 |
|
VetLegion
|
|
I have read the 'features' list for the new Civ III expansion and I think it is a ripoff. Is it Firaxis idea to publish it or Infogrames I don't know. Atari is a cool name, but it can not save a company.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Spiffor
|
 |
CPA - Evil Clone brigade
Nov 2001
time: 06:28
|
|
So, Lyons really ends with 's' in English ? It thought it was a consistent typo in Civ... Does Marseilles really ends with an 's' in English too ?
As for Atari's financial problems, this reminds me of Vivendi Universal. Unti a year ago, everybody wondered when Vivendi's paetite would stop, and what would stop the rise of Vivendi's CEO Jean Marie Messier. One year ago, Vivendi entered a serious debt crisis, and the CEO was laid off.
I think Infogrames will survive, even though they may not being able to handle being a world major anymore. The smaller French videogames company Ubi Soft is doing well, even though it doesn't play on the same scale.
As for Firaxis : Firaxis is a subcontractor of Infogrames. Infogrames owns the Civilization franchise, as well as other profitable franchise they can sell for a high price. However, Firaxis has just signed new agreements with Infogrames, that makes it more involved with the Lyons company. I think Infogrames values Sid Meier's company as a company that brings profit with little risk involved (but also not so many profits involved).
IMHO, that's why they haven't cancelled PtW development, and allowed Conquests development.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Capt Dizle
|
|
No, it means they went gold with a product they knew wasn't ready to ship.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Catt
|
 |
California - SF Bay Area
May 2002
time: 21:28
|
|
From today's online WSJ:
quote:
'Enter the Matrix' Game
Tops One Million Mark
By KEVIN J. DELANEY
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
PARIS -- Infogrames Entertainment SA said Friday it had sold more than one million copies of its big-budget "Enter the Matrix" videogame one week after its launch in the U.S. and Europe, underscoring the game industry's attempt to gin up hits through tie-ins with Hollywood movies.
The game, which shares characters and plot elements with the "The Matrix Reloaded" film released last week, is Infogrames's big-money gamble on a blockbuster title. The company is betting that a megahit will help preserve its position among the ranks of top videogame publishers, at a time when it is struggling financially and profitability increasingly depends on having size and scale.
Infogrames, Lyon, France, adopted the Atari brand for all of its activities this month. It is the fourth-largest independent publisher in the world, but has piled on debt and had choppy sales in recent years, forcing it to write down assets and undertake a large restructuring.
Inforgrames's U.S. unit, which trades publicly as Atari Inc., saw its shares rise 74 cents, or 17%, to $4.97 in afternoon trading Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The Matrix game had a production budget of $20 million, making it one of the most expensive titles ever. When other expenses are factored in, including the acquisition of a small game studio that owned the Matrix videogame license, the total cost of the game could hit $80 million.
Some analysts said first-week sales of more than a million units -- the industry's benchmark for a blockbuster -- were praiseworthy. But they cautioned that the early sales numbers were no guarantee that the game will remain a goldmine. "Enter the Matrix" has received mixed reviews from online videogame reviewers that some analysts say are less enthusiastic than those generally needed to ensure blockbuster sales.
Infogrames said early this month that it was shipping more than four million copies of the game for the launch, based on retailer pre-orders. Actual sales of that level or above would make it one of the top-selling single videogame titles of all time.
Game Stores Group Ltd., one of Europe's largest videogame retailers, said in a statement that it was "very pleased" with initial sales of the Matrix game, but declined to give specific sales numbers.
Infogrames could use a mega-hit. The company is trying to cut a net debt load currently hovering around 435 million euros that has spooked investors in recent years.
Infogrames is trying to renegotiate the buyback of some of the 347 million euros in convertible bonds it has outstanding, according to people familiar with the matter. Infogrames lowered its convertible bond debt by 87 million euros in January.
Company spokespeople weren't immediately available for comment. |
Catt 
|
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:28.
Apolyton Time is 00:28. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
20-05-2003 04:35
) 
|