Ashoke Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 "Jagex is trading up the Union Jack for the Stars and Stripes, as controlling interest in the studio has changed hands to a US firm. Insight Venture Brothers, a venture capital firm from the US, completed a deal last year to increase its ownership to 55% of the UK-based company. Previously, the firm had 35% interest in Jagex. Now that the scales have tipped to the new ownership, this technically makes Jagex a US-controlled company and has US investors leading its board of directors. While revenues were up 2% for Jagex in 2011, both operating and net profits were significantly down from the previous financial year. Jagex is a major player in the MMO free-to-play market, with RuneScape, Transformers Universe, and 8Realms as part of its project portfilio. Develop reports that the controlling interest was made possible by Jagex co-founder Andrew Gower selling off his ownership claims to the firm for $115.65 million. As part of the deal, Jagex paid $3.85 million in expenses. The studio will remain in Cambridge while its controlling firm is in NYC." Source: http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/god-save-the-green-deal-makes-jagex-a-us-company/ No snowflake in an avalanche ever felt responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sy_Accursed Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 This doesn't mean anything.Jagex offices are still in Cambridge and its staff are still British for the most part, so its a UK company. And it is really old news. Operation Gold Sparkles :: Chompy Kills :: Full Profound :: Champions :: Barbarian Notes :: Champions Tackle Box :: MA RewardsDragonkin Journals :: Ports Stories :: Elder Chronicles :: Boss Slayer :: Penance King :: Kal'gerion Titles :: Gold Statue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essiw Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 But does it matter that 55% of the shareholders are in the U.S.? Does it mean a change in updates? http://sign.tip.it/1/2/79/260/essiw.png Retired item crew I would like to be credited as essiw at the website update & corrections forum. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonanananas Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 But does it matter that 55% of the shareholders are in the U.S.? Does it mean a change in updates? Well, some argue that it does, seeing that this happened right before the referendum, some people do, but I'm not convinced tbh. It's possible that the marketing schemes that have been happening is due to this, but anything else I believe is still in the hands of Jagex themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blyaunte Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Interesting: http://www.insightpartners.com/team/view/investment Insight Partners are also shareholders in Nexon -- the makers of Maple Story ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaida23 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Interesting: http://www.insightpartners.com/team/view/investment Insight Partners are also shareholders in Nexon -- the makers of Maple Story ...MapleScape?(I cringed a little bit just typing that. :???: ) I wonder if they'll try and push microtransactions for RuneScape like they have in MapleStory? Check out my blog to read the Adventures of a Big Damn (F2P) Hero. THE place for all free players to connect, hang out and talk about how awesome it is to be F2P. So, Kaida is the real version of every fictional science-badass? That explains a lot, actually... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logdotzip Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 That guy's last name suits his plan of action for videogames he has a stake in well my youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsCook Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The only thing i can see this changing would be the moving of company location. If more owners are working outside of the UK then from a business perceptive it might be better to move the company/business to them. If that was to happen then timing within the game would change to a USA based time zone. Asides from that it wouldn't have any impact within RuneScape itself Runescape Player Since '04 | Tif Member since '06 | Max Combat | Too Busy Playing MW3 Remember: Anyone who is worse than you is a noob. Anyone who is better has no life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiJay Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The only thing i can see this changing would be the moving of company location. If more owners are working outside of the UK then from a business perceptive it might be better to move the company/business to them. If that was to happen then timing within the game would change to a USA based time zone. Asides from that it wouldn't have any impact within RuneScape itselfHuh, why? So hundreds of people from Jagex have to move over the sea because some of the big guys are there? How does that make any sense? [404] Signature not found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberly Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Interesting: http://www.insightpartners.com/team/view/investment Insight Partners are also shareholders in Nexon -- the makers of Maple Story ... I threw up in my mouth a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonanananas Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Interesting: http://www.insightpartners.com/team/view/investment Insight Partners are also shareholders in Nexon -- the makers of Maple Story ... I threw up in my mouth a little bit. Ummm...why does it matter? Those investors are only in the business side of things... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sy_Accursed Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The only thing i can see this changing would be the moving of company location. If more owners are working outside of the UK then from a business perceptive it might be better to move the company/business to them. If that was to happen then timing within the game would change to a USA based time zone. Asides from that it wouldn't have any impact within RuneScape itselfHuh, why? So hundreds of people from Jagex have to move over the sea because some of the big guys are there? How does that make any sense? Yeah investors/financial owners don't need to be on site and as Jay pointed out it would put far more things out of joint to try and move the entire company and its few hundred employees over seas just because of a couple of investors. Operation Gold Sparkles :: Chompy Kills :: Full Profound :: Champions :: Barbarian Notes :: Champions Tackle Box :: MA RewardsDragonkin Journals :: Ports Stories :: Elder Chronicles :: Boss Slayer :: Penance King :: Kal'gerion Titles :: Gold Statue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codecRS Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 this information means absolutely nothing. http://www.youtube.com/codecrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaida23 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The only thing i can see this changing would be the moving of company location. If more owners are working outside of the UK then from a business perceptive it might be better to move the company/business to them. If that was to happen then timing within the game would change to a USA based time zone. Asides from that it wouldn't have any impact within RuneScape itselfHuh, why? So hundreds of people from Jagex have to move over the sea because some of the big guys are there? How does that make any sense? Yeah investors/financial owners don't need to be on site and as Jay pointed out it would put far more things out of joint to try and move the entire company and its few hundred employees over seas just because of a couple of investors.Sy and Bi are right. Insight is an investment firm that manages a 3 billion dollar portfolio. I doubt they'd try to relocate the HQ's of every company they hold stock in. Also, their managing director has a MBA from MIT. OMG. :lol: Check out my blog to read the Adventures of a Big Damn (F2P) Hero. THE place for all free players to connect, hang out and talk about how awesome it is to be F2P. So, Kaida is the real version of every fictional science-badass? That explains a lot, actually... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunokiller Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I hope they won't get money hungry and introduce stuff like micro transactions My blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulli23 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 investors? Nothing good ever comes from such scum... They hold companies for no other reason that QUICK money, even though the name implies they invest to have a return at a later time, they never look 20 years ahead. First they came to fishingand I didn't speak out because I wasn't fishing Then they came to the yewsand I didn't speak out because I didn't cut yews Then they came for the oresand I didn't speak out because I didn't collect ores Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak out for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patr1ck Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 R.I.P the game of my childhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hajutze Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 investors? Nothing good ever comes from such scum... They hold companies for no other reason that QUICK money, even though the name implies they invest to have a return at a later time, they never look 20 years ahead. The name doesnt imply anything of the sorts.Financing - getting money from somewhere to do shit.Investing - giving money to someone to do shit or using the money to do some shit yourself and getting some profit out of it. There is no longterm implied in investing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashoke Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 this information means absolutely nothing.Absolutely nothing? Right when these investors stepped in early last year is when we started to see the introduction of the Refer a Friend, Loyalty Points, in-game items w/game card stuff, etc... I don't have any experience in the gaming business but I do know something as a recording artist, and that is the people who finance you (your board of directors, your publishing house, your record label) have the final say. If your music isn't poppy enough, isn't metal enough, upbeat enough, etc... guess what? Your music is going to be poppy'er or more upbeat or whatever they want. Control over the direction of your art doesn't just mean something, it means everything. No snowflake in an avalanche ever felt responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashoke Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 investors?Nothing good ever comes from such scum... They hold companies for no other reason that QUICK money, even though the name implies they invest to have a return at a later time, they never look 20 years ahead.The name doesnt imply anything of the sorts.Financing - getting money from somewhere to do shit.Investing - giving money to someone to do shit or using the money to do some shit yourself and getting some profit out of it.There is no longterm implied in investing It would be one thing if they were simply investing. However, these same investors are on Jagex's Board of Directors, which does imply and enable a bit more. No snowflake in an avalanche ever felt responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger_Warrior Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Control over the direction of your art doesn't just mean something, it means everything.Isn't the reality for the vast, vast majority of artists (namely, all but the very big guns) that they have only partial control over what stuff they record and release, though? When you're taking someone else's coin, they get to request the tune. That's the way art has always worked for the vast majority of artists. I'm not going to burst an artery over this. They'd be foolish to tamper with RuneScape too much. The game doesn't seem to be doing a truly fantastic job of attracting new blood or generating potential interest so they'll need to keep the customers they've currently got onside. That's why so many updates in the the game's recent history have been high-end content, bluntly aimed towards people who've stuck around for year after year. | Favourite Game Music | Last.fm | HYT Friend Chat Rules | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hajutze Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 They can sell those shares at any given time. All they (should) care about is getting as much as they can as fast as they can. Their strategy might as well be - buy shares from a company, milk (and kill) it fast, sell, repeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashoke Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 It depends on the Label, Publishing house, etc, and what kind of contracts they have. One particular favorite artist of mine was lucky enough to take full control over their releases in exchange for a lower cut of their record sales. No snowflake in an avalanche ever felt responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makoto_the_Phoenix Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 $115M for a game that has an gross revenue of < $50M (circa 2009-2010 numbers)? Yeah, I'd probably take that deal, too. It's an unfortunate turn of events, but really it's nothing new. If anything, it's only cementing what everyone here already assumed - Mr. Gower sold his share, and left the company in the care of these "nice businessmen", who are investing wonderful things into RuneScape and their other products, such as FunOrb, Stellar Dawn, 8Realms, and Herotopia. Linux User/Enthusiast | Full-Stack Software Engineer | Stack Overflow Member | GIMP User...Alright, the Elf City update lured me back to RS over a year ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saradomin_Mage Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 While revenues were up 2% for Jagex in 2011, both operating and net profits were significantly down from the previous financial year.Not sure if I should panic. In real life MMO you don't get 99 smithing by making endless bronze daggers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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