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Who owns Instant Action?

by Britton LaRoche · 01/10/2009 (1:27 am) · 15 comments

READ Here about IAC
Read here to see who runs IAC
Read here about Josh's Blog

I had no idea who IAC was...

Josh Williams
Quote:
Well, we've been sitting on this news for awhile, and it's great to finally announce it! We're very excited to let everyone know that GarageGames has partnered up with InterActive Corporation, IAC, to build a brand new network of action games playable in the browser, and to fund independent games, all in accordance with our long-standing philosophy, vision, and mission at GG.

IAC owns GG
Quote:
As some of you have read in the announcements by now though, IAC has acquired a majority of the equity at GG. However, we used a very unique structure in our deal with them. While IAC now has the majority of the future economic value of GG, we continue to run the shop right here in good old Eugene, OR.

Translation:
IAC holds 51% of GG stock. IAC owns Instant Action and Garage Games.
Thats a fact. All business decisions and direction is now controlled by IAC (as of 2007).

As usual I'm late to the party. (about a year late) For awhile now I've really wondered who the heck Instant action is. Who owns IA? Or should I say IACI (their stock symbol)

IAC Management Website Link
Click the link here to find out Who owns Instant Action?
Barry Diller
cityfile.com/system/images/157/71394_profile.jpg?1205992544City Profile of Barry Diller
Quote:
Barry Diller is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IAC, and Chairman of Expedia, Inc.

IAC is a leading internet company with more than 35 fast-growing, highly-related brands serving loyal consumer audiences... its mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for all people all over the world. Some of IAC's businesses include Ask.com, Match.com, Citysearch, Evite, ServiceMagic, RushmoreDrive and Gifts.com.

Diller was raised in Beverly Hills-his dad ran a construction company-and he enrolled at UCLA after high school, dropping out after four months to take a job in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency. (Danny Thomas, the father of his pal Marlo Thomas, helped him land the job.) Three years later he became a fully-fledged agent, but he soon left for ABC's programming department, where he made his biggest contribution to the medium by inventing the Movie of the Week. Diller was 32 when he departed ABC to take up the post of chairman of Paramount Pictures, and on his watch the studio turned out a series of huge hits like Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Beverly Hills Cop.


Thomas McInery
www.ampedlabs.com/files/stuff/thomasM.jpgForbes article
IAC Profile 3rd down

Quote:
43 Years Old
Thomas J. McInerney, age 43, has been Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of IAC since January 2005. Mr. McInerney previously served as Chief Executive Officer of IAC's Retailing sector from January 2003 through December 2005. Prior to this time, Mr. McInerney served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ticketmaster (prior to it becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC in January 2003) and its predecessor company, Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch, Inc., since May 1999. Prior to joining Ticketmaster, Mr. McInerney worked at Morgan Stanley, most recently as a Principal.


iac.mediaroom.com/image.php?id=198&thumbnail=1Victor Kaufman
Forbes Article on Victor Kaufman
Quote:
Victor A. Kaufman, age 64, has been a director of IAC (and its predecessors) since December 1996 and has been Vice Chairman of IAC since October 1999. Mr. Kaufman also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Expedia, which position he has held since August 2005. Previously, Mr. Kaufman served in the Office of the Chairman from January 1997 to November 1997 and as Chief Financial Officer of IAC from November 1997 to October 1999. Prior to his tenure with IAC, Mr. Kaufman served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Savoy Pictures Entertainment, Inc. from March 1992 and as a director of Savoy from February 1992. Mr. Kaufman was the founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. and served in such capacities from 1983 until December 1987, at which time he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Tri-Star's successor company, Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. He resigned from these positions at the end of 1989 following the acquisition of Columbia by Sony USA, Inc. Mr. Kaufman joined Columbia in 1974 and served in a variety of senior positions at Columbia and its affiliates prior to the founding of Tri-Star.

Quote:Total Compensation $3,263,971.00
NY Times
Quote:
Mr. Kaufman had already made a name for himself with Tri-Star, persuading Coca-Cola, Time Inc.'s Home Box Office and CBS Inc. to form the company five years ago in an innovative joint venture that came with an oversized bankroll and ready-made distribution networks. Largely because of its Kaufman-engineered financial structure, Tri-Star prospered, posting operating profits of $21 million last year on sales of $254 million.

I've seen enough. Big things are on the way. Garage Games is no longer an independent game development company. Its part of something huge.

#1
01/10/2009 (2:10 am)
http://www.iac.com/

Shows a list of which Companies they own - Including Instant Action and GG :D
#2
01/10/2009 (2:17 am)
@David, Well I did find them, thanks!
#4
01/10/2009 (6:24 am)
People who can code don't have money. (huge but mostly true generalization)
People who are in business do have money.
World turns.
#5
01/10/2009 (8:16 am)
Sorry mate, dont follow this.

I mean... just today, Jan 10, 2009, you found out that IAC, a well known big corp owns GG? Whats your point?

Quote:I've seen enough. Big things are on the way. Garage Games is no longer an independent game development company. Its part of something huge.
Is that a joke or sarcasm?

I really dont understand this post.
#6
01/10/2009 (8:31 am)
Corporate America wins again!
#7
01/10/2009 (9:22 am)
Oh man, don't we know it. Just this last week during our big Torque 3D meeting there were these IAC guys constantly interrupting with shrieks of "Make money! We don't care how! We own you!" It is almost impossible to work with all the personal threats of bodily injury. In fact, I've been thinking of moving to a small shack in Montana, so I can avoid being involved with anything bigger than myself. ;)

I'm joking...

Honestly, this is old news... been covered in depth... and there's nothing to hide or defend. If there is some reason you need to boycott anything having to do with IAC... then go for it. I actually meet Lara (my wife and co-conspirator) through Match.com an IAC company. I now work for GarageGames an IAC company. IAC is nice to me. I like IAC.

*THIS POST IS MADE OF MY OWN FREE WILL AND DOES NOT (NECESSARILY) REFLECT THOSE OF GG/IAC OR SMALL KITTENS*
#8
01/10/2009 (9:46 am)
This happened more than a year ago and the conspiracy theories abounded then. I guess this is the next wave, though I really do not see the logic in the argument.
#9
01/10/2009 (9:56 am)
You see? Josh got brainwashed already...!

Oh no!! David as well!

We're doomed.
#10
01/10/2009 (11:14 am)
No guys. This is good. You have backing, and they treat you well. The GG future is bright. But GG is big business. No question. You may not see it or feel it, but GG is not what it was. GG has changed, probably for the better... as long as the indies are treated well and GG keeps to its vision, carry on!

PS. Not kidding guys, get stock options... trade a raise for stock options... work overtime ... for stock options in GG / IA.
#11
01/10/2009 (12:43 pm)
This is a bizarre post. I'm entrusted with operating all GG's tech licensing business (including InstantAction Technology) and I've never met any of the people you just posted about. Never talked with any of them. Never heard any of them offer any opinions about what should or shouldn't happen with Torque or GG.com.

I don't know if this is just weird latent paranoia or what, but I think our track record post-IAC (which was an investment, not an sale...GG employees still retain an ownership stake in the company) speaks for itself. I'm very proud of what we've done.
#12
01/10/2009 (1:21 pm)
This post is weird, it's like adding autodesk top brass in a 3dsmax forum about polymodeling Who cares?

Whatever you look at it, it's still down to the little guys standing behind the desk and making it happen. I don't really care who owns IAC as long as GG keeps the thing going. Good or bad, it had a good license and it was affordable even for teens skipping 2 pizza's. I hear unity and c4 mentioned around here but did anyone tried each of those? Instead of bashing torque you can just be positive about unity on their forums.
For some reason, I (and many others) are still around after 5 years.
#13
01/10/2009 (2:43 pm)
@Brett,

Sorry, its not latent paranoia its just me being clueless. If a company buys 51% of another companies stock they own it. How much stock did GG sell to IA? How did they invest in GG? Was it a business loan?

I'm surprised that you have not heard of these guys... they claim that GG and instant action is "Their Business"

Sorry this is all way to confusing for me. Maybe GG and IAC partnered on Instant action?

Added this to the top... Because it was not clear


READ Here about IAC
Read here to see who runs IAC
Read here about Josh's Blog

I had no idea who IAC was...

Josh Williams
Quote:
Well, we've been sitting on this news for awhile, and it's great to finally announce it! We're very excited to let everyone know that GarageGames has partnered up with InterActive Corporation, IAC, to build a brand new network of action games playable in the browser, and to fund independent games, all in accordance with our long-standing philosophy, vision, and mission at GG.

Here is my answer from Josh's Blog

Quote:
As some of you have read in the announcements by now though, IAC has acquired a majority of the equity at GG. However, we used a very unique structure in our deal with them. While IAC now has the majority of the future economic value of GG, we continue to run the shop right here in good old Eugene, OR.

SO IAC does own 51%! I surprised no one at GG really picked up on this till now. I'did not really read the whole thing until tonight.
#14
01/11/2009 (3:20 am)
Lol, Britton. You have been somewhere on the dark side of the moon.
#15
01/11/2009 (3:41 pm)
@Brett,

Quote:
I've never met any of the people you just posted about. Never talked with any of them. Never heard any of them offer any opinions about what should or shouldn't happen with Torque or GG.com.

I think you should meet with them. Jeff Tunnel's experience was quite positive. Josh has met them all. I just now read Jeff Tunnel's IAC Blog