Other Forums Containment Thread

[benjipwns]

Nothing changing. Era can continue and do what it wants.

Caveat: for the immediate future.

I’m positive you’d see heavy pushback from staff if they were going to try to change policy.

[Mediocre Lager]

One funny thing about all them talking about a "big corporation" taking over, is that it seems M.O.B.A. Network AB is at best, AT BEST, just a handful of people. Their reporting documents say they have less than ten employees total. (Or more specifically say they fit into the category for a company with less then ten employees.)

How has MOBA Network made money up until this point?

Probably just burning through a load of VC money.

[benjipwns]

I was under the impression that the Admins had a share in the IP from their time commitment even if they didn't have a monetary investment.

[marrec]

Nothing changing. Era can continue and do what it wants.

Caveat: for the immediate future.

I’m positive you’d see heavy pushback from staff if they were going to try to change policy.

Heavy pushback from the volunteer staff who're in a constant state of turnover?

Can't wait to see that.

[BIONIC]

Pushback from unpaid janitors.

Whatever will the owners do? 

[Boredfrom]

Nothing changing. Era can continue and do what it wants.

Caveat: for the immediate future.

I’m positive you’d see heavy pushback from staff if they were going to try to change policy.

They will just leave the forum to die at that point or selling it to another clueless idiot.

[Averon]

Do those idiots really think a company buys an investment for $4.5 million and just leave it be and not expect to exert at least some control? Do they think MOBA is gonna sit back and allow the mods to wreck the traffic of the site by banning popular games and publishers? Or if there's another community dust-up and exodus MOBA leadership won't step in?

Are they that naive/dumb or are they just coping?

[demi]

ResetEra about to get a visit by the Bobs, lol

[nobody of note]

Gonna be difficult for them to run a site without a staff

EDIT: and honestly, user pushback as well

does he seriously have like no business experience

how is he this dumb

[Kurt Russell]

One thing I'm noticing on the Era thread and on here to a lesser extent is that most people are stunningly wrong about the GDPR and it's jurisdiction and that apparently all it takes for the average internet weeb to become proficient in the GDPR is to read a couple of op-ed pieces on Vice and some selected paragraphs from Article 5.

Sure, that's why some of us have spent 15 years studying this regulation and related matters and consult for upwards of several thousand dollars per day to give advice on this. It's that easy. 

[Raist]

Nothing changing. Era can continue and do what it wants.

Caveat: for the immediate future.

I’m positive you’d see heavy pushback from staff if they were going to try to change policy.

I'm sure the folks over at MOBAwhatevs are trembling in their socks at the thought of a bunch of volunteers not on their payroll are going to "push back" if they attempt to change policies of the site they now own.

[Boredfrom]

EDIT: and honestly, user pushback as well

 

[BIONIC]

“User pushback” aka Cuntyuji, ZeroVagine, incel, cuckstro, and their five cronies   

[Potato]

I don't think MOBA will waltz in third with their own mod crew, but the interesting part is that there's now someone higher-up, someone with a public image to protect. So when now an admin talks about how it's okay to rap about killing babies because they're white babies...

Imagine the "cancellation" campaigns that the autists over at Kiwi farms are going to orchestrate!!

[benjipwns]

How has MOBA Network made money up until this point?

Do you want me to be facetious about how I don't think this is an actual real business but instead some kind of elite Swedish money laundering operation (MOBA was "founded" in 2018, but the actual corporate structure goes back to at least 2011, both founders have already cashed out) or do you want me to try and summarize this:

M.O.B.A. Network delivers its best, and most eventful, quarter to date where revenues increased by 317% and adjusted EBITDA increased by 53%., M.O.B.A. completed a transformative acquisition financed by directed share issues of SEK 110 million and stepped into the huge streaming vertical for gaming through the acquired YouTube network Union For Gamers, run by the new subsidiary Magic Find.

Pro forma figures for the full year 2020 for M.O.B.A. Network including Magic Find show that revenues amounted to approx. SEK 331 million with an EBITDA of approx. 40 MSEK.

During the quarter, growth was accelerated through the acquisition of Magic Find. The acquisition means that we are now a significant player in video and streaming, where advertising revenues over time are expected to increase significantly and create higher revenues for M.O.B.A. In connection with the acquisition, a new share issue of SEK 110 million was carried out. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all investors, both new and existing, for your commitment that created the opportunity to complete the acquisition. The issue proceeds and the profits from the business contribute to us holding a strong financial position and, if the opportunity arises, making additional acquisitions from existing cash at hand.

All our business divisions delivered strong results during the quarter with organic growth of approximately 30% and sales in USD, the entire company's currency in terms of revenue, increased by 400% during the quarter compared to 2020.

Magic Find

Through the acquisition of Magic Find, M.O.B.A. delivered on its goal to strengthen our market position in video and streaming and broadened the portfolio of strong community brands such as well-known MMO-Champion.com and Hearthpwn.com. During the initial period with Magic Find, we have focused on integration, synergies and made plans for how the Group's products can be improved. Great focus has been placed on the YouTube network Union For Gamers (UFG), which in June had just under two billion video views from content produced by the "content creators" who belong to the network. During the summer, we have implemented a major change in UFG by replacing and implementing a completely new back-end system that will mean that we can offer our creators more revenue opportunities, such as direct partnerships and the opportunity to recover revenue that content thieves plagiarize, and other benefits that make UFG more attractive in the YouTube segment. When this implementation is completed and quality assured, we see great opportunities to expand the team that works with video and new revenue, mainly through direct sales on YouTube content, which is something we do not currently offer. We expect to be working on this during the last quarter of 2021 and that it will be a strong contributing growth area in 2022 and onwards.

New investments in creators

Together with Magic Find, we have created the new subsidiary Creator1, which was launched at the end of June. Creator1 will operate in symbiosis with the new investments in "content-creators". Creator1 will act as a marketer of "content-creators" and enter into direct partnership deals with relevant brands in collaboration with M.O.B.A Services direct sales. Creator1 has recruited creators who are currently active within UFG and has already completed a handful of direct deals with selected creators during the summer. Here, too, we see great opportunities to create a large business in the long run, and we will invest in the future to strengthen the organization.

Scale advantages

With acquisitions and a stronger position in the market, we now have greater opportunities to use our size to improve agreements and collaborations in the advertising market. Through the acquisitions we have made, we have obtained agreements with various advertising networks (ad brokers) in connection with acquisitions. We have spent a lot of time evaluating these and created a plan for how we can optimize collaborations and increase revenue. We have seen increased earnings for each ad served during the quarter but are aware that there is still significantly much more growth to be had. Through our new size, we are now negotiating with advertising networks for better terms and see great interest in us as a company and the brands and products we have. We aim to improve our agreements continuously during the autumn to create further growth and profitability.

Future prospects

M.O.B.A. Network has built a strong position organically and through acquisitions and created market-leading communities in attractive gaming genres. We have a clear, proven effective growth strategy and a strong financial position. M.O.B.A. Network has also demonstrated its ability to create stable, new revenue streams while maintaining high profitability. Our goal remains to continue to deliver high, stable growth both organically and through acquisitions with good profitability.

[Yulwei]

" I don't think this is an actual real business but instead some kind of elite money laundering operation"

I think this could be said for a whole lot of e-sports related endeavors

[benjipwns]

The minute we see an exodus of the moderating staff, the bulk of the user base will follow.

[paprikastaude]

Y'all are tripping if you think paid mods will give you what you what you want as a community or as a user.

 

"Transparency" really means different things to different people huh.
Transparency as it was promised is basically what you get with the warning/ban banners telling you why a user got banned and for how long, which didn't exist on the old site before that (and isn't something I've ever even seen on any forum before).

 

I'm saying that you, right now, are part of the problem. You say you don't "engage in site drama" yet here you are actively stirring drama and calling mods "shitheads" and repeatedly insulting them without a single shred of self-awareness. I can't stop laughing, seriously.

Indeed.

Wait, the neogaf emoji is mirrored sabu? 

Anyway, resetera

[benjipwns]

lot of missed opportunities discussed in that AJx thread. i had forgotten how idealistic those first months were.

holy shit at all the old people popping up for this

[Cauliflower Of Love]

Gonna be difficult for them to run a site without a staff

EDIT: and honestly, user pushback as well

does he seriously have like no business experience

how is he this dumb

It's almost like the think them being unpaid is a PERK for being kept in that position.

[benjipwns]

The CEO of M.O.B.A. Network AB also owns an entirely private company described as this:

Digital Spine is a boutique digital marketing agency located in the heart of Stockholm. We help global clients reach their true online potential in acquiring sales, leads and traffic from digital channels. Digital Spine specializes in enterprise SEO & SEM, content marketing strategies, social media, conversion optimization and web analytics. Our mission is to be a fully committed partner, through all digital campaign phases (strategy, implementation, measurement), for our clients.

He lists this on his LinkedIn:

School of Myself
Master's degree  Learning from life

[Boredfrom]

The minute we see an exodus of the moderating staff, the bulk of the user base will follow.

[maninthemirror]

I don't know who is dumber

MOBA for buying a rotten egg

Era for thinking they won't be thrown in junk by MOBA if they dont comply

[benjipwns]

Everyone's expendable.

Sure. But I would think they would prefer owning NeoGAF on 10/22/17 versus 10/28/17

[Cauliflower Of Love]

The CEO of M.O.B.A. Network AB also owns an entirely private company described as this:

Digital Spine is a boutique digital marketing agency located in the heart of Stockholm. We help global clients reach their true online potential in acquiring sales, leads and traffic from digital channels. Digital Spine specializes in enterprise SEO & SEM, content marketing strategies, social media, conversion optimization and web analytics. Our mission is to be a fully committed partner, through all digital campaign phases (strategy, implementation, measurement), for our clients.

He lists this on his LinkedIn:

School of Myself
Master's degree  Learning from life

cerium is absolutely at least money laundering and possibly human trafficking

[marrec]

The CEO of M.O.B.A. Network AB also owns an entirely private company described as this:

Digital Spine is a boutique digital marketing agency located in the heart of Stockholm. We help global clients reach their true online potential in acquiring sales, leads and traffic from digital channels. Digital Spine specializes in enterprise SEO & SEM, content marketing strategies, social media, conversion optimization and web analytics. Our mission is to be a fully committed partner, through all digital campaign phases (strategy, implementation, measurement), for our clients.

He lists this on his LinkedIn:

School of Myself
Master's degree  Learning from life

Oh he’s a moron that’s why he paid 4.5 million for a forum in 2021

[Joe Molotov]

Masters Degree in Deez Nuts

[Propagandhim]

School of Myself
Master's degree  Learning from life

[bork]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/resetera-ownership-update.499677/page-51#post-75233595

I saw a mod post about how they don't want it to be a paid gig because then it becomes a job that they have to spend hours on, whereas right now they can choose to spend as much or as little time on it as possible.

But they already spend hours on there.

[benjipwns]

Oh he’s a moron that’s why he paid 4.5 million for a forum in 2021

It does seem that his entire plan for M.O.B.A. Network is to buy up a bunch of gaming related things and then profit somehow.

He was previously the CEO of:

Future Gaming Group International AB is a holding company, which engages in the investment and development of casino products and lottery games on the Internet. It operates casino and bingo through the following sites: PlayHippo.com, HappyBingo.com, and LyckoBingo.com. The firm has two platforms providers IGT which supplies casino products and EveryMatrix which tailors a solution to suit the customer's market and needs. The company was founded on May 31, 2006 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

And spent his first seven years working for Pokerlistings.com and their parent company as "Head of SEO"

[Mediocre Lager]

Ohhh he comes from an Online Casino background. Yeah this whole operation is shady as hell.

[benjipwns]

Dude, you’re extremely expendable.

Cute.

[Propagandhim]

The next several months are going to be so fun to watch.   

[bork]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/resetera-ownership-update.499677/page-51#post-75233715

Test it. If all the mods said, "we're walking unless we get compensation," see what MOBA does

[paprikastaude]

I am only now catching up.

They introduced a subscription service and people thought this was some kind of charity?

Mods got nothing but a little bit of internet power over a bunch of social rejects who hate them?

Mods are willing to keep working for free?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

There's enough idiots who still use resetera to begin with?

[close]

[Propagandhim]

The mods have so much leverage in this relationship that this new parent company is willing to pay them...not a single red cent...to have their support. 

[Joe Molotov]

(Image removed from quote.)

The next several months are going to be so fun to watch.   

Aren't people already leaving en masse? Now's the chance to finally clean out all the Alt-Right racists and TERFs that are ruining the site.

[blaze]

This shit is hilarious. God damn.

[bork]

Ohhh he comes from an Online Casino background. Yeah this whole operation is shady as hell.

Nope, totally OK don't worry about it!

https://www.resetera.com/threads/resetera-ownership-update.499677/page-51#post-75233811

To be perfectly honest, personally, I don’t really care where the money goes as long as it keeps the lights on and if we want to start a project for the site, we have funding (I mean obviously I’d care if the company was complete dogshit, but I feel I did my due diligence in doing a deep dive on them and didn’t find anything troubling).

 

[jorma]

ok now that this is officially owned by swedes. I will use my banned username *censored* to nuke era into orbit. I will ask EU to have them delete all of my posts from the website. every trace, and every mention. I want them to squeeze in pain for banning me for saying atrocities against Palestinians amounts to same treatment ww2 victims suffered


now tell me. where do I request this purge of my data?

you send them a mail asking them to delete your data

they will then delete your account (presumably together with all the data you used to sign up with, like your email)
and then they will be compliant

and then you rage at them a bit because they didn't delete all your posts like you wanted, but they won't care. 

[marrec]

How are we ever going to find replacements for 40 unpaid and untrained Mostly anonymous shit posters

[samir]

It's not like the new owners could pay the 100 mods even if they wanted to. People are acting like this is some huge corporation, they literally have 4 employees.

[benjipwns]

Hecht is the person who has bragged about his ability to dox anyone* on the internet, so I'd trust him about analyzing this totally not at all weird e-sports company in Sweden.

*but has never publicly done so without already having their personal company e-mail registered to his forum

[BikeJesus]

I literally cannot think of a single instance where we sat down and said “ok, and how does this make us more profitable?” Like, maybe at the beginning where we talked about ads for keeping the lights on, but nothing since then.
I sure are hell am not planning on including that bit of concern in any decision going forward

Imagine telling your new boss that you have no interest in them making money, when it is the entire reason they bought the site. I'm sure they want to be hands-off, but it will have its limits.

[Raist]

Oh he’s a moron that’s why he paid 4.5 million for a forum in 2021

It does seem that his entire plan for M.O.B.A. Network is to buy up a bunch of gaming related things and then profit somehow.

He was previously the CEO of:

Future Gaming Group International AB is a holding company, which engages in the investment and development of casino products and lottery games on the Internet. It operates casino and bingo through the following sites: PlayHippo.com, HappyBingo.com, and LyckoBingo.com. The firm has two platforms providers IGT which supplies casino products and EveryMatrix which tailors a solution to suit the customer's market and needs. The company was founded on May 31, 2006 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

And spent his first seven years working for Pokerlistings.com and their parent company as "Head of SEO"

Someone drop those truthfacts over there please

[Boredfrom]

To be perfectly honest, personally, I don’t really care where the money goes as long as it keeps the lights on and if we want to start a project for the site, we have funding (I mean obviously I’d care if the company was complete dogshit, but I feel I did my due diligence in doing a deep dive on them and didn’t find anything troubling).

Many staff and former staff have said this, myself included, but we do this because we generally like the community and want to see it flourish. Many of us have been here since GAF (hell I’ve been around for…oh god like 13 years now), have made a bunch of friends, and enjoy the discussions (at least the ones that don’t devolve into shit flinging) and talking about games. Era, and GAF before the meltdown, is a special place to me where we can have these talks with minimal bullshit from trolls and the like. I mean that will always be a factor, but I always find interesting topics here to look at or participate in.
 

You don’t even believe that BS. You love so much a community that gives you panic attacks and is considered the laughingstock of gaming. Half of you mods openly snide video games and don’t want to interact outside their comfort zone.

[Trojita]

ok now that this is officially owned by swedes. I will use my banned username *censored* to nuke era into orbit. I will ask EU to have them delete all of my posts from the website. every trace, and every mention. I want them to squeeze in pain for banning me for saying atrocities against Palestinians amounts to same treatment ww2 victims suffered


now tell me. where do I request this purge of my data?

you send them a mail asking them to delete your data

they will then delete your account (presumably together with all the data you used to sign up with, like your email)
and then they will be compliant

and then you rage at them a bit because they didn't delete all your posts like you wanted, but they won't care. 

It's not that easy. The site won't be GDPR compliant by just deleting your posts and changing your name. The way the site handles deleting posts is not GDPR compliant because quoted replies still contain your post and an identifier.

[demi]

“I just wanna talk about videogames, man”

[bork]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/resetera-ownership-update.499677/page-51#post-75233811

Many staff and former staff have said this, myself included, but we do this because we generally like the community and want to see it flourish.

 

[shosta]

ResetEra.com’s revenue is generated through ads and member subscriptions. M.O.B.A. Network sees significant opportunities to increase advertising revenue through a higher share of direct sales, implementation of new ad formats, and a long-term product development strategy. M.O.B.A. Network, therefore, estimates that ResetEra.com can grow sales significantly in 2022.

I mean, they said it right there. They're going to change the website to capitalize on its userbase. There's no way it survives unchanged in the near future.

[benjipwns]

It's not that easy. The site won't be GDPR compliant by just deleting your posts and changing your name. The way the site handles deleting posts is not GDPR compliant because quoted replies still contain your post and an identifier.

Worse than that, they contain the original username.

Personally, I'd hate if they fixed this.

[Mediocre Lager]

Hey, maybe they really will be hands off and let Era run itself (into the ground m I rite?) if the whole thing is just a front to make them look legitimate.

 

[benjipwns]

I mean, they said it right there. They're going to change the website to capitalize on its userbase. There's no way it survives unchanged in the near future.

You're forgetting when Hecht, master doxxer, who deleted his Twitter due to "harassment" leads the revolt of The People against their foreign corporate overlords.

[fizzel]

Anyone checked Texan suicide watch for thin skinned shower goblins?

Always knew that cerium was a ruthless, mercenarial cunt. But my god he's worthy of any of the silicon valley backstabbers. Can't hate the hustle.

[benjipwns]

Hey, maybe they really will be hands off and let Era run itself (into the ground m I rite?) if the whole thing is just a front to make them look legitimate.

 

As long as it continues to be 80% cash money, they'll probably treat it like Cerium did, with some behind the scenes push back here and there like on ActivisionBlizzard.

[Propagandhim]

Hey, maybe they really will be hands off and let Era run itself (into the ground m I rite?) if the whole thing is just a front to make them look legitimate.

 

Well, sure.  Even if they keep things unchanged and at the current rate of revenue, it will take about ~7 years to break even.  Buying a barebones forum wholesale feels like a really bad 7-year plan nowadays.

[Boredfrom]

And if the new owners do that, everyone will leave and they'll be left holding a $4.5 million dollar waste of money. It's in the company's best interest to rock the boat as little as possible or risk burning their entire investment to the ground.

And yes, some corporations do stupid stuff like that, but most of them typically try not to after a buyout like this.. 

“A badly run company is a rarity”.

[benjipwns]

Well, sure.  Even if they keep things unchanged and at the current rate of revenue, it will take about ~7 years to break even.  Buying a barebones forum wholesale feels like a really bad 7-year plan nowadays.

Their seven year plan should have been to lease everyone in the company a Nissan.

[Cauliflower Of Love]

I'm still laughing at this going from, cerium is ruthless and fucked them over to......they fucking agreed to work for free?

[HaughtyFrank]

I don't know Cerium well. But I do remember him posting some heinous shit back on the previous forum while he was active. I am not surprised that this is the result.

Posting heinous shit on GAF? That's it?

Oh, sweet summer child.

http://www.parentadvocates.org/nicecontent/dsp_printable.cfm?articleID=7983

Cerium was a hero:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-high-school-librarian-sentenced-15-years-prison-kidnapping-conspiracy

Honestly the greatest possible outcome if you ever got into trouble for being homophobic