Aventurine's income

Kurush

This is a serious topic.  It is not related to the game, though.  Whether it's good or bad or whether it's ever coming out is irrelevant to me at this moment.

Where has Aventurine gotten the money to keep operating over the last eight years?  Does Tasos have some vast personal wealth to draw upon?  Are he and his team only developing the game as a side job?  Has he really gotten regular cash infusions from investors?

And if he actually is getting cash from investment, which group got behind him?

 

stayontarget

Banks, Grants, investors, loans.

Badem

you obviously read the Darkfall forums or possibly you missed the search button?

 

Aventurine has been kept afloat by Bonds and loans, there are plenty of places to find the info...

Death1942

investors mainly.

 

you would be surprised how much money get exchanged on the MMO front.  Investors are always looking for the next big thing and (if you think about it) MMO's have to be one of the best long term investments ever (how many have shut down and how many are going after 4+years?).

 

I'd say the Greek Goverment may have put in a small amount but i heard they are pretty stingy when it comes to games development.

Kurush

Originally posted by stayontarget


Banks, Grants, investors, loans.

 

Is this the official line from Aventurine?

Have any names been supplied re: financial backing?

TalRasha

Highly unlikely to get one of those names.

stayontarget

Private company, so they dont have to make Qtr reports to investors.

xzyax

Here is some interesting info related to this topic I found on the official forums:

 

Chomp on the Official boards found this first http://forums.darkfallonline.com/showthread.php?t=58541

(All translations by Google translate)

http://www.capital.gr/news.asp?Details=530029

Audiovisual: Memorandum of Cooperation with Aventurine

27/06/2008

16:00

In drafting a Memorandum of Cooperation with the company AVENTURINE SA moved the Audiovisual, with the sole purpose printing, distribution and operation of online games subscriber (on line gaming) in all countries of Europe.

In a separate announcement noted that for the purpose Audiovisual will create a new section Gaming Division paying royalties to the above beneficiary than 35% of sales.

By exploiting the online games subscriber quoted estimates that avoids the loss of revenue from any piracy in any form.

 

http://www.capital.gr/news.asp?Details=530201

Audiovisual: MoU with Aventurine, to bond to € 25 million

27/06/2008

21:44

In signing a memorandum of cooperation with the company Aventurine, with the sole purpose printing, distribution and operation of online games subscriber (on line gaming) in all countries of Europe went the Audiovisual announced as the chairman of the company, Mr John Kourtesis, according to official announcement of a listed.

Please note that inter alia the annual general meeting, held on 27 June with the participation of 11 shareholders representing a total rate of 69.04% of the share capital took a decision to issue a common bond amounting to 25 million euro.

http://www.euro2day.gr/news/enterpri...6/Article.aspx

AudioVisual: Cooperation with Aventurine

Published: 13:41 - 27/06/08

The company announced AudioVisual training Memorandum of Cooperation with the company AVENTURINE SA, with the sole purpose printing, distribution and operation of online games subscriber (on line gaming) in all countries of Europe.

To this end, the AudioVisual will create a new section Gaming Division paying royalties to the above beneficiary than 35% of sales. By exploiting the online games subscriber AudioVisual believes that avoids the loss of revenue from any piracy in any form. 

 

Edit:  This link will give you all the public info on AudioVisual:

www.crmz.com/Report/ReportPreview.asp

 

Edit2:  Also, since Aventurine is using the abbreviation SA for their official name... I don't think they are private.  Since S.A. is used as a term for being Incorporated, as in Inc.  I'll see if I can get anything concrete on that though.

 

Edit3:  Found in this link:  www.wipo.int/edocs/madgdocs/en/2003/madrid_g_2003_22.pdf

151) 23.07.2003 811 806

(180) 23.07.2013

(732) AVENTURINE S.A.

362, Kifisias Str.

GR-152 33 HALANDRI, ATHENS (GR).

(842) SOCIETE ANONYME

(See color reproduction at the end of this issue /

Voir reproduction couleur à la fin de ce volume.)

(531) 7.1; 23.1; 27.3; 27.5; 29.1.

(591) Black, green, purple, yellow. Letters: yellow; design:

the sky: purple; the sword: purple, red, yellow; the

tower: black; the water: green. / Noir, vert, violet,

jaune. Lettres: jaune; dessin: ciel: violet; épée: violet,

rouge, jaune; tour: noir; eau: vert.

(571) TOWER, SKY, WATER, SWORD. / TOUR, CIEL,

EAU, EPEE.

(511) NCL(8)

9 CD-ROMs.

16 Printed matter, magazines.

28 Games and playthings.

35 Advertising; business management; business

administration; office functions.

41 Education; training; entertainment; sporting and

cultural activities.

42 Computer programming.

CopWatch

Originally posted by xzyax


...By exploiting the online games subscriber AudioVisual believes that avoids the loss of revenue...

 

Excellent choice of words.

 

 

Kyleran

There's been a lot of speculation, and investigation over the years by players into the financing of DF.  I don't think Aventurine has ever really been candid about their sources, but then few developers are in this area.

I think the better question right now is, do they have the money to launch and support the game? I think the answer is no considering their recent attempts to secure more financing via meetings with investors and pre-orders.

But I am just speculating, and have no inside information, just my personal observations.

Agricola1

I heard the Aventurines' income increased by 25% last month after Tasos took on a paper round!

rhinok

 On the date AudioVisual and Aventurine took that bond, it was worth over 39 million USD.

Here's a great Warcry article on July 24th, 2007, which references a 20 million Euro bond Aventurine took out at that time (over 27 million USD, at the time).  Here's some info about the law firm that helped them obtain this bond:

 

Lambadarios

Lambadarios Law Offices, established in 1863, advises a combination of domestic and international clients. Over the years the firm has featured on a range of transactions in the banking, corporate and structured-finance markets.

...

In another deal, the firm acted for Aventurine on its provision of a €20 million convertible bond issue.

...

The firm's recent project finance work includes acting for Lockheed Martin in a PPP involving the Ministry of Finance in Greece. In addition, the firm acted for Proton Investment Bank in the financing of a €30 million joint venture to construct a wind farm on a Greek island.

Other notable clients of the firm include Google, UBS, Isuzu and Scania and Samsung.

 

Lastly, I've also seen references to a 10 million Euro investment, but haven't found a source for the information.

At minimim, Aventurine and AudioVisual/Aventurine have secured over 66 million USD in bonds since 2007.  That's all money that was secured at the tail end ofthe project, so there was obviously substantial funding prior to that in order for them to have remained in business with 30 staff for the years before 2007. That's hardly small potatoes and, frankly, doesn't give them much indie cred.

~Ripper

 

Briansho

All I know is they better have at least a stable server from all the money they have been given the past 8 years.

Random_mage

Hmm.. wonder what happens when you run away with 80 million dollars of other peoples money..

Syyth007

Damn, I thought everyone knew that Aventurine is actually a front for the greek mafia!

Netzoko

Everyone knows Aventurine's income comes from Tasos doing Shamwow commercials.

Cik_Asalin

Tasos Moonlighting? www.youtube.com/watch

IIRL

It's funny how people tend to discuss the same thing over and over. Well I don't expect people to turn to their bright sides here.

Cik_Asalin

Originally posted by IIRL


It's funny . . .

It's hilarious.

mrw0lf

How many times is it possible to post the same arse and argue the same bs, it's fkin nuts.

jakojako

Originally posted by xzyax



Audiovisual: MoU with Aventurine, to bond to € 25 million

 

Damn... If this is real... Then Tasos better start digging his hole