Nexon & NCsoft looking to buy Valve [Debunked]

[Knightslayer]

Did anyone see this yet? Or posted it?
http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/27/rumor-nexon-and-ncsoft-eye-valve-buyout/

Edit: Changing thread title; this rumor has been flatly denied by both Valve and NCsoft. --TonyV

[DrakeGrimm]

Valve won't let EA touch them, they're not about to let THESE guys either.

[Knightslayer]

Valve won't let EA touch them, they're not about to let THESE guys either.

Yeah, apparently Newell told them he'd rather disintegrate his company than do that
Which I'll admit, made me smile.

[Zerias]

I'm pretty sure that the opposite is true.

Valve has the resources to buy out Nexxon and NCSoft.

[Blacjac84]

I have and some people have told me the rumor is false.  So rest easy.

[DrakeGrimm]

I'm pretty sure that the opposite is true.

Valve has the resources to buy out Nexxon and NCSoft.

...which I'm not sure I'd say no to, given our current situation... >.>

[Knightslayer]

...which I'm not sure I'd say no to, given our current situation... >.>

Amen to that.
Sadly I doubt they'd go for it, or that Valve would really be interested in the Korean portion of the companies. (Do they have Steam over there? O.o)

[eabrace]

Sadly I doubt they'd go for it, or that Valve would really be interested in the Korean portion of the companies.

And, boy, wouldn't that lead to an interesting change in circumstances...

[DrakeGrimm]

And, boy, wouldn't that lead to an interesting change in circumstances...

...there'd be irony there, that's for sure.

[Teege]

Appears to be a rumor, but regardless we can take some information for our own use:

JoongAng, one of the top newspapers in South Korea, reported that Nexon and NCsoft (of which Nexon is the biggest shareholder)...

Emphasis mine. Has anybody written to them yet about our efforts?

[Knightslayer]

...there'd be irony there, that's for sure.

My thoughts exactly when I wrote that! 

[Knightslayer]

Appears to be a rumor, but regardless we can take some information for our own use:

Emphasis mine. Has anybody written to them yet about our efforts?

Nice catch there!

[padathir]

If Newell wouldn't sell out to EA for a > $1billion he's not going to sell to NCSoft for less. This is complete silliness.

Anyway he has said quite clearly in the media that he'd rather allow valve to wind down on it's own than sell if it ever comes to that.

[Mr. Wentworth]

This news story may have originated on JoongAng. http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2960138

In the article, they dismiss the suggestion as rumor. But knowing the relationship between Nexon and NCsoft is interesting and makes me wonder if their collaboration may have something to do with the decision to kill COH. </conspiracy theory>

[Omega Mark V]

Wanted to say something about this.

If this rumor is true, this might be the reason CoH was closed down:

"The report cites an anonymous industry source, which claims NCSoft CEO Jin Kim and Nexon CEO Kim Jung-ju are discussing moving stock and selling off real estate to gather the cash necessary to purchase Valve." (Gamespot, http://www.gamespot.com/news/ncsoft-and-nexon-to-buy-valve-6397288)

Hmm... Moving stock and selling real estate. Is CoH considered one of the two? PLEASE??

I doubt Valve will accept the offer, with how they rejected EA, but if so, this might mean someone could buy CoH in the meantime.

If it's true, I WANT them to sell CoH. I can say most of us want that.

[DrakeGrimm]

Wanted to say something about this.

If this rumor is true, this might be the reason CoH was closed down:

"The report cites an anonymous industry source, which claims NCSoft CEO Jin Kim and Nexon CEO Kim Jung-ju are discussing moving stock and selling off real estate to gather the cash necessary to purchase Valve." (Gamespot, http://www.gamespot.com/news/ncsoft-and-nexon-to-buy-valve-6397288)

Hmm... Moving stock and selling real estate. Is CoH considered one of the two? PLEASE??

I doubt Valve will accept the offer, with how they rejected EA, but if so, this might mean someone could buy CoH in the meantime.

If it's true, I WANT them to sell CoH. I can say most of us want that.

It does seem rather...interesting...timing...

[Knightslayer]

Wanted to say something about this.

If this rumor is true, this might be the reason CoH was closed down:

"The report cites an anonymous industry source, which claims NCSoft CEO Jin Kim and Nexon CEO Kim Jung-ju are discussing moving stock and selling off real estate to gather the cash necessary to purchase Valve." (Gamespot, http://www.gamespot.com/news/ncsoft-and-nexon-to-buy-valve-6397288)

Hmm... Moving stock and selling real estate. Is CoH considered one of the two? PLEASE??

I doubt Valve will accept the offer, with how they rejected EA, but if so, this might mean someone could buy CoH in the meantime.

If it's true, I WANT them to sell CoH. I can say most of us want that.

Yeah, hopefully this means they'll be tempted to sell the IP when someone makes them a decent offer!

[Teege]

1) They sell CoH (and other stuffs) in an attempt to buy Valve?

2) Valve says "lolwut" and leaves.

3) ??

[Beodren]

Valve spokesman stated it is all rumors. So, we can move along

[Segev]

It is worth noting that, assuming the story about moving around "real estate" to "gather funds" to buy Valve is true, they wouldn't necessarily have told Valve of their intent yet. Of course, how they'd know how much to raise in order to do so is a good question, and it's a huge risk if they aren't at least partially assured Valve might be open to it, but it is possible (albeit unlikely) that Valve would think it's all rumors and for it still to be true, if NCSoft/Nexon is going to only contact Valve about it when they think they've got the money.

[Turjan]

The one constant in Valve's long history is an absolute decree that they will never sell out, no matter what. Which makes them an obvious target to spin rumour stories about whenever the financial gaming seas are getting a bit choppy, as they are right now.

NCSoft are heavily in the news lately because of falling profits, heavy investment in B&S and GW2, and (of course) the CoH fiasco. So anyone who wants to draw attention to themselves just has to write an article saying "I heard a rumour that NCSoft and Nexon were going to buy Valve!" and -bingo!- instant readership

The only interesting thing about this rumour circulating yet again is the timing of it, as I say - such rumours only gain momentum when the market is wobbly.

[Profit]

1) They sell CoH (and other stuffs) in an attempt to buy Valve?

2) Valve says "lolwut" and leaves.

3) ??

Me?

[Back Blast]

Given their apparent disdain for and desire to leave the Western market (see CoH, Shutting down of), why would they want to buy Valve, a Western developer and distributor? Doesn't seem like a good fit to me, even if NC had enough cash to make Newell reconsider his no-sell stance. Now Valve buying NC, that would be delish.

[cforciea]

Here's my random though:

The numbers are all wrong for this to have ever been an attempt to buy Valve. $839 million? That's way less than EA even offered them. But! What if the sale/merger is a real possibility, but going the other way? $839 million is certainly not enough to buy NCSoft, but seems like a much more plausible number for say NCSoft West...

[downix]

Here's my random though:

The numbers are all wrong for this to have ever been an attempt to buy Valve. $839 million? That's way less than EA even offered them. But! What if the sale/merger is a real possibility, but going the other way? $839 million is certainly not enough to buy NCSoft, but seems like a much more plausible number for say NCSoft West...

This thought has crossed my mind, several times. But do not want to get my hopes up.

[Osborn]

This thought has crossed my mind, several times. But do not want to get my hopes up.

Not trying to be overly negative, but just because NCSoft is failing to buy Valve doesn't mean Valve wants to buy them either.

NCSoft West right now is what.. 3 server farms? at this point? Do they develop anything here at all anymore?

Yeah. I wouldn't want to buy that, period, if I was valve. Let alone pay an extraordinary amount of money for it.

[cforciea]

And there's this little studio called Arenanet.

[Victoria Victrix]

Not trying to be overly negative, but just because NCSoft is failing to buy Valve doesn't mean Valve wants to buy them either.

NCSoft West right now is what.. 3 server farms? at this point? Do they develop anything here at all anymore?

Yeah. I wouldn't want to buy that, period, if I was valve. Let alone pay an extraordinary amount of money for it.

At this point, NCSoft West owns the IP for CoH, and the IP for Wildstar as well as ArenaNet.  I don't believe they actually own the servers on the server farms, they lease them.  I doubt Wildstar and CoH are worth $800 mill, but they are certainly worth something.

[Osborn]

At this point, NCSoft West owns the IP for CoH, and the IP for Wildstar as well as ArenaNet.  I don't believe they actually own the servers on the server farms, they lease them.  I doubt Wildstar and CoH are worth $800 mill, but they are certainly worth something.

I was under the impression that ArenaNet wasn't domestic, so disregard that.

[TimtheEnchanter]

I was feeling like Bill Cosby in his Noah skit the moment I read this on the NC forums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bputeFGXEjA

[Zerias]

Ahem: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117255203942825212306/posts/Rh1oUP4MDBX

Shortly followed by: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117255203942825212306/posts/WdtWCpSwnEF

[TimtheEnchanter]

I need to take that with a grain of salt. It sounds HEAVILY speculative, unless there's some inside info being passed around that isn't supposed to be.

The #1 reason I feel like this is bunk... the folks who are still working there haven't been scared off by it. Someone came into the forums today and said they'd see about getting AP33 back up again for us, and within a couple hours it was there. So someone who is still working there, still has our backs.

Also, if they kicked Zwill for failing to disrupt protests, then why not replace him with somebody who WOULD? The protests are still on, and still making an impact.

It would certainly be interesting though if Zwill WAS supposed to be interrupting the protests. Can you imagine that?

Message: "You have been banned." Reason: "Use of torch emote."

That would be the funniest thing since the SWTOR Ilum bans.

[Kheprera]

[Codewalker]

Zwil fired for not banning pretty much the entire population of the game? Yeah, somehow I doubt that.

I think it's much more likely somebody said, "We really don't need to pay two community people to sunset a game, one of you has got to go."