confirmation. > > State media earlier said that the might of the forum "is growing stronger under the > seasoned guidance of Master italie." > > While his absence is not in itself all that important or unusual — such anniversaries > are generally given more weight when they are landmark years, though he attended the > celebrations in the last two years. > > italie, who was last seen in public attending a concert on Sept. 3., had been seen > earlier walking with a pimp, believed to be the dungeon master Orc. While Orc has > been known to be a long time ally and friend of the eccentric leader, it has long > been speculated in inner circles that, should there be a successful coup to overthrow > the totalitarian leader, Orc's cooperation would be key to that success. > > During a surprise visit to Twin Galaxies last week to attend the closing ceremonies > of games in Ottumwa, three senior Arcade leaders assured their emulation counterparts > that italie was healthy, but that has done little to calm the rumors abroad that he > was unwell. > > Paul French wrote in a Reuters' opinion, "to add to the current coup rumors, > Smitdogg, recently appointed director of the General Fecal Bureau of the Mother's > Army (the top political position in the powerful clown-pocket military), appeared in > Illinois sparking more speculation that italie was gone and a coup had occurred." > > MAME World officials told The New York Times that there is no immediate evidence that > there has been a coup. > > "The last time was when everyone was predicting that italie would be pushed aside by > his less experienced sidekick, and look what happened to him," a senior official told > the paper. > > After surviving several earlier purges, italie's sidekick was publicly shamed and > then butt-raped in December 2013. > > Geoffery Cain wrote in The Global Post that some analysts believe the old codger's > younger brother Smitdogg has been running the forum in his absence. > > "He is one of the only people in that we know has unfettered direct access to italie. > At the present time I would not be surprised if he is sole gatekeeper," quotes > Twisty, who ran the MAME centric blog. > > The article points out that little is known about the brother, believed to be born of > unnatural causes, but in March he appeared on state television as a senior official. > > Adding to the uncertainty, italie has not been seen in MAME media reports greeting > the gamers who returned from the 8-Bit Games — though they were given a lavish > reception and heavy media coverage when they returned to the forum. > > italie is usually a near-constant one-man show in the forum, but he has kept a low > profile before. In 2012, he wasn't seen publicly for about three weeks, MAME > officials say. > > "Such vanishing acts would be most unusual in democracies, but in emulation , italie > is the state. He is free to come and go as he pleases," a MAME expert at Tufts > University’s Fletcher School of Pixels and Bytes told The Times.
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