For Those Of You That Still Care
(Skipping a bunch of links — you’ll thank me later)
So WOWIO went and bought itself Drunk Duck a few days ago; formerly purchased by Platinum (which also previously owned Drunk Duck), WOWIO was apparently spun off some time ago, although it appears to still be owned by the same people that own Platinum. From my perspective, it appears that Platinum sold off a portion of itself to a portion of itself that it previously sold to itself? Insert obligatory incest reference here.
If you want to actually understand less of the deal than I do, you can watch to WOWIO/Platinum (remember — they’re different companies now) honcho Brian Altounian talk with MoneyTV on the acquisitions (thanks to Rob Tracy for pointing me to the video). But first, a disclaimer about MoneyTV …
Self-described as The longest running business television program of its kind, MoneyTV interviews CEOs of companies, having first agreed on the parameters of the interview:
We will research your company and create the questions to be asked during the 11-minute interview, providing them to you in advance for your review and approval. [emphasis mine]
This puff piece hard-hitting news investigation of your company can be yours for the low, low cost of $11,500. Presumably if you throw them enough money, they’ll get the Slap Chop guy to talk about how awesome your company is.
Oh man… the Alt Text. I cannot unsee the Alt Text.
Wow, according to a Vimeo search:
http://vimeo.com/videos/search:wowio
has been on MoneyTv twelve times in the last four months. Yes… that’s $138,000. It seems they are doing the peacock dance trying to get a suitor to come along and gobble them up (Amazon, Apple or perhaps even B&N?). But this doesn’t seem to be any kind of real effort to create something super for webcomics or even improve upon the somewhat universally derided Drunk Duck service.
By Rob Tracy on 06.09.10 11:53 am
That weird shell game they’re playing out there in hollywood is just…well WEIRD. According to a lot of public info, Platinum owes Altounian some $, so it looks like they settle by paying him with properties they acquired with stock. No real money ever changes hands there! (unless of course it’s money being racked up on credit cards and loan outs) I think Brian Altounian clearly states somewhere online that he’s positioning Wowio to be for sale to a bigger company at some point, so this is all just a pretty show.
I love how they mention 95,000 members. Really??? And WeVolt is touted as a “social network” as if it’s been around and people were using it… when really it’s just a startup as well.
Perception is reality!
By D.J. Coffman on 06.09.10 2:00 pm
Drunk Duck? I think I’ve read a comic on tht once. Is Last Place Comics on that? I liked it but don’t read it regularly.
By Alexander on 06.09.10 10:05 pm
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