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MMO Fallout?

Interplay Announces First Quarter 2004 Earnings And Future Direction (thanks Frans) is the press release announcing the latest financial results from the troubled game developer and publisher. The future direction they announce is "the company's strategic decision to enter Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOG) with Interplay's wholly owned intellectual properties." The announcement goes on to address what this means in light of the losses reflected in the accompanying balance sheet and recent reports that the company is on the verge of going under, while specifically mentioning Fallout as one of the properties they would like to take the massive route:

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Caen said, "Based on a detailed review of where our industry stands and the level of interest in the gaming community in taking some of our premier properties online, we are now pursuing several options to fund our entry into Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming with titles including Fallout. Initial feedback from our investment bank and ongoing dialogue with others in the gaming sector appear to confirm that the combination of our valuable and popular intellectual properties with the rapidly growing online gaming community is the best way to maximize Interplay shareholder value."

Mr. Caen continued, "As outlined in our 10-Q filing, several short-term obstacles remain for Interplay. Management is focused on simultaneously financing and executing our new long-term strategy and finding ways to solve these short-term issues."

Mr. Caen added that the company would likely continue to develop select games for personal computers and next generation gaming consoles as well as develop purely online games.

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47. Re: Horrible Idea!! Jun 26, 2004, 13:27 WaltC
 
With idiotic ideas like this no wonder Interplay almost went belly up

Not sure what you mean about "almost". Interplay is quite belly up at the moment, floating dead in the water. It's just a tad too early for this particular deceased fish to start smelling profusely yet, is about the size of it...:) This reminds me of the proverbial General who unfortunately isn't aware that the war is over, and who fights on, oblivious.

This kind of "press release" serves two functions. It informs potential buyers for Interplay's remaining IP not to expect bankruptcy, fire-sale prices-- at least just yet, anyway, the idea being, "So if you want this stuff you might as well ante up and pay our price, otherwise no telling when you might get it." It also serves as a "sucker lure" to dangle in front of existing creditors and other investors to make them feel better about risking even more capital with the company so as to hopefully recoup the money they're owed by Interplay presently but stand to lose in full in case of an Interplay bankruptcy. Such people will have to decide whether to cut and run and take their losses, or whether to take the bait and pour more money into the black hole and hope for a miracle...;) Oddly enough, sometimes the choice is not as easy for them as might be believed. A lot depends on the degree and type of their present exposure with Interplay, from a variety of aspects.

My thought is that if Interplay's "answer" to the situation for present creditors and investors is:

"Eureka! We have the answer, and it's to throw more of your money at an MMORPG! Gosh, if only we'd thought of this four years ago...man, wish we had! What a coincidence that just when we need a great idea--wham!--we get one, and just in the nick of time, too! Please make you checks payable to...," then obviously it's not going to accomplish anything, except possibly with a group of fuzzy investors who don't know what an "MMORPG" is, but who are dimly aware that the acronym is supposed to represent something positive in relation to the prospects of game publishing and development companies--but I doubt it will serve to convince even them (investors capable of understanding computer technology only through symbolic acronyms), at this stage.

Last, such a press release serves to mitigate the liability, at least theoretcially, of the corporation in terms of "maximizing Interplay shareholder value" in the event the business is officially declared dead and then buried. The corporate officers must at least attempt to "maximize Interplay shareholder value," in the event the company fails, so as to minimize the actual loss to investors. As I said earlier, in this situation this is investor-directed code for: "If you want to get your Interplay stock money back, the only way to do that is to give us more of it so that we can execute our MMORPG plan, or you can say 'hasta la vista, baby'--to your Interplay investment dollars as it's lights out--curtains--for good, without your further investment!"

I doubt it will work, but I think we'll know shortly.




 
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It is well known that I do not make mistakes--so if you should happen across a mistake in anything I have written, be assured that I did not write it!
Previous Post Next Post Reply Quote Edit Delete Report
 
    Date Subject Author
  1. Jun 25, 20:01 No subject Scottish Martial Arts
  2. Jun 25, 20:08 This is a joke right runnerct32
  6. Jun 25, 20:32  Re: This is a joke right Belmont
  7. Jun 25, 20:41   Re: This is a joke right JosephBlowski
  3. Jun 25, 20:15 Fallout MMORPG? zincthallinide
  4. Jun 25, 20:16 Business, that's how. James Webb
  5. Jun 25, 20:20 No subject nier
  9. Jun 25, 20:42  Re: No subject Belmont
  11. Jun 25, 20:49  Re: No subject B M
  12. Jun 25, 20:59   Re: No subject Mad Max RW
  8. Jun 25, 20:41 yah Hump
  10. Jun 25, 20:47 No subject B M
  13. Jun 25, 21:00  Re: No subject Belmont
  15. Jun 25, 21:22   Re: No subject runnerct32
  33. Jun 26, 02:24    Re: No subject Halsy
  34. Jun 26, 02:36     Re: No subject Belmont
  35. Jun 26, 02:42      Re: No subject chino
  36. Jun 26, 02:49       Re: No subject Stolk
  38. Jun 26, 03:38        Re: No subject Awesome Spume
  40. Jun 26, 04:43         Re: No subject Krovven
  14. Jun 25, 21:19 No subject Ajax
  16. Jun 25, 21:35 No subject space captain
  19. Jun 25, 22:37  Fallout MMORPG? Only in my dreams Riker
  21. Jun 25, 23:25   Re: Fallout MMORPG? Only in my dreams zincthallinide
  22. Jun 25, 23:38    Obsidian/Troika Evil Timmy
  23. Jun 25, 23:45     Re: Obsidian/Troika Belmont
  24. Jun 25, 23:57      Re: Obsidian/Troika chino
  26. Jun 26, 00:40       Re: Obsidian/Troika Riker
  17. Jun 25, 22:32 Fuck no Bunko
  18. Jun 25, 22:36  Lets buy Fallout Paranoid Jack
  28. Jun 26, 01:11  Re: Fuck no B M
  20. Jun 25, 22:46 No subject Silicon Avatar
  25. Jun 25, 23:58 Saturation Sniper7
  46. Jun 26, 12:32  Re: Saturation Beamer
  48. Jun 26, 14:14   Re: Saturation Isus_in_Black.
  49. Jun 26, 14:30    Re: Saturation Beamer
  50. Jun 26, 14:41     Re: Saturation Briosafreak
  27. Jun 26, 00:41 Interplay's not completely broke ya know James Webb
  29. Jun 26, 01:12  Re: Interplay's not completely broke ya Hyperion_72
  31. Jun 26, 01:58   Re: Interplay's not completely broke ya Outlaw Josey Wales
  30. Jun 26, 01:42 Fallout MMO is a bad idea Charlie_Six
  32. Jun 26, 02:23  Re: Fallout MMO is a bad idea chino
  37. Jun 26, 03:34 Math Xeno555
  39. Jun 26, 04:38 Horrible Idea!! Zetler
>> 47. Jun 26, 13:27  Re: Horrible Idea!! WaltC
  51. Jun 26, 15:27   Re: Horrible Idea!! Riker
  52. Jun 27, 17:28    Re: Horrible Idea!! JoeCool
  41. Jun 26, 05:41 Violition makeing cool games? The Half Elf
  42. Jun 26, 07:30  Re: Violition makeing cool games? Briosafreak
  44. Jun 26, 09:13  Re: Violition makeing cool games? runnerct32
  43. Jun 26, 07:55 No subject Brym
  45. Jun 26, 12:06 No subject Darks


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