MindArk Intends To Go Public - Page 13

J. Mandrake · 12-09-2007, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruslan

I'm quite new to EU, been playing for only 3 months or so.

someone here mentioned that MA has only one service which is the game itself,
but there's also ingame advertising. how did Google make its money?

so we may see more ads.

John Johnny Mandrake has discovered a new item (McDonald's Dollar Menu Cupon (L)) with a value of 5 ped!

This whole IPO thing can't be good for us. I'm a huge

when it comes to stocks, but here's what I see:
As shown by the banks, the sale of stocks won't increase loot. Sure, they made money from the sale of banks, but not much of it went to the hunters, miners, and crafters, (aka. regular Joes) but instead to the company itself. In fact, they may have gotten a little greedy and started declining our loot some too, since hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions? I really wasn't paying much attention to the whole deal) weren't enough. The same thing will, in all likeleyhood, happen with stocks. And like with banks, will they take a portion of their profits to pay stockholders? Why would they do that, when they can screw us and our wallets for so much money. And since most of the stockholders will be players, a little bit the money taken from them will be circulated BACK, but most of it would go to MA. The shareholders will be mad because they're not making money off their deposits, but that will be offset by their being happy from their shares making them a tad of that back. So really, players are happy to lose, as long as they gain a little!
I could be wrong about all of this, but it's what I predict!

Nirfu · 12-10-2007, 07:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Mandrake

John Johnny Mandrake has discovered a new item (McDonald's Dollar Menu Cupon (L)) with a value of 5 ped!

This whole IPO thing can't be good for us. I'm a huge

when it comes to stocks, but here's what I see:
As shown by the banks, the sale of stocks won't increase loot. Sure, they made money from the sale of banks, but not much of it went to the hunters, miners, and crafters, (aka. regular Joes) but instead to the company itself. In fact, they may have gotten a little greedy and started declining our loot some too, since hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions? I really wasn't paying much attention to the whole deal) weren't enough. The same thing will, in all likeleyhood, happen with stocks. And like with banks, will they take a portion of their profits to pay stockholders? Why would they do that, when they can screw us and our wallets for so much money. And since most of the stockholders will be players, a little bit the money taken from them will be circulated BACK, but most of it would go to MA. The shareholders will be mad because they're not making money off their deposits, but that will be offset by their being happy from their shares making them a tad of that back. So really, players are happy to lose, as long as they gain a little!
I could be wrong about all of this, but it's what I predict!

It's not so hard to understand.

If I have a million I have a few choises. I put them in the bank and get regular intrest. Don't but we say 2-3%. Or I could invest in something like shares in MA, in such case I would like my return to be better than the bank intrest. The big investors will be happy as long as they get god return on there investment.

NightwolfAA2k5 · 12-10-2007, 07:42

I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said.

Interesting times are ahead.

- Nightwolf

Xandra · 12-10-2007, 10:03

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by timmmers

Calypso will no longer be the hub of the virtual universe, that's what worries me most. The focus of the company may change from gaming to commercial exploitation of the universe ...and where will we fit into that?

That's exactly what I'm fearing - have read somewhere (don't remember where, wouldn't be allowed to provide link anyway because of rule #4.711) that the CRD planet(s), the Chinese ones, will focus mainly on Real World Business; this way a completely new use of the EU platform seems to be planned.

There are quotes of Marco where, asked who might be able to get planets, he said "anyone that can present a business case can get a partnership contract"; and that it might be possible that "the partner prefers it to be sandboxed and closed to the wider audience". *1)

Reading this in the context of

the recent change of avatar & armor appearance (IMHO a drastic mainstreaming and conformation to a by far better known RCE game whose name is not allowed to be mentioned because of rule #12.756, at least to simple folks, see rule #9.475) that did a hard hit to the previous unique SciFi atmosphere of the old PE
and the coming introduction of CryEngine2 that might be dramatically overpowered to run a simple MMORPG-like "non-game" like EU and might exclude a lot of the current players because of abstruse hardware requirements, but for sure will allow most beautiful screen shots for marketing purposes,

I'm more and more convinced that the current "non-game" soon will be reduced to some kind of "holiday park". MA might have utilized it to develop a platform, to prove security and stability, having the "early adaptors" pay for the development with their deposits.

MA regularly emphasizes EU to be "one of the most secure, financially dynamic and immersive virtual platforms available", and they never forget to mention that it's online since 2003.

We know what to think of such statements, but will the marketing managers of big company's know, too? No, I guess. Some of them have sunk nice amounts of money in this by far better known RCE game (that I'm not allowed to name because of rule - Baahhhh, see above ...) and have been f***ed seriously because of a banking crash and a following loss in media hype.

Now MA comes in and advertises "proved security", "long-time experience" and a ridiculously high-blown number of players that would turn around insane sums each year. Well, the insane sums are turned around, from our pockets to MA ones ...

Anyway, the markedroids will love it. I'm sure MA has hired some PowerPoint wizzards ;-) What I have read about Brazil deal and current South Korea activities would perfectly fit in - MA might plan to make EU a global Virtual RL Business Centre, and this even hadn't bad chance to succeed, IMHO.

But:
What will this mean to us?

Until now we have been the ones that feeded MA, that payed for the development, and for the office Ferrari's. When investors like Chinese government etc. come in, when decent amounts of $$ come in via IPO, what positional value will remain to us? How much need for MA will remain to care for our needs when most of their income is generated from "partners" doing RL deals in the EU?

We all know MA's strategy - first they come with "Hands up, gimmi all you carry! Now!". Then, after community outcry, they reduce to "OK, you may keep your underwear - aren't we nice and caring people?". May we be able to keep our underwear in the future, when MA isn't dependant from us anymore?

My fear is that we might have done our job, being testers in the open beta and having paid for it, but soon will get in fact kicked.

There are signs about yet, see the skill progression nerf - no new player ever will reach Uberness anymore without spending abstruse sums to chip up; might be that all players below the few Ubers aren't needed anymore (these are needed as role models for the "holiday park"), there might be enough rich ppl in my scenario more then happy to deposit 3 or 5 of my years wages just to get started ...

Well, I don't know. As clearly visible this all is speculation. Might happen, might not - don't know, as I said. But, for sure, I'm yet skilling anything that gives skills fast - when the rich ppl come in I'll have something to sell ;-)

Again, all above is speculation. Don't beat me up for it, think for yourself. Might be true, might not.

Have fun all, and best loots!

*1) Quotes are taken from another forum about RCE Universes, "News and Articles", about "WVF" and "The Planet's Suite by Mindark", first post. It's a shame it's not allowed to link here, but I hope you'll find it. Hope I'll not get banned again for giving too much subversive info ... (screenshotted ready design anyway)

Nirfu · 12-14-2007, 22:15

I found a new article in Swedish press about this. The content in short;

They still aim for London stock market.
There will be a new emission (is it called that when issuing new shares?)
They will use money they get to build new support centres in US and Asia, this will give us better round the clock support.
The banking partner is Suisse investment bank Credite Suisse.
It also looks like they will use the money to buy other companies. Sounds a bit strange, what kind of companies to they need?

Unity · 12-14-2007, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nirfu

I found a new article in Swedish press about this. The content in short;

They still aim for London stock market.
There will be a new emission (is it called that when issuing new shares?)
They will use money they get to build new support centres in US and Asia, this will give us better round the clock support.
The banking partner is Suisse investment bank Credite Suisse.
It also looks like they will use the money to buy other companies. Sounds a bit strange, what kind of companies to they need?

Ones with professional coders?

MorbidX · 12-16-2007, 07:55

you forget xandra that the "steal your clothes... of youve got angry keep you underwear" move was a nastily preplanned sequence.

take alot away give a little back.... you suddenly dont seem such an evil guy and youve got away with your true intention

Admittedly from the theme fo this thread... and my own opinions... as soon as MA has other larger income sources for EU..... we're lubed up and ridden like the town prozzie

ill say it cos no-one will... so dawns "Second Life Sweden"

edit:

While Mindark i guess have done a good job turning a dodgy project entropia into a successful business i cant see the MindArk Heirarchy considering the investment of the universes users.

All too often a company who gives control to those who know nothing about theyre investment except that they want a quick $$ loses focus and eventually kills off its orignal customer base.... which is happening... so it has to become a second life clone to fund its operations.

Its becoming less about the user and their investment... more about the business and tis profit.... take the heart out of a product and you have a mess!

Nirfu · 12-16-2007, 09:20

During the development time of EU (pre 2003) the company was owned by a financial company. They did not get the money the wanted from the investment so MA was bankrupt. The devepment had cost´about 15 ,million euro. The compnay was saved by welters buying it. Then it started to grove and doing profit.
What if a new great financial compay buys all shares? What profit demands will they have?
What happens whit the stock value if they present a shity VU, or they by accident distribute a virus with there updates?

I'm quite sure that if it was on the stockmarket when 9.0 came the price would have dropped. Same with the virus rumors of 9.1, three Anit Virus programs put up the red lights, what impact would that have had to the stock values?
The hard thins is if it's MA we discuss or the product EU? To really be able to discuss this we have to talk about EU the game and EU the platform. Will problems with EU-game(our Calypso based game) have impact on shares or not? Or will problems with EU-platform have impact. Remember that companies that only uses EU-platform could as well create bad VU's for there part of the Entropia Univers, but they have nothing to do with our EU-game.

This words are needed to be able to discuss this

EU-platform
EU-game (Calypso system, where we play)
EU-3rd part (other companies using the EU-platform)

phstuckey · 12-16-2007, 13:21

not all stocks produce dividends...

will this one? probably not. so the only way to profit from this venture would be to sell... not worth the risk if MA is pushing out crappy VUs all the time.

sndlwood · 12-17-2007, 02:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aardy

I see lots of cash coming into the game when the shares are sold, but it wont be long before the big investors will want a return on their investment. Thats when the squeeze on the loots will happen (yes even worse than it is now!).

Please keep in mind that MA does not make it profit from reducing loot. In fact, if you think about the way the system works, they make more money when players are looting. The more players do in the game the more repairs go up. I pay repair fees on unlimited finders and extractors, but when I hof my repair fees go way up. I also refine almost everything, so if I hit a vast crude oil it could cost me 25-30 ped to repair a refiner.

This is a sytem that has been working well for MA these many years. Loots have not gone down, or if they have they haven't been taken away and put back into MAs pockets, because they didn't come out of MAs pockets in the first place. The only time the loot pool is reduced is when players win large hofs and there are many of those in every profession every day.

There are many very successful companies that have publicly traded shares. If you look at EU, just the game itself, it will be in the best interests of the shareholders to continue the present model, attract more players and give participants as many different and interesting ways to play so that we will be encouraged to do things that will generate repair costs.

I think Entropia is just the tip of the iceburg, what will be most attractive to potential investors isn't going to be the game alone, but the potential, future marketplace that is China. The future is going to be very exciting.