Frontier Developments announces IPO

[maik]

Saw it in their Kickstarter update, details on their homepage.

What are your thoughts?

[Cody]

It's no surprise - and is probably over-subscibed already (I haven't bothered to read the blurb).

[Gimi]

If you look in the comments for the Frontier IPO Kickstarter update there are some interesting comments/discussions. Michael is doing his bet to explain what this means. A lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about what an IPO is and means.

As far as I understand these things, I believe this to be a positive development. They must have been working on this well before the Kickstarter went live. Should make Frontier stronger financially, at least in the short term. Interesting that the IPO is oversubscribed. No chance for Elite fans to buy stock in the near future, should they be so inclined.

[Disembodied]

A lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about what an IPO is and means.

<gives special prize to Gimi for "Understatement of the Month">

[Smivs]

It's hard to know what to make of this.
Normally an IPO (Initial Public Offering) takes place when a private company becomes 'public' and sells shares in itself to raise capital and expand the business. In this case it seems that this has already been done and that no public offer of shares is to be made.
There is no mention of who the shareholders are, other than much of this seems to have been done by Frontier's Canadian arm.
I also doubt that this is a good move in terms of the range and quality of the games produced.
A public company is answerable to its shareholders and from their perspective its sole aim is to show a profit. You only have to look at the likes of EA to see how this works for a games company. The focus will be on 'easy money' - re-boots of successful titles, no (risky) innovation and sue the hell out of anyone who infringes their trademarks/patents/copyrights as this is easier and cheaper than making new games.

[Disembodied]

A public company is answerable to its shareholders and from their perspective its sole aim is to show a profit.

To be fair, this is pretty much the aim of any company whose owners and employees enjoy eating, and having a place to live ...

Granted, a company that is driven solely by its year-end bottom line is unlikely to do anything really creative, which might be perceived as risky or offbeat (although this mentality isn't exclusive to public companies - nor is a total inability to judge what might be "risky" and what might be "essential"). But likewise, there are plenty of independent companies that take risks and pursue their dreams and produce utter crap, so ...

There's only one true space trading game unsullied by the sticky fingers of Mammon: Oolite! It's a triumph of anarcho-collectivism, and it would make Bakunin proud.

[Cody]

There's only one true space trading game unsullied by the sticky fingers of Mammon: Oolite! It's a triumph of anarcho-collectivism, and it would make Bakunin proud.

<grins>

[Smivs]

There's only one true space trading game unsullied by the sticky fingers of Mammon: Oolite! It's a triumph of anarcho-collectivism, and it would make Bakunin proud.

+1

[Gimi]

A lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about what an IPO is and means.

<gives special prize to Gimi for "Understatement of the Month">

Bows deeply and humbly accepts the prize that so rarely leaves the British Isles.

[Cody]

Bows deeply and humbly accepts the prize that so rarely leaves the British Isles.

<grins>

[drew]

As an investment opportunity for small time holders like us it might be worth a punt (though we'll have to wait for shares to be traded.) Would be relatively high risk given the history of things like the outsider of course.

For employees of Frontier I imagine it's a jolly good thing indeed if they've been granted share options or direct stock as part of bonuses etc.

For investors it's interesting that it's oversubscribed. Is that a demonstration of faith in the Elite franchise itself? Lots of non-publisher types happy to chuck in great wads of cash without a controlling influence? (Michael said they 'Frontier' will retain the controlling share.)

Cheers,

Drew.