I don't think there's a good reason for them to be publicly held, at all.
Due to their well-documented culture problems (I'm in games in SF, and only know one person who went to work there ... he's 24 and wanted to 'get rich' ... everyone else stays far, far away), and resulting inability to grow through acquisition, I'm not sure what they actually need an additional billion+ dollars for. To make new games, I suppose, but outside of Cityville and Words with Friends, they haven't been able to make the Farmville lightning strike at will.
All of these new titles cost money, and more money to market, and they're missing far more often than they're succeeding.
It just doesn't seem sustainable, to me.
I think the IPO is chance for the funds that invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the company to profit-grab, pure and simple.
Due to their well-documented culture problems (I'm in games in SF, and only know one person who went to work there ... he's 24 and wanted to 'get rich' ... everyone else stays far, far away), and resulting inability to grow through acquisition, I'm not sure what they actually need an additional billion+ dollars for. To make new games, I suppose, but outside of Cityville and Words with Friends, they haven't been able to make the Farmville lightning strike at will.
All of these new titles cost money, and more money to market, and they're missing far more often than they're succeeding.
It just doesn't seem sustainable, to me.
I think the IPO is chance for the funds that invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the company to profit-grab, pure and simple.