But for those of us who came up in an era when a glossy hunk of paper and ink was a thing to behold, the tangible result of a hardworking group of professionals operating in a weekly cycle that felt as natural and inevitable as the tides, this is a day for memory and regret.

FORBES: Newsweek and me

Operating on a 17-year cycle, Brood II last made an appearance in 1996, and before that in 1979.

WSJ: Bugged by Cicada Brood II? Don't Be

"EA's challenges could not have come at a worse time, as the middle innings of a game cycle should be the glory days of operating margin expansion and significant cash generation, " Piper Jaffray analyst Anthony N.

FORBES: Earnings Preview

All other operating properties acquired over decades go in different directions depending on the economic cycle.

FORBES: Buffett, The Reinvented Warrior, Soldiers On

But with reasonably safe profits from submarine optics, IP routing and Services, we believe the company is in a position to generate between 1% and 4% operating margins every year going forward, which should turn, over the cycle, into positive cash generation before restructuring costs.

FORBES: Alcatel: Bernstein Upgrades, Calls For Breakup

But jump starting a virtuous cycle where developers can find uses for the PR2 and its Robot Operating System, spurring, in turn, the development of better robots, could make a real difference.

FORBES: Names You Need to Know in 2011: PR2

When operating cash flow is less than net income, there is something wrong with the cash cycle.

FORBES: Operating Cash Flow: Better Than Net Income?