IGE's latest acquisition: Allakhazam

[Riley]

Not sure if this old news or not?  I heard rumors of it a month or two ago, but this is the first time I have seen an official announcement.  I guess they are eventually morphing the entire network into Zam.com or something.  Never heard of that domain before, is it new?

http://www.allakhazam.com/
http://www.ogaming.com/data/1880~AllNews.php?storyid=10976

Allakhazam is pleased to announce that we have added several new sites to our network and have joined them together to form the Zam.com Network which is now instantly the leading content destination for all MMO gamers.

The new Zam.com Network will consist of newly expanded and improved versions of Allakhazam.com and Thottbot.com. In addition, the assets and content of OGaming.com (and the interface sites) and L2Orphus.com will be integrated into the existing Allakhazam network. This will add multiple new games to our site, more than double our personnel and give us the flexibility to add more features, better service and expanded coverage.

In the coming months, we will be upgrading our server infrastructure, expanding our news and editorial coverage, adding sites for more games, and designing even better database services. We are committed to making this the premier destination for the entire MMORPG community.

[schild]

Good find, it's always nice to keep tabs on those shiteating bastards at IGE.

[ClydeJr]

Allakhazam posted this on his forum:

The ownership issues here are convoluted.  This is how deals like this get done. The size of this is pretty amazing. This is just the announcement for our own users, not the actual corporate announcement, which will likely come much later. We are now owned by a company that owns a bunch of stuff, including IGE. They bought both of us (and several other sites as well) and then split us into separate divisions so that there is no interaction between them. You know my stand on gold selling. Before agreeing to anything like this, I wanted to make sure that there would be no interaction between those divisions and that I would have complete control over the new network, including the sites that used to be part of ogaming. So this means that the Ogaming sites and Thottbot have been split off of IGE and into our network and no longer have any connection with them.

So he says that there won't be any gold-selling going on in Allakhazam's, but who knows what will happen if goldseller advertisers start flinging money at the corporate overlords.

[SurfD]

Wait.  They own both Alla and Thott?   Why dont they just merge them into one (or better yet, kill off the entire database of both and start from scratch.  Or maybe just ditch Thott alltogether.  Thing is so badly corrupted as far as drop rates and stuff go for WoW stuff it is rediculous.)

[Riley]

So he says that there won't be any gold-selling going on in Allakhazam's, but who knows what will happen if goldseller advertisers start flinging money at the corporate overlords.

The goldsellers are the corporate overlords :)  The people that started IGE just formed an umbrella corporation with IGE as a sub company, then started branching out.  Who really knows what they own now, Yantis, PlayerAuctions on the goldseller side, OGaming, Thottbot, Allakhazam on the fan site side.  They've got so many various companies and identities setup everywhere, its hard telling and they are private so no need to divulge any information.

Hell, they may have even bought SOE at some point along the way - that would certainly explain a few things ;)

[Merusk]

Wow.  They threw millions at Alla I'm sure, because he was always so staunch in his anti-IGE position.  Hell that was the only reason I maintained a sub there.  That's over now.

Looks like in a few years I'll stop the MMO gaming entirely.  The RMT stuff is getting stupid, and I refuse to partake just to play a game I'm already paying for.

[schild]

Just so you know, there isn't a web dev on earth that wouldn't sell their site for a cool few million (indie bloggy databasey web dev that is - not stuff like IGN) and just start doing something else. NOT A SINGLE ONE. Even if it is IGE. That includes myself. I am not above retiring before I'm 50. And neither is Alla. That said, I would never EVER EVER EVER work for IGE in any capacity. I don't care how "far removed" from IGE Alla thinks he is, he's a dirty piece of shit now and deserves AIDS.

[Merusk]

Well that was kinda my whole point.  He didn't say "Hey I sold it, see ya!" while rollling on his pile of money.  He's still in there posting and working, so he's a putz.

[Tale]

In the interests of educating the masses, who are still saying "no, it's not really IGE that bought Allakhazam, it's a company that owns IGE", I posted the following on page 2 of Allakhazam's thread. See if it lasts:

The people behind IGE now own Allakhazam. IGE is not a partner in any real sense, it is effectively the owner, but under a different name (they set up an organisation that is "above" IGE with a new name so that you can't factually say "IGE owns Allakhazam" but effectively it's the same thing).

This is a very sad day. In addition to Thottbot, Allakhazam and ogaming, IGE has bought playerauctions, yantis, and just about every other gold-trading site. Even if you think you're buying gold from someone else, it's probably one of IGE's fronts. IGE has also been buying up smalltime fan sites for future games, making large offers that people cannot refuse.

Even before WoW launched, IGE bought its competitor (yantis) for at least US$10million, and that was from profits made selling currencies in old games like EQ1, DAoC, AC, etc. Now that you have games with millions of players like WoW and Lineage2, you can bet IGE is turning over hundreds of millions of dollars.

IGE is now a threat to game companies themselves. And if you ever bought an in-game currency for real money, YOU ARE TO BLAME. YOU MADE IGE.

And if you don't know who is behind IGE, start googling terms like "brock pierce" and "digital entertainment network". Then do a google search for:

den "dot-com deadpool"

And click on the first link.

[Simond]

Wait.  They own both Alla and Thott?   Why dont they just merge them into one (or better yet, kill off the entire database of both and start from scratch.  Or maybe just ditch Thott alltogether.  Thing is so badly corrupted as far as drop rates and stuff go for WoW stuff it is rediculous.)

Thottbot was IGE's attempt to shut Alla out of the WoW market. You can see how well that went with this latest news.

Also: http://www.goblinworkshop.com/ for all your non-paedophile-owned (I think) WoW info needs.

[schild]

There is SO MUCH information available on the web to very sneaky eyes about Brock Pierce and the structure of IGE.

Let me just say this, it involves Hong Kong, France, Canada and America. They have multiple offices with multiple dirty hands doing a ton of gray area shady work. There's a fair chance a lot of their practices are illegal.

To protect myself against libel, I'd like to say that this post was made by a lawn gnome. A lawn gnome that hates children fucking, tax evading, fleeing to the orient cocksuckers.

[Gutboy Barrelhouse]

So Schild if the time ever comes that IGE makes a offer to you am I to understand that you are ok with the rest of us calling you a "a dirty piece of shit now and deserves AIDS"?

Just wanted to check.

[WayAbvPar]

So Schild if the time ever comes that IGE makes a offer to you am I to understand that you are ok with the rest of us calling you a "a dirty piece of shit now and deserves AIDS"?

Just wanted to check.

If someone comes along and writes me a check with 6 or 7 zeros on it you can feel free to call me whatever the hell you want. I will be crying myself to sleep on my money stuffed pillows.

[schild]

So Schild if the time ever comes that IGE makes a offer to you am I to understand that you are ok with the rest of us calling you a "a dirty piece of shit now and deserves AIDS"?

What WAP said. But either way, your reading comprehension is off. Let me bold something for you:

That said, I would never EVER EVER EVER work for IGE in any capacity. I don't care how "far removed" from IGE Alla thinks he is, he's a dirty piece of shit now and deserves AIDS.

It's not that Alla took the money. I'd take it in a fucking heartbeat. It's that he's STILL working for them.

[Venkman]

Companies like IGE don't just buy stuff. They buy infrastructure and the staff that created it.

Someone else sells out. News at 11. They can spin it however they want, but the independence they once had, and the fanbase that may have developed because of it, is over. They are The Man now.

[schild]

Oh, and Alla probably could've sued IGE years ago had he been tracking IGE's actions. They've been squatting on Allakhazam related names for a Long Long time now, under the registered nick Andre Marcelo-Tanner. Between that and two other names, IGE probably owned about 300 (if not more) websites which were part of an elaborate network of weirdness. They tried to hide all of it, especially when news of them owning Thottbot came out.

You heard it hear first.

[Merusk]

They stated (in not so many words) a long time ago when Alla first sold out that they'd crush him and force him to sell.  Well, that's been proven true.  It's funny in that sad, pathetic way to read the news thread over at Alla's and watch him try to justify it while most of his 'regulars' tell him to cram it.

   I'm sure he honestly believes what he's saying.. that he'll continue to keep gold ads off the site and not release the subscriber's data to IGE for spam purposes.   He'll do it right up until he's fired and replaced. The man has obviously forgotten what it's like working for someone else instead of yourself. 

[Trippy]

Here's an article summarizing the history of Yantis and IGE: The truth about IGE and the gold industry

[Pococurante]

Good for them.  I hope they enjoy the payoff for a job well done.

sow pls?

[schild]

That article is a decent scratch at the surface, but whoever did the research should have kept digging. One day, ONE DAY, I'll write the article i've been meaning to write for over a year now.



That's a (not current) tree of every site IGE owns. It's a LOT of them. Under a lot of fake names. Hosted on a lot of the same servers, run by a guy who used to be associated with OGaming who owns a fake hosting company (far as I can tell). Basically, they've got to be up to no good.

[Tale]

Here's an article summarizing the history of Yantis and IGE: The truth about IGE and the gold industry

Worth reading.

[schild]

The problem is it's only half of the truth, we'll never be sure about the other half, which I've made assumptions on, but will never know for sure. It's probably as secret as the recipe for coke. I think the secret ingredient is nutmeg btw.

[Pococurante]

Well.  So is the story of any entrepreneur.  Andrew Carnegie was a rotten bastard until he got his.

Hey I'm not excusing it.  Just pointing out that our generation has a chance to watch an old story unfold.

[Trippy]

In The Escapist article about Richard and Robert Garriott, Richard and Robert had this to say about IGE and gold selling:

The problem with a legal solution when it comes to the virtual property issue, according to Richard, is, "We know the people who run IGE, and they are so well-protected, you wouldn't even begin to know who to sue." Robert adds some perspective from his end of the business -- trying to find a way to confront overseas sellers -- saying, "The copyright laws are different over there. Plus, try suing someone internationally, and the expenses are astronomical. Plus, there's companies that provide service for companies that provide service for companies that provide services for the little person sitting in a shack in the middle of nowhere that happens to have a computer. Try going through that. It's ridiculous."

[Venkman]

Stop making punitive time sinks. Or deal with the leeches. Not much of a choice really. No one's got the resources to watch the actions of every single player.

[Merusk]

Even non-punative games such as Guildwars have IGE's fingers in them. Yantis got his start in UO.  Your only choice is to play games without economies (Planetside, BF2, etc. ) or play no games at all.

[Pococurante]

But.  Why?

Most of us are too fucking old to play the seventeen year old purist goth.  We know now how the world works.  Particularly the current times.  I challenge anyone to document the child slaves chained to the bedposts that crank out game money.  "Oh no I played a game and it was no excuse for career training!"

Doesn't exist.  If you want purity go play monopoly with your sister - just make sure you count her titles before you leave for the bathroom.

Nanny-staters.  /disgust

[Miasma]

That article is a decent scratch at the surface, but whoever did the research should have kept digging. One day, ONE DAY, I'll write the article i've been meaning to write for over a year now.



That's a (not current) tree of every site IGE owns. It's a LOT of them. Under a lot of fake names. Hosted on a lot of the same servers, run by a guy who used to be associated with OGaming who owns a fake hosting company (far as I can tell). Basically, they've got to be up to no good.

http://www.f13.net/schild/ige_blurred.jpg -> http://www.f13.net/schild/ige.jpg

Good one  .

[Pococurante]

PRE-EMPTIVE PAGE NOT FOUND!@112 I HAVE DROPPED MY GLASS OF WATER!!!

[Lum]

That's a (not current) tree of every site IGE owns. It's a LOT of them. Under a lot of fake names. Hosted on a lot of the same servers, run by a guy who used to be associated with OGaming who owns a fake hosting company (far as I can tell). Basically, they've got to be up to no good.

Indyhosting? Ran into them when researching my blog post tonight.

[Tale]

Allakhazam's latest post about who controls his site (but I can't help wondering whether it's IGE-Andraste posting as Allakhazam!):
http://www.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=3;mid=114668646932202500;page=6

As long as we are profitable, they will leave us alone and let us do our thing. If the site bleeds money, then someone higher up would likely step in and try to make changes. I have every intention to keep us profitable and keeping the investors happy with us. I have had long talks with the investors behind this and they completely understand that the RMT sites and the content sites should stay separate.

[schild]

Deleted. Apologies for those wondering what this post said.

[schild]

No Lum, not Indy Hosting.

[sarius]

The problem with this thread is that you're not blatant enough.  Thankfully, fuckedcompany.com still host that flash movie:

http://www.fuckedcompany.com/den/

[Broughden]

There is SO MUCH information available on the web to very sneaky eyes about Brock Pierce and the structure of IGE.

Let me just say this, it involves Hong Kong, France, Canada and America. They have multiple offices with multiple dirty hands doing a ton of gray area shady work. There's a fair chance a lot of their practices are illegal.

To protect myself against libel, I'd like to say that this post was made by a lawn gnome. A lawn gnome that hates children fucking, tax evading, fleeing to the orient cocksuckers.

Schild,

Whats this about evading pedophile charges? Any links to info on this?