Yet another big messaging app maker, Line (owned by the South Korean Naver Corporation), is attempting an IPO:
There's a chance you might not have heard of Line but the Japanese messaging service is set to sell shares for the first time in an initial public offering (IPO) in both New York and Tokyo.
[...] Line is the most popular messaging app in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. It is similar to the likes of Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or WeChat in China. While it is close to those, it does have some features that set it apart: virtual stickers, cartoon-like animated emojis and games with mascots such as a bear called Brown and his rabbit friend Cony. You can make video calls, stream video or order taxis with it. It also offers a timeline much like Facebook does. Line has about 218 million monthly active users and makes its money from advertising and selling its virtual stickers and games.
[...] The company is set to raise up to $1.3bn (£1bn) when it lists its shares, after setting its flotation price at 3,300 yen ($33; £25) per share. It's being described as Japan's biggest tech IPO of the year but in fact it could have been significantly bigger. When Line was scheduled for an initial public offering two years ago, there was talk of a valuation of more than $10bn. But that was at a time when the user base was still growing at record pace, and those days are over.
The major revenue for the company? Selling sets of branded "stickers" (basically larger and more complicated emoji) to use in chat.
The company raised over $1 billion and was ultimately valued at $8.6 billion by the market. It was the best week for the Nikkei stock exchange since 2009.
(Score: 3, Informative) by willie3204 on Monday July 18 2016, @12:50PM
I live in Japan. This is the primary communication tool which everyone uses. People eat up those 'stickers' and new ones are coming out all the time. The company is also expanding the tool into all sorts of other areas such as music streaming and secondary markets.
I bought the stock. I expect it to do well long term. The Japanese do not drop an established standard so quickly.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Monday July 18 2016, @02:53PM
Ah, that explains the thing in ReLIFE.
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(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday July 18 2016, @03:05PM
Fucking lol.
Yup, that's where I know Line from.
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday July 18 2016, @04:16PM
The question is not whether they'll keep using the line "convenience" features, but whether they'll eventually get over the animated emojis... The fact that they renew them often is good, but eventually all novelty wears off.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday July 18 2016, @04:21PM
That's where stuffing it with everything including the kitchen sink comes in. Looks like that includes payment processing and music streaming at least. The Wikipedia article mentions Line Taxi, an Uber clone.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 18 2016, @01:38PM
Those stickers are a good indication that people no longer know the value of money. Really? People pay for that stuff?
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Monday July 18 2016, @01:45PM
It's a form of marketing and advertising for individuals. Imagine whatsapp charged a fee for putting your photo on the side of your messages... I bet plenty of people would pay for that.
compiling...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 18 2016, @01:54PM
I agree, but none of those people would qualify as "knows the value of money"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday July 18 2016, @01:54PM
Let's say you spend 30m to 4h a day using free services like Line, or Pokemon Go, or whatever. Maybe the microtransactions will have some value to you. I'm not sure how much the stickers cost, but I'm guessing it's not a lot.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 18 2016, @04:28PM
If they let us take a parsnip emoji and make it pink or brown, that's real value because it makes our communications clearer and more effective.
(Score: 2) by Sir Finkus on Monday July 18 2016, @04:34PM
They also aren't purely for purchase. They are often given away as promotions if you follow companies. Kind of like liking a facebook post entering you in a contest or getting you a discount.
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(Score: 2) by Non Sequor on Monday July 18 2016, @08:15PM
I'll second that.
I'll stick with traditional investments like Yu-gi-oh cards and pogs.
Write your congressman. Tell him he sucks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 18 2016, @05:21PM
also "line" (and "hangouts" fyi) voice chat work thru tor.
it is assumed because they are TCP based.
"whatsapp" voice chat doesn't work tho, probably because it uses udp?
they all need a SIM card and a SMS message to activate tho.
for hangouts it is avoidable because you get ONE free non-sms activated google account with each NEW-virgin android powered device.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 18 2016, @05:59PM
I2P works with UDP.
(Score: 1) by mattTheOne on Tuesday July 19 2016, @02:25AM
I've been using LINE for more than 2 years and I left whatsup many many years ago.
LINE is huge, but if you're not from Asia you've probably never heard of it.
I do like their stickers but I'd never pay real money for it. I just use their service because my wife uses it and a bunch of my Taiwanese friends do too.
I wonder if it'll be like those Linux Messengers that can interface with ICQ, MSN and Yahoo messenger concurrently so regardless of messaging service you can chat with all your friends. That would be cool...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 19 2016, @02:43AM
Line won't be like that but that kind of multiple messenger does exist, I never tried it though
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