GamesbriefNicholas

RealTime Worlds has actually raised over $104 million (my analysis of the investment and a post-mortem is available on GAMESbrief at http://www.gamesbrief.com/2010/08/hubris-ambition-and-mismanagement-the-first-post-mortem-of-realtime-worlds/.

And I think the term "with interest" is misleading. Although it may have been a convertible note with interest payable, it is more likely that the investors were targeting a return. And given how much risk they were taken, and how long they've been invested (since December 2006 for the first large round), a 10% return is unlikely to be enough.

Some of the things that we can (and should) do with Google:
- Scrutinize their acquisitions closely. Personally, I believe that the DoubleClick acquisition is likely to prove to be damaging to media plurality, for example
- Identify areas where they have de facto monopoly (search, but more importantly, as an advertising network aggregating long-tail publishers with long-tail advertisers) and watch it like a hawk. Encourage competition and check every acquisition for anti-trust issues
- As consumers, consider other services, if they are better. (i.e. don't fall into the trap of just using Google because it's Google)

To use an analogy, an elephant that crushes bugs underfoot as it strides through the Savannah is not intentionally killing, but the bugs are dead nevertheless; Google's Do No Evil ethos starts to become tough to believe in as they get so big.

Obviously I'm in the minority amongst your readers. I think that $250 million is a steal for EA.

http://www.gamesbrief.com/2009/10/six-reasons-why-250-million-for-playfish-is-a-steal/

Obviously I'm in the minority amongst your readers. I think that $250 million is a steal for EA.

http://www.gamesbrief.com/2009/10/six-reasons-why-250-million-for-playfish-is-a-steal/

I've just launched a campaign against this kind of sloppy, lazy, stereotypical approach from the government. If you agree:
- join the Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=54213654309)
- Twitter your opposition (just twitter: RT #change4life reckons the games industry is the cause of obesity despite no evidence #fail http://bit.ly/yrpS
- visit http://www.gamesbrief.com/2009/03/risk-an-early-death-do-nothing-change4life-puts-the-boot-into-the-games-industry/ for more info.