Video-Game Makers Ride To Riches on Arc of Keanu Reeves's Career (bloomberg.com) 22
An anonymous reader shares a report: "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" had just been released and Keanu Reeves was about to hit the big screen in "Speed" when Marcin Iwinski and high school pal Michal Kicinski launched their video-game company. It was May 1994 and the CD-ROM was still in vogue, so they called their venture CD Projekt and set out to distribute games for the Polish market. They struck deals with developers including Activision and Acclaim Entertainment, translating dialog, instructions and packaging into their native language. A quarter-century later, at Microsoft's 2019 Xbox conference in Los Angeles, Reeves shocked the video-game world, appearing onstage to present a demo of CD Projekt's "Cyberpunk 2077" -- a futuristic, role-playing game in which he'll appear.
Shares of Warsaw-based CD Projekt have surged 43% since the Xbox event in June and more than 1,800% in the past five years, the best performance by far in Poland's WIG20 Index, putting Iwinski, the 45-year-old co-chief executive officer, on the cusp of becoming a billionaire. He owns 12.6% of the outstanding stock, giving him a net worth of $992 million. Kicinski, who left the company several years ago, has a 10.9% stake worth $847 million. Both could soon join the rapidly growing ranks of video-game billionaires including Sea Ltd. co-founder Gang Ye, who crossed the threshold in November after the Singapore-based company reported that quarterly revenue tripled, as well as Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney, who brought "Fortnite" to the masses.
Shares of Warsaw-based CD Projekt have surged 43% since the Xbox event in June and more than 1,800% in the past five years, the best performance by far in Poland's WIG20 Index, putting Iwinski, the 45-year-old co-chief executive officer, on the cusp of becoming a billionaire. He owns 12.6% of the outstanding stock, giving him a net worth of $992 million. Kicinski, who left the company several years ago, has a 10.9% stake worth $847 million. Both could soon join the rapidly growing ranks of video-game billionaires including Sea Ltd. co-founder Gang Ye, who crossed the threshold in November after the Singapore-based company reported that quarterly revenue tripled, as well as Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney, who brought "Fortnite" to the masses.
So... (Score:3, Insightful)
So stock went up 43% since Keanu Reeves appeared, and 1800% before he appeared. But it is rising because of the arc of Keanu Reeves career. WTF.
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I guess he'll be the next Jeff Bezos when Bill and Ted 3 comes out.
Keanu Reeves does not need dick pics or $80 billion in paper value to meet women.
Re:So... (Score:4, Interesting)
So stock went up 43% since Keanu Reeves appeared, and 1800% before he appeared. .
Comparing an increase of 43% over 7 months to 1800% over 5 years.
The 43% in 0.58 years is a faster increase than the five year increase... but not all that much faster. (fwiw, 1800% in five years corresponds to 78% increase per year-- not bad!!)
But it is rising because of the arc of Keanu Reeves career. WTF.
Yeah, I think the correlation and causation may be the other way. Still, I like Keanu, so I'll give him the credit.
Re:So... (Score:4, Insightful)
Let's be realistic here -- the headline mentions Keanu -- but really it's because of Geralt.
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Let's be realistic here -- the headline mentions Keanu -- but really it's because of Geralt.
What does Henry Cavill have to do with this?
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The first actor in history to be considered "too young, too buff, and too good looking for his role" =/
Jim Caviezel would have been such a better choice.
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I actually think Cavill wasn't bad as Geralt, and Caviezel, while a good actor, doesn't really have the build in my mind. A bit too scrawny. I can say though, that I prefer bearded Geralt which I don't think Cavill could do.
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Cavill wasn't as bad as I thought he'd be, for sure.
But yeah, if you've read the books or played the games the Witchers (apart from letho) are described as being pretty tall and lean/athletic.
And, while it's a dopey show, in the show "Person of Interest" Caviezel has that borderline sinister, gravelly voice that geralt has in the game, not to mention the athleticism for the sword play.
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So stock went up 43% since Keanu Reeves appeared, and 1800% before he appeared. But it is rising because of the arc of Keanu Reeves career. WTF.
And it's not like this random, small no name company in Poland (do they even have computers there that don't still use vacuum tubes?) has come out with any massively successful games before this. You know, successful series such as The Witcher. Nope. All Keanu.
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If only they had a wholly owned subsidiary through which they can publish their own and other peoples' games, to assure them an additional revenue stream and strong negotiation positions with the other major storefronts.
Like gog.com perhaps. Which they owned before Keanu came along.
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Like gog.com perhaps. Which they owned before Keanu came along.
All I can say to that is "Woah!"
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Prepare to be even more "whoa'd" since the guys who created CD Projekt started in video game piracy, and selling pirated games in the open air markets back in the late 1980s and early 90's, and realized there was an untapped market. From there it kinda changed things, since they manged to start getting the pirate mom n' pop shops to buy their legal and authorized translations at not much more above cost then the pirated versions.
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omg an actor in a video game (Score:1)
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Wing Commander 3 would like a word with you instead, better actors.
Keanu Reeves' career ... (Score:1)
Re: Keanu Reeves' career ... (Score:2)
Stoner -> small town boy -> action star in black