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NCSOFT to buy SOE in the near future
hypersan
Member Posts: 63
What are the odds of this, would this be a positive or negative move.
Comments
Aliens will come in peace when NCSoft buy SoE
All canceled. Waiting on Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning.
I don't see this happening. I do think NCSoft is a bit more friendly towards players/customers though than SOE. SOE has been maneuvering it's marketting Gnomes in strange positions lately, but I doubt they are in any danger financially. Sony as a corporation has taken a few big hits since 2006 however. Perhaps SOE would purge itself of a few acquisitions it no longer values. Still I don't think a NCSoft buying, or any conglomerate, SOE is easily possible. SOE might not desire the highest quality for it's players/customers, but they still have the largest quanity.
Sort of like the title from an old Eminem song.... "When Bad Meets Evil"
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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No longer visiting MMORPG.com.
I'd agree with Anageth on this one.
I don't really think NCSoft has the financial capability to even be able to buy a company like SOE and that's not even getting into whether Sony Corp would allow that even to happen.
Besides, I don't really see anything from SOE that NCSoft would ever want.
Important Information regarding Posting and You
I played after SOE got it, and tech-wise, its really come a long way. I actually have to thank SOE for that (sadly). However, they got rid of what made it great to start with. NOT ONCE in the 5 months I played, did I see ONE live event, or get news of one on the way. If NCplay can take it in it's current form, and bring back that element... the game may well have a chance in hell.
Course gamer memories are long when grudges are involved (not always for good things, sadly), and Matrix Online as a name may be enough that at best this would be a LONG TERM tranformation. Still, I really would hope for it. Even with SOE's taint, I could see what it COULD HAVE BEEN, and what, given time and proper care, it could still be.
So your post title gets everyone curious then you hit this "what are the odds?" geez
Why on gods green earth would NCSoft want to get mixed up in SOE broken, unfinished and ruined games?
So to answer you question, the odds are very against it. Would you want Vanguard, Matrix or SWG lol???? Not likely with NCSofts line up coming up: Tabula Rasa, Aion and Lineage 3.
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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Worst customer service ever imo.
exactly what i thought.
Although HP buying Dell could be another comparison.
Their also providing 3 MMOG's for the PS3, so their not going anywhere soon. Frankly at this point, people need to start getting used to not liking MMOG companies. Big companies = hated.
It isn't like Apple buying Ms because MS already owns like 40% of Apple. lol
NCSoft is much more successful than SOE. No question, look at the subs of Lineage etc. however SoE is a part of Sony who are VERY BIG so it isn't going to happen unless SOE decide to give up on games, with the PS3 this is not going to happen.
from what I know of SOE they seem to be really bad at supporting games after realease, Planetside and SWG for example.
NCSoft on the other hand always seem to be pushing technology (2 DirectX10 games on the ways and L2 still is one of the nicest looking MMOS to date) yet they still offer free updates and events. great company IMO.
First, the subject of this thread is misleading.
Second, I don't see NCsoft buying SOE. If anyone were to make a play for if, I suspect EA would do it.
Lets keep NCSoft away from Sony, I don't want them bogged down in that crap.
The company reported net profits for the full year of KRW 38.0 billion ($40.5m) on sales of KRW 338.7 billion ($361 million). Sales were relatively unchanged on the previous year but net profit was down by 43 percent, year on year. The drop in profits was blamed on increased in investment in expanding the company’s game portfolio and future growth. The full year results also include a one time write-off related to the failed Auto Assault in the second quarter of 2006.
Fourth quarter results saw a net profit of KRW 18.7 billion ($19.9m), up from KRW 12.8 billion ($13.6m) in 2005, on consolidated sales of KRW 90.2 billion ($96.1m), up 6 percent from the previous year. Brisk sales of evergreen titles Lineage and Lineage II were credited for the increase, along with the successful launch of Guild Wars: Nightfall.
By region, fourth quarter sales in Korea were KRW 53.4 billion ($56.9m), down 1 percent, and in Japan KRW 8 billion ($8.5m), down 13 percent. The launch of Guild Wars: Nightfall and an increase in players for Lineage II saw North American sales rise by 14 percent to KRW 18.0 billion ($19.1m), with European sales up by 76 percent to KRW 10.8 billion ($11.5m) for the same reasons. Of total sales, the company saw a total of 46 percent being derived from overseas.
In terms of specific game titles, Lineage sales increased by 2 percent on the previous quarter, with Lineage II down by the same percentage. Sales of the Guild Wars franchise rose by 65 percent, with City of Heroes/Villains down by 26 percent. Of total sales for the company Lineage accounted for 35 percent, Lineage II 36 percent, Guild Wars 22 percent and City of Heroes/Villains 6 percent.
The company’s earning guidance for the next financial year stands at sales of KRW 358 billion to 367 billion ($384m to $394m) and an operating profit of KRW 42 billion to 49 billion ($45m to $53m). The company expects to launch new MMO title Aion in Korea at the end of 2007, as well as an upgraded version of service platform PlayNC. New Western-orientated titles Exteel and Dungeon Runners are expected in the first half of the year, with Tabula Rasa and a new Guild Wars update in the second half of the year.
What SONY Claims..
Sony to delay full-year financial results
By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
Sony had been due to release its earnings for the fourth quarter and full year, from April 2006 to March 2007, at the end of April but has decided to push this back to May 16.
It blamed the delay on the tougher rules that have come into effect under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which also applies to foreign companies such as Sony that are listed in the U.S. The law, which came into force in 2002, introduced strict financial reporting and corporate governance requirements. A larger amount of paperwork is required to comply with the act’s provisions, and that’s taking time, Sony said.
Until several years ago, most Japanese IT companies announced their full year earnings in mid-May. In recent years the Tokyo Stock Exchange has been trying to persuade companies to finalize their accounts within a month and announce their results in late April, just ahead of the week-long “golden week” holiday in Japan.
Hitachi said in February that it would also delay the release of full-year earnings until May.
The Truth..
Sony moves a step closer to junk; outlook "negative"
Posted Oct 11th 2006 10:27AM by Vladimir Cole
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
Fitch Ratings (a company that assesses the risk level of debt) announced today that they have downgraded several types of Sony debt to "BBB+" (the debt is still three notches above the dreaded "junk" moniker, however). Fitch also slapped a "negative" outlook on the debt, indicating that future debt downgrades are possible as "Sony's financial profile [continues] to weaken in the next one to two years."
Reasons for the downgrade include:
Why does this downgrade matter? Lower-rated bonds make it more expensive for Sony to borrow money, increasing the cost for the company to finance operations. Higher borrowing costs also make it tougher for the company to drop prices on the expensive PS3 to a more palatable level in line with the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. It's also, like, totally embarrassing to have your bonds downgraded.
Sony is in trouble, whats worse is they are trying to cover it up and in the process losing face.
I could see Sony selling off divisions to try and keep afloat, but generally when a corporation in trouble begins to peice off itself, it dumps the divisions not showing profit. ATM the online entertainment, and insurance divisions are the only divisions not in the red.
This could change, but for now SOE is going nowhere. Unless of course it decides to breakaway into its own corporation.
Planetside is still keeping subscribers
Vanguard is in the 100k+ subscriber range
EQ still has subs
EQ2 has subs
As much as I dont like SOE, they arent gona be bought out any time soon imo.
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...
SoE is part of Sony Pictures Digital, it is not directly related to the game division of Sony (I am not even sure SPD is still owned by Sony Corporation)
The game division of Sony which you refer to, is basically everything that has to do with the Playstation console and it is part of the hardware branch of Sony (TV, Cameras, Hi Fi and so on).
Therefore the notice you report, doesn't include SoE performances.
Just to clarify (not that I like SoE or wish to defend it).
There is SOME truth in SOME of the details in this thread...
SNE (or Sony Corp) is in trouble. The PS3 is a make or break issue for this company, and it is uncertain whether the cash drain of this console will kill the company before they can recoup from the loss.
SOE (Sony Online Entertainment) is doing very well, despite the losses of the parent company.
SNE may be vulnerable to a buyout by another large company (read Microsoft or Google) or even potentially vulnerable to corporate raiders (VC funding to buy the parent, and break up the company). Either way the opportunity exists for ownership of SOE to change due to the cash poor situation of the parent company... However this is nothing more than speculation at this time. The financial situtation will be much clearer by next Christmas.
P.S. SNE owns SPD, which owns SOE.