WOTC sold?

[Rasyr]

On the buying and selling of companies...

Just wanted to make a few quick comments here on the buying and/or selling of a company. (note: I have been part of a small company that was bought)


First off, the original poster said that this was supposed to occur in December. If, the Due Diligence were started right about now, then a December sale of what he said is possible. (Due Dilligence is the part, put simply, where the two companies check each other out, thouroughly and a bunch of other legal stuff happens)

* Yes, layoffs are one way to make a company profit look better, but the Due Dilligence process looks at more than "just now", it also goes back quite a ways.

*There are several actual steps in the process of buying or selling a company. And it can drag on for a long time. If such a sale is in the process, then there a a good number of people who already know about, but who also are enjoined to not discus it. (If somebody leaks it, it could actually kill such a deal, especially since Hasbro is a publicly traded company).


Me, I have no real interest or stake in whether D&D gets sold or not, but I will watch with interest...

 

[Grazzt]

GW has stated on several occasions that it has no interest whatsoever to develop RPG's. So if WOTC was to be sold, you can be pretty sure GW won't be interested.

Not sure about WotC as a whole, but Peter Adkison has said that he gets first "buyer rights" on any portion of the company when it is sold off including the D&D brand. Hence the reason he ended up with GenCon.

So- if it were to be sold, I would imagine Peter would end up with D&D again. Perhaps not WotC, but the D&D brand at least.

 

[TeaBee]

Games Workshop bought the RPG lines.

Peter Adkison has said that he gets first "buyer rights" on any portion of the company when it is sold off

Peter Adkison bought Games Workshop?!?

 

[Grazzt]

Peter Adkison bought Games Workshop?!?

Heh. Sure! Let's start another thread stating as such.

 

[Wicht]

Didn't we just do this conversation a couple of weeks ago?

Personally I find the rumour that Peter Adkinson is buying out GW to be far more interesting

 

[Grazzt]

Didn't we just do this conversation a couple of weeks ago?

Personally I find the rumour that Peter Adkinson is buying out GW to be far more interesting

Wicht- this thread/conversation comes up every time WotC sneezes, lays people off, etc.

I agree, the "Adkison buys GW" sounds better.

 

[Umbran]

Just as information - the only thing I've seen Adkison say on the subject is not that he has "first buyer's rights" in any legal sense. Just that he has reasonable hope of being given first consideration. No guarantees.

 

[Grazzt]

Just as information - the only thing I've seen Adkison say on the subject is not that he has "first buyer's rights" in any legal sense. Just that he has reasonable hope of being given first consideration. No guarantees.

Yeppers- that is what I was looking for when I posted. Had a brainfart and couldnt think of the way to say it. That's why I put it in quotes. Not sure if there is some sort of legal agreement between Adkison and WotC, but yeah, I remember him saying something about being given first consideration, if possible.

Thanks for the info Umbran...my brain was sleeping earlier apparently.

 

[jester47]

He's our last hope...

No there is another....

Aaron.

 

[Zulkir]

Folks,

I have more than a few sources in a variety of high and low places. I have not heard anything about GW buying either novels or RPGs. Its not impossible (in the world of business nothing is impossible) but it is very unlikely and here is why....

1) Right now the two most profitable portions of WotC's business is Magic and Publishing (made up mostly by D&D and novels). In many senses we are the other 'leg" of the business.
2) The next thing most of you are thinking is "well then Magic moves to Rhode Island and D&D gets sold. Problem with that - moving people is very very expensive. I don't think Hasbro would want to take that hit right now.
3) WotC is making its monthly numbers. In an economy like this, with the all important 4th quarter coming, you don't mess with a portion of the company that is making its monthly revenues.

AV