#3DO In Trouble
10 messages in this thread
Looks like 3DO is not in very good shape either…
From today's QQUOTES:
———————–
3DO CO THDO
COM
Vol(00) Hi/Ask Low/Bid Last
6281 14.250 11.750 12.000
Updated: 4:00 Change: -3.500
* News on THDO as of 5:16 PM
1 RTf 05/19 1716 3DO <THDO.O> faces daunting hurdles in game market
2 RTf 05/19 0542 3DO <THDO.O>chairman sinking own cash in co – WSJ
!2
RTf 05/19 0542 3DO <THDO.O>chairman sinking own cash in co – WSJ
NEW YORK, Mayrnal reported.
Hawkins is also seeking $10 million in capital from Goldstar Co Ltd
<64010.KS> and another $10 million from a private placement to current
partners by the end of June, it reported.
3DO, a home-video game maker, posted a $51.4 million loss for the
fiscal year ended March 31 and has enough cash to remain in operation
for two quarters, the newspaper said.
MORE
!1
RTf 05/19 1716 3DO <THDO.O> faces daunting hurdles in game market
By Russell Blinch
SAN FRANCISCO, May 19 (Reuter) – The 3DO Co faces daunting
challenges trying to wrest the multi billion dollar video game industry
from the Japanese giants but analysts say the marketing battle is not
yet over.
3DO, a designer of home "interactive" entertainment systems, has
been slumping sharply on stock markets on mounting evidence its
technology has failed to excite the public in the important U.S. market.
MORE
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No idea how this does/could affect anything happening with Commodore.
–apl
>> 3DO, a home-video game maker, posted a $51.4 million loss <<
That's a lot of money for a company that _doesn't_make_anything_!
Brian
They make lots of things — software, hardware designs, etc. They just
don't manufacture anything (in the old sense of manufacture).
My understanding is that their plan was to loose money for quite a while
in the beginning. I don't know how close the $51 million loss is to plan.
—
Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
Has there ever been a company that _didn't_ plan (or at least expect)
to lose money in the beginning? <g>
Mr. C (Amiga: Muerte O Suerte?)
Commodore never did anything that it expected would loose money for more
than a week or two 🙂
—
Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
One could argue that MicroSoft doesn't "make" anything either.
Mr. C (Amiga: Muerte O Suerte?)
>> One could argue that Microsoft doesn't "make" anything either. <<
First reply–Microsoft makes $MONEY.
Second reply–I manufacture software and it is definitely a tangible
product. I have compared it to the wares of a prostitute in that you
can sell it and still keep it. However, the manufacture of it is no
less tangible than the manufacture of food (for example). The "food"
happens because of all the work which goes into the preliminary
preparation. The soil, sunshine and rain are there after the food is
harvested and sold, so the farmer can make some more next year.
Nonetheless, food is a valuable product which is used by every living
person.
Software is not as requisite as food, but it does provide a way for
people to do things better, faster and easier (some of it anyway) or
to be entertained. In this regard, it is a product. The develop-
ment of software is as taxing as planting and harvesting (though not
as physical) and the manufacture and distribution is costly, time
consuming and difficult. Trust me.
Regarding my comment about 3DO, I have to renege…as a purveyor of
hardware design myself (at times) I must consider this a "product."
3DO has created a design but is offering it to others to manufacture;
I can readily understand (as can Steve Jobs these days) why one would
avoid the up-front capital expenditures on a hi-tech mfg line for
such a speculative product.
I went into a store that sold the 3DO box the other day, and the titles they
had were really no better than what one can get for a Sega, for example. If
the 3DO really is good, the titles sure aren't showing off the technology. I
was disappointed.
As I'm sure you're aware, many of the founders of 3DO are the same people that
founded the startup that created the Amiga before Commodore bought them.
>As I'm sure you're aware, many of the founders of 3DO are the same people that
>founded the startup that created the Amiga before Commodore bought them.
Yes, I had heard about that…that's why I'd like to see them succeed.
>I always thought it was weird that 3DO is publicly traded when they've only
>been around for a couple of years and haven't had any success yet.
I figured they looked at public trading as not only a source of capital, but a
source of public and media exposure to get their name and image known.
I was one of Electronic Arts' early C64/Amiga customers (M.U.L.E., Arctic Fox, the
original DPaint, etc.) and I have to give Hawkins credit — he did some great
marketing.
–apl
I always thought it was weird that 3DO is publicly traded when they've only
been around for a couple of years and haven't had any success yet.