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Another new Jagex owner

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Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

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Jeremy Cheng said :
Yes big changes, but whoever's buying the company next knows not to put any more mtx into the game as that would tank the company's value.


No. They know Wall Street and Main Street actually love MTX.

We did get more MTX in OSRS from Partnership Purple Skin, exclusive Soul Wars Worlds, FSH member access, GIM restart etc, but the new owner will have to pay way more than the $530 mil Carlyle Group bought Jagex for.

Actually the more MTX, the highest the revenue, profits, growth, EBITDA and such. Vast majority of AAA game developers (which Jagex is being turned into in the future) embraces 40-60% MTX mix in their games.

11-Sep-2023 16:37:04

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

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The game is already feeling the pinch of uncertainly. We can see OSRS Bond prices spiking up after the news.

We know the sale is not imminent. There may be an auction late in the year and the actual sale process may linger into the first half of next year. The longer it lingers, the more uncertainties and more players will be on the fence.

13-Sep-2023 16:45:55

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

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Big changes are poised to come regardless Jagex is sold anyway.

While most players know Carlyle Group own Jagex, few are aware they aren't directly controlling the operation of Jagex. Jagex is actually under the control of
JUNE UK BIDCO LIMITED
.

While Jagex has recorded a profit in their last 2021 financial report, it wasn't the same situation with June UK BIDCO Limited. On page 3 of their 16 Jan 2023 Company House filing, they reported a net operating loss of 208 million british pounds:

"Since the acquisition of Jagex has had revenue of £120m, which is the revenue for the group. The group has net operating losses of £208m as a result of significant expenses associated with the purchase of Jagex as well as a subsequent impairment"


https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03982706/filing-history

Subsequently, JUNE UK BIDCO has filings of Solvency Statements and Resolutions with Companies House on the 5th and 6th of July this year. The reports are also shown on the above link.

So, assuming Jagex is not sold by the 2nd quarter of next year, how will the actual entity controlling the operation of Jagex, JUNE UK BIDCO Limited able to stay afloat and recoup their losses? What do you think? ;)

17-Sep-2023 17:14:58

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

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Now, let's imagine you were JUNE UK BIDCO, with a net operating loss of £208m as a result of significant expenses associated with the purchase of Jagex as well as a subsequent impairment, how do you make yourself solvent with an after tax profits from Jagex in the range of £40 mil?

The best case scenario is to sell Jagex. If they can get £1 billion, of course they will jump for joy, but even if Jagex is sold for only $800 million, they will still cover on the $530m price from Jagex plus £208 million net operating loss.

What if they can't sell Jagex for even $800 million... well, then I think they will have to realize on a lot more sales from Jagex. Here is what the tea leaves tell us... Marketing is going to take over everything OSRS, regardless it is sales, CMs, anti-cheating and whatever you can think of. :)

19-Sep-2023 22:28:04

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

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Has anybody done the recent "Hear Your Say" survey? It probably was Jagex collecting data to send to Morgan Stanley and Areem to tailor make a M&A campaign for them. They were giving out $20,000 in gift certificates not for no reason.

What we should have learned is Jagex is interested in developing many new games in different genres.

The investment bankers are going to tell the potential buyers Jagex is a company with diversified products and visions for future development.

25-Sep-2023 22:57:43 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2023 23:05:10 by Dilbert2001

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

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Some changes have probably happened to at least the Runesape side of Jagex already.

Let's look at Jagex's job adverts:

https://jobs.lever.co/jagex

I have never seen Jagex having so few openings listed any time in over 10 years when they were like half the size of what they are now. If you dwell down into the 11 openings, only 2 of them are for RS3, 1 for OSRS and 2 for the "core team" maintaining the back end engine.

We can also look at the official Jagex News on their official website and easily find Runesape is not even remotely represented the last year.

https://www.jagex.com/en-GB/news

These actions aren't hard to interpret though if you think Jagex is determined to have the company sold soon. They wouldn't be spending money on hiring many people for the new owner, right? And we don't know if they have the money to spend anyway.

05-Oct-2023 18:01:32 - Last edited on 05-Oct-2023 18:02:41 by Dilbert2001

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

Posts: 30,201 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
They are noticeable signs the impending sale of Jagex is taking a toll on their staffing and projects already.

We have already seen Jagex's current hiring is at the lowest mark perhaps even before the Gowers sold the company to IVP Group et al in 2011.

A couple of days ago, OSRS revealed they will not be able to deliver all meaningful updates before the end of 2023, as compared to their Autumn release date headlining the Summer Summit Roadmap:

"Ultimately, we want to deliver meaningful improvements to Chambers of Xeric before 2023 is out (ideally in time for you to enjoy them in the latter part of Leagues IV - Trailblazer Reloaded), but the team working on these changes cannot realistically deliver a full scouting overhaul and improvements to the various rooms within the timeframe. Waiting to deploy both at once would mean delaying things even longer and we think both you and us would rather see something than nothing."


https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Summit#/media/File:Summer_Summit_2023-_August_19th_(3).png

Forestry, another headliner of the Summer Summit Roadmap, which was actually a rehashed highlight of the Winter Summit 2022 supposed to be released in Mid 2023, and then delayed to September 2023, is still not released in October now.

https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Summit#/media/File:Winter_Summit_Summary_(1).png

"A beta for Forestry was launched on 5 June, but was postponed indefinitely on the same day "due to unforeseen technical issues". On 9 June, in another blog, it was announced that there will not be any beta for phase 1 Forestry, and would be released on 28 June
. In addition, it was also announced that phase 2 will be coming in September."

https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Forestry

You may have noticed OSRS didn't have a livestream since 22 days ago, after the departure of Mod Spear, Jagex's Video Producer, on September 18. It doesn't seem to be a job ad for his post either.

11-Oct-2023 20:20:05 - Last edited on 11-Oct-2023 20:23:35 by Dilbert2001

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

Posts: 30,201 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Even more noticeable changes already happening. Jagex is not just buying and partnering with other games, they are also going all out to the brick and mortar sector with their products.

Today, they inked Titan Books to write 3 new Runescape paperback novels.

They have also changed their own description of the company:

"Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond live operations;
our titles are forever games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds.
Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly ac tive worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.

in 2022, Jagex expanded with the acquisitions of PipeWorks and Gamepires, bringing its expertise in building forever games to SCUM, a multi-million selling open-world survival title in Steam Early Access & other unannounced titles.
Jagex employs more than 600 people globally
, and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. More information can be found at www.jagex.com   "

https://www.gamespress.com/TITAN-BOOKS-SET-TO-PUBLISH-EPIC-RUNESCAPE-NOVELS-FROM-MAY-2024

Jagex used to call themselves Home of the Living Games, but not they changed the Living Games motto to "forever games" and extend their content and experience outside the game worlds. When they count more than 600 employees and addressed SCUM as a "multi-millin selling open-world survival title", we should know OSRS is just one of the member of the big Jagex family which is getting bigger and bigger, especially after the company is sold.

18-Oct-2023 02:48:34

Dilbert2001
Jun Member 2006

Dilbert2001

Posts: 30,201 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Dilbert2001 said :
Miu said :
Dilbert2001 said :
Miu said :
Dogpowder said :
as per the London Financial Times..

..."Private equity group Carlyle has hired advisers to explore a sale for its Cambridge-based video game developer Jagex, according to people familiar with the matter.

Jagex, which has developed games including Runescape, is working with bankers at Morgan Stanley, the people said. The company could fetch more than £1bn in a sale, the people said.

Discussions are at an early stage and the timeline on a sale process could last from the end of this year until the first half of 2024, the people cautioned."

Big changes ahead?


Not yet. They need to find a buyer in this economy. Who's gonna buy a game studio that can't make any new games?


The original Jagex doesn't have to make new games, Gamepires and Pipeworks can make new games for the new Jagex.

Well uhh, let me know when they actually make a game. Right now it's trendy in the games industry to buy a studio and then shut it down.


We own a game regardless we make the game ourselves or buy it from somebody else. Do OSRS players really think SCUM, Pipeworks games and other Jagex Partners games don't exist and Jagex isn't investing more and reaping more profits there, just because Jagex didn't make them?


Aha! Read my last 2 posts and you should know Jagex is putting SCUM ahead of even the huuuugggeeee OSRS. Jagex didn't have to create the "multimillion selling" SCUM themselves and yet the game is not just being shut down but used to spearhead Jagex's platform sale ahead of the company being actually sold.

18-Oct-2023 21:10:31

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