Trion Worlds, the Californian developer of MMOG Rift, is planning on joining the rush of technology firms to the US stock market with an initial public offering (IPO).
Speaking to Reuters, chief executive Lars Buttler said that an IPO was a likely prospect given the pace at which Trion Worlds has grown: it has raised $100 million in venture capital since 2007, and has doubled its headcount to 500 in the last 12 months alone. A million copies of Rift were sold in just four months.
"As we build scale and become more profitable, [an IPO] is clearly on our horizon," he said. "We've had a lot of bankers coming to us recently. We keep all of our options open at this point.
"We definitely have enough substance and enough skill to be a public company at the right time."
Buttler's reference to "at the right time" presumably relates to the current uncertainty surrounding tech IPOs after the USA's credit rating was downgraded for the first time ever by Standard and Poor in August.
Zynga's own flotation has been reportedly delayed - though that is down to falling profits and SEC concern over its reliance on a small proportion of monetised users as much as volatile markets - but is expected to go through this year. Bulk-purchasing website Groupon went ahead with its IPO last week, valued at almost half the $20 billion that was originally expected.
For Trion Worlds, the IPO appears to be some way off - it has yet to appoint any investment bankers - but with backers including Comcast, Time Warner and high-profile hedge funds, and a new shooter and its own gaming platform in development, it seems only a matter of time before the studio cashes in on Rift's success.
Source: Reuters