An increasing number of people tell me that Newgrounds should consider venture capital.

Venture capital means that investors give you a lot of money, and in return you do something that makes them rich. Because most websites don't actually figure out how to do that, the solution is generally to sell to a much larger company with disposable income and a fear of losing their own relevancy. Like how Facebook just spent $1 billion on Instagram because people weren't using Facebook for photo sharing as much as they used to.

Venture capital is fun because it lets you be really self righteous and everyone wants to hang out in your aura of money. Tumblr is cool because they let you post stuff and they don't have ads. Did you know they have raised over $125 million in venture capital? Is your page full of pictures gonna make their investors back that $125 million + profit?

Anyway there are two paths for NG, let me know which we should try because both have their ups and downs.

1) Keep being NG no matter what the cost. Yeah you are a big disappointment but we believe in you.

2) Take VC money. Spend the next five years being AMAZING, sponsor every game developer and every artist and rule the entire internet. IT MIGHT WORK, NG might become so successful the investors will get rich and back off, and it will be such a success it can just keep being a success forever.

Thoughts

NG money for the win!

Stick or twist?

You have to twist, its only logical if the option is there. NG is great blah blah blah, but if you can turn great into amazing then shouldn't you do everything you can to achieve that goal, for not only the site but for yourself?

Yes, good.

At 4/13/12 04:00 PM, NitWitt wrote: Yes, good.

THAT ISN'T AN ANSWER.

So far:

Take Money: 2
Keep Going Solo: 0

At 4/13/12 04:01 PM, deckheadtottie wrote: VC, baby!

Money: 3

Venture Capitalism seems like a great route.

It would also be a great way for creators on here to make actual video games for sale in order to pay that money back, as you did with Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid, Tom.

take money

u a hustla tom

Shut up and take the money! If there's a lot of great possibilities from this, don't hold back.

At 4/13/12 04:03 PM, SKHM wrote: take money

u a hustla tom

Holy shit, Money: 6

This post was supposed to be a reminder that people love NG for doing things on its own terms, maybe I didn't make it clear enough how many strings are attached with taking money or maybe this is just the wake-up call that NG is supposed to take money after all.

I've been here a long time and watched this site go from an amusing diversion to one of the best communuties on the internet. My voice might not have been heard, well ever, but I for one vote that you take the money and see what you can do.

Newgrounds: A pioneer in flash entertainment then, now and hopefully tomorrow.

Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round~

Do it, sir.

With its rich history, I think that Venture Capital would be a great option for Newgrounds!

There's no reason to not take VC. Newgrounds is a business, and while many people don't like to or refuse to see it that way, growing a business is the only next logical step.

I think Newgrounds has a lot of "power" in the industry as it is (it can make or break a game), but it could have a lot more. Take the money.

At 4/13/12 04:05 PM, Bahamut wrote: Shut up and take the money! If there's a lot of great possibilities from this, don't hold back.

Money: 7

I just gotta be clear, once NG takes money it is on a near-guaranteed path to being sold to a larger company at which point it could be scuttled or transformed into something no one wants. Without money NG could exist forever, it's just that no one may care that it exists.

Take dat' money!

At 4/13/12 04:05 PM, TomFulp wrote:

At 4/13/12 04:03 PM, SKHM wrote: take money

u a hustla tom

Holy shit, Money: 6

This post was supposed to be a reminder that people love NG for doing things on its own terms, maybe I didn't make it clear enough how many strings are attached with taking money or maybe this is just the wake-up call that NG is supposed to take money after all.

As long as your not forced to change the "Everything, by Everyone" motto, then I'm good.

VC is a very risky move. It it sometimes is a win-win situation, but it has killed MANY good sites before.

Keep it the same. The second option almost sounded like sarcasm to me, I just don't see that happening. I think that getting bought is a slippery slope...

At 4/13/12 04:08 PM, Spretznaz wrote: VC is a very risky move. It it sometimes is a win-win situation, but it has killed MANY good sites before.

Money: 12
No Money: 1?

At 4/13/12 04:07 PM, TomFulp wrote:

I just gotta be clear, once NG takes money it is on a near-guaranteed path to being sold to a larger company at which point it could be scuttled or transformed into something no one wants. Without money NG could exist forever, it's just that no one may care that it exists.

I think that what most people are saying is that if you feel enough control is left to you to try and keep Newgrounds in the general path it was headed that we believe in you. If you're worried about NG dying the day you get the money, then run away of course... but if you're worried NG won't last forever?

I would rather see NG burn out in a huge explosion than fade away with a whimper.

I am not very well versed in the Venture Capital system but if Newgrounds is invested in, most investors will want the maximum amount of cash back, and there is big money in social networking. I think Newgrounds would have to become more like Youtube or Facebook to meet investor demands.

I don't know Newground's current financial situation but it seems like a really big risk, while it might turn out well it could also turn Newgrounds into just another social network where people can upload their boring vlogs.

Usually when money is involved, the quality control of any site goes down the tubes in some form, usually changing the entire website to conform to what is most profitable.

Again, just my opinion.

If I wasn't clear before, you really shouldn't take the money.

At 4/13/12 03:56 PM, TomFulp wrote: 1) Keep being NG no matter what the cost. Yeah you are a big disappointment but we believe in you.

This.

Otherwise you forget what made you great in the first place, and in the attempt of getting bigger you fail.

There will always be a new shiny toy on the internet, but I love this place because it stays true to its roots, it's unique.

I used to love netflix because it was simple. Then they got greedy, tried to get bigger and fucked everything up.

I used to love facebook, because it was simple, it was exclusive, and you could only join if you were in college. Then they tried to get bigger, and they're just gonna crumble and fall like myspace did.

So it's really up to you Tom. Do you want to get greedy and forget everything that got you where you are today, or do you want to stick to your roots and remain true to your identity.

At 4/13/12 04:03 PM, SKHM wrote: take money

u a hustla tom

I agree. There's a sizable chance NG would make this work.

At 4/13/12 04:10 PM, langhauz wrote: I think that what most people are saying is that if you feel enough control is left to you to try and keep Newgrounds in the general path it was headed that we believe in you. If you're worried about NG dying the day you get the money, then run away of course... but if you're worried NG won't last forever?

I would rather see NG burn out in a huge explosion than fade away with a whimper.

With money I think I could turn NG into a billion dollar company. I just don't have good evidence for what would happen to it after that.

Money's great but I would hate to see NG turn into Youtube. So I'm gonna have to say solo

With money I think I could turn NG into a billion dollar company. I just don't have good evidence for what would happen to it after that.

sounds good, everyone likes money.

At 4/13/12 03:56 PM, TomFulp wrote: 1) Keep being NG no matter what the cost. Yeah you are a big disappointment but we believe in you.

Newgrounds has been Newgrounds since the beginning and is still here. So you don't really win or lose in that aspect.

2) Take VC money. Spend the next five years being AMAZING, sponsor every game developer and every artist and rule the entire internet. IT MIGHT WORK, NG might become so successful the investors will get rich and back off, and it will be such a success it can just keep being a success forever.

When you say being AMAZING, just what is AMAZING then? I mean you already sponsor many game developers and artists here not to mention voice actors and writers, so the only change there would possibly becoming bigger. What's the AMAZING part in that?

2) Take VC money. Spend the next five years being AMAZING, sponsor every game developer and every artist and rule the entire internet. IT MIGHT WORK, NG might become so successful the investors will get rich and back off, and it will be such a success it can just keep being a success forever.

don't take it i hate change and if NG changes i will have a breakdown