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[saintjules]

The company's stock went live at 8am this morning. Devolver's raised $261 million (£190 million) around its admission to AIM, valuing the company at $950 million (£694.6 million) -- in line with initial reports of the publisher's IPO plans earlier this year.

This makes it the largest ever US-based company by market capitalisation to be admitted to the London Stock Exchange, and the second largest company ever to trade on AIM.

GamesIndustry.biz has also learned that Sony Interactive Entertainment will be making a 5% investment in the company.

Devolver Digital valued at $950m as it floats on London Stock Exchange

Devolver Digital has begun trading on AIM, a sub-market London Stock Exchange, in a floatation that values the indie pu…

www.gamesindustry.biz

 

[KAL2006]

If they acquire Devolver they would have a ton of developers.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

Seems like a good investment.

 

[reksveks]

It also included a secondary cash placing of $211 million for management and existing investors, including NetEase, which retains an investment in the company. Also saw the netease one.

Investegate |AIM Announcements | AIM: Schedule One - Devolver Digital, Inc.

Netease owned about 13.6% previously.

Personally interested in buying some shares but not alot. What price did it open at? 170? 181 now it seems.

 

[Papacheeks]

If they acquire Devolver they would have a ton of developers.

I think its more or less having access to the cream of the crop of indie titles they can sign and promote on State of play and possibly do deals with PS+. Most interesting things in VR, are happening by indie devs. So I think we see more of VR games from some people that are with Devolver.

 

[lh032]

Maybe Annapurna next?

 

[Punished Miku]

If they acquire Devolver they would have a ton of developers.

I'm not sure really. Devolver is a publisher. Sony can already publish any indie game they want. I'm sure they could outspend Devolver.

The main thing Devolver has is - apparently - some staff that seem to have consistently good taste in picking indies to fund, and then people that can sell devs on the deal.

Devolver Digital - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It says here Devolver only employs about 20 people, and they had a history of developer-friendly deals (which is probably how they got so many good indies). Makes you wonder if going public will mean that they have to change how friendly the deals are, since they'll be more motivated to generate profit for shareholders. I guess we'll see.

[EDIT] Actually, it says Devolver owns Croteam (Serious Sam, Talos Principle). Might be it for devs they own.

Croteam - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Great Hair]

Sony!
WE need japanese studios, no shitty indie gabagoo!
GET FUCKING GENKI!!
They ded! and jeep!

 

[Duchess]

This makes it the largest ever US-based company by market capitalisation to be admitted to the London Stock Exchange, and the second largest company ever to trade on AIM.

I don't know anything about the stock market, but this sentence surprised me. I would've expected this sort of thing to have happened a long time ago.

 

[lh032]

Sony!
WE need japanese studios, no shitty indie gabagoo!
GET FUCKING GENKI!!
They ded! and jeep!

Sony: We did not give up on Japan, we invested 2% share on Kadokawa.

 

[Wildebeest]

Are they still considered an indie label if they are listed on the LSE?

 

[Great Hair]

Sony 2% share = $76 million

Chinese internet conglomerate Tencent Holdings will acquire a 6.86% stake in Japanese publishing company Kadokawa for 30 billion yen ($264 million), Kadokawa announced on Friday.

PS. i have no clue who this fukker is

 

[The Eradicator]

Devolver is definitely one of the best indie publishers around. They constantly put out games that you won't find anywhere else.

 

[SSfox]

Sony!
WE need japanese studios, no shitty indie gabagoo!
GET FUCKING GENKI!!
They ded! and jeep!

This

 

[Javthusiast]

Tencent getting the other 95% soon?

 

[reksveks]

Tencent getting the other 95% soon?

as mentioned in commnet, netease is on 13% if you are worried.

 

[Deerock71]

Now there's a group I want to stay independent.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

Sony just wants to put the tip in everyone.

No commitment.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

If they acquire Devolver they would have a ton of developers.

Jesus Christ not even ONE post later before acquisition fantasy talk begins. News alert: companies make small investments into other companies all the time, even in the most unlikely of places. It doesn't suddenly mean they're going to acquire them.

Again, why does the talk jump past "Wow it'd be cool if this means some more neat games with better funding or maybe even an exclusive or two" to "Acquisition season?"? Speculating those extremes from something so banal isn't a good thing.

 

[Great Hair]

 

[a multicultural team of v]

I can't believe Sony is buying Hyundai, hope they add their cars to PSNow.

 

[IntentionalPun]

They bought a stake in an IPO...

They have no say in what Devolver does as a company from this.

This is just Sony making investments, to sell in the future for a profit.

 

[JaksGhost]

Lol, MS gaming division execs say they're starting a partnership with a company- Sony fans say it must be literally nothing and she's lying

Sony a whole makes an investment, nothing to do with their gaming division- Sony fans say it must mean an acquisition is immanent.

SIE is literally PlayStation.

 

[IntentionalPun]

SIE is literally PlayStation.

And buying some stock isn't a partnership; gives you no control over the company.. I don't think 5% would get them a seat at the board even considering Devolver didn't actually offer most of the company in the IPO, so the 70% they didn't offer is likely people with a controlling stake/the board members.

SIE is making investments in stocks, just like a lot of companies do.. but I doubt there's much more to this.

 

[yurinka]

They only bought a 5%, it's a small investment. It doesn't mean Sony plans to buy them, it doesn't Sony would demand exclusives or something like that in exchange, it doesn't mean Sony now would be able to tell them how to do anything. It just means Sony did help them a bit showing some support, and that maybe in the future if Devolver improves Sony may sell this stock to get some profit.

 

[JaksGhost]

And buying some stock isn't a partnership; gives you no control over the company.. I don't think 5% would get them a seat at the board even considering Devolver didn't actually offer most of the company in the IPO, so the 70% they didn't offer is likely people with a controlling stake/the board members.

SIE is making investments in stocks, just like a lot of companies do.. but I doubt there's much more to this.

Oh I don't think this is going to really amount to anything since they already have stock in a lot of different companies. I was just pointing out his error in thinking that Sony Corp. was the one that made the investment not SIE which serves just PlayStation.

 

[JerryinSoCal]

Sony!
WE need japanese studios, no shitty indie gabagoo!
GET FUCKING GENKI!!
They ded! and jeep!

Who needs Japanese studios? that state of play had several "Japanese style" games and they looked like trash graphically. All of the 3rd parties in Japan already make PlayStation games so why does Sony need to do it? many of the games they make are fairly niche anyway.

 

[Rob_27]

They need to go balls deep not 5% that's like the tip only.

 

[Fbh]

Good for devolver I guess.
They and Anapurna are easily some of the best indie publishers, both have a really good eye for the titles that stand out.

Playing Deaths door right now and it has been great (awesome soundtrack too)