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But now this is fairly exciting...
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/business/mirror-mirror-in-the-app-whats-the-fairest-shade-of-all.html?_r=0
...and this...
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/makeup-genius-lets-buy-23745971
...and this...
http://www.vogue.in/content/add-loreals-magic-mirror-your-iphone
...and many other beauty websites. This is after IM dropped the Makeover Mirror app onto i-tunes where it then quickly disappeared, I'm assuming at L'Oreal's request.
I don't blame you. I'm starting to feel a little screwed myself. It seems like they sold Faceware and are working hard to nurture that to no shareholder benefit. Ron is now CEO at both companies and this seems to me to be a HUGE conflict of interest. It's obvious where the time and attention is being put.
http://facewaretech.com/
The Faceware website is constantly being updated and revamped with news and links and articles. The homepage is currently bragging about GTA V accolades and working with Stallone and De Niro. Apparently, you can even unlock a copy of our Live Driver SDK within Faceware.
http://support.facewaretech.com/entries/30158483-How-to-Create-a-License-Request-File-for-LiveDriver-
I'm not sure what to think. Their last attempt at communication was way back in November of 2012. I'm starting to get the impression that they would just prefer to pretend that we're not here. As much as I hate to say it, something smells fishy...
...Mixamo is also selling this on i-Tunes...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-friend-sam/id591537433?mt=8
"Facial tracking powered by Image Metrics' Live Driver"
They sure have been quiet. Too quiet! I hope something is still churning at IM headquarters since RG left. The market for real time animation software is increasing. I found this awhile back talking about Image Metrics collaborating with Mixamo back in 2011...
http://blog.mixamo.com/mixamo/partners/image-metrics-gives-demo-at-mixamo/
Then Image metrics sells a patent back in 2012...
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/image-metrics-reports-select-financial-results-the-first-nine-months-of-2012-1699563.htm
Then Mixamo suddenly comes out with competitive software in 2013...
http://allthingsd.com/20130828/mixamo-aims-to-democratize-motion-capture-keep-dots-off-peoples-faces/
And then I found this today which looks fairly impressive...
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57616975-1/facerig-maps-your-face-onto-a-3d-avatar-in-real-time/
Competition is a good sign in markets. I would just like to know if Image Metrics is still competing. It's quiet. Too quiet!
Mojo Masks might score an Appy Award tomorrow at SXSW...
http://www.mediapost.com/appyawards/finalists/
Mojo Masks being put to use...
And yet another app...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mojo-masks-chinese-new-year/id595439474?mt=8
I assume this is due to the popularity of Mojo Masks in the Asian market.
Another app released today from Image Metrics.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id594024913?mt=8
Looks pretty lame but I imagine they can now spit this kind of stuff out for very little cost and that some of the intent is simply to steer people in the direction of Mojo Masks.
More Mojo Masks press...
http://www.cambio.com/TBE/app-attack/
Name drop: One of TBE's executive producers is Jennifer Lopez.
What are you already planning on asking? Here's a few of mine...
How actively are they looking to be acquired? Are they pursuing a buyer or just waiting to catch one's attention?
How is SoeMote being received? Is SOE happy with the community response?
Any nuggets about more video game integration. He did mention poker in the YouTube video.
Have they killed the FaceOff brand?
How long before an Android version of Live Driver?
What was the patent they sold earlier this year?
Do they still do animation for 3rd party contracts and projects like Benjamin Button and GTAIV?
Mojo Masks featured on Wired's Geekdad website...
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/10/2-silly-apps-for-halloween-fun/
I'm assuming RG is Robert Gehorsam. What do you mean by "I got a lead in"? How are you contacting him? When are you submitting questions? Nice initiative Skidos!
I don't know. Apple does not release those numbers.
Mojo Masks is rapidly moving up the iTunes charts...
http://www.topappcharts.com/567788500/app-details-mojo-masks.php
The official Mojo Masks press release...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121022006659/en/Image-Metrics-Unwraps-Mojo-Masks-App
Every parent with an i-device will be coughing up $5 so their kids can have all the masks.
On a side note, I'm wondering if they killed the Face Off brand. I can't get the website to open...
http://www.faceoffvideo.com/
Mojo Masks just launched yesterday and is directly owned by Image Metrics. It offers in-app purchases and looks like an attention getter...
https://itunes.apple.com/app/mojo-masks/id567788500?mt=8
I believe this is one of the applications currently being developed on IOS using the Live Driver SDK. It's called Mojo Masks and is supposed to be available within the coming weeks.
Great find Skidos. I especially like his reaction to SoEmote "getting a tremendous response".
I agree. There are a lot of uses for Image Metrics' tech. It's not just about animating faces; it's about computer vision and recognition.
Back in June, I said this...
"Otherwise, you just get a bubble (which isn't a horrible thing) like what occurred with Digital Domain (DDMG) and their Tupac hologram. They release a lot of press but the fact is they're losing a lot of money annually. I think IMGX is going for something more substantial than hype."
...and today I saw this...
http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/11/technology/digital-domain-bankrupt/index.html?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%
This is the company that Image Metrics coordinated with on the movie "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"
Just some food for thought.
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/image-metrics-reports-select-financial-results-the-first-nine-months-of-2012-1699563.htm
"...the Company successfully converted $9.5 million of senior preferred secured debt into 3.3 million shares of its convertible Series B preferred stock..."
Yes it's dilution, but dilution at $2.88 per share which would value the company at $62.2 million.
"As a result, the balance sheet as of June 30, 2012, had total liabilities of $1.5 million compared to $12.6 million at Sept. 30, 2011."
They have nearly eliminated all of their debt. Profitability is just around the corner...
"Revenues in the nine-month period ended June 30, 2012, included $1.2 million from the sale of a patent."
I would like to know what patent they sold...
This is a big step toward mass integration...
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/image-metrics-unleashes-groundbreaking-live-driver-technology-mobile-app-developers-1691172.htm
New SOEmote advertisement...
MMORPGs are just the beginning...
They'll make money the same way Epic Games makes money off of their Unreal game engine. By being the one company who is able to provide what the developers want.
Dedicated SOEmote website...
http://www.soemote.com/
SOEmote goes live...
PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1kdBE)
"...Beginning today, EverQuest II players will have access to SOEmote, which features:
Live Driver, Image Metrics' proprietary, real-time facial analysis, expression tracking and animation technology..."
"..."For gamers – and especially role-players – the more immersive the experience, the better the game. SOE is using Liver Driver in SOEmote to unlock levels of expression and interaction between EQII players that simply haven't been possible until now," said Robert Gehorsam, CEO of Image Metrics. "Live Driver lets players simply be themselves and inhabit their character in a completely natural way. With it, SOEmote captures and reflects the slightest nuances of expression and emotion, allowing for the kinds of social experiences that players and developers have sought to create for years."..."
As a shareholder, tomorrow is a big day. The public will finally get to see what we've been so excited about and we start to find out if this is something that the public even wants. Just remember that the haters are always more vocal and that success will be measured with further implementation.
"...And the REASON they are phenomenal... is that they work for FREE!!! ..."
You're spin on the "phenomenal" comment is taken out of context. I'm sure he was referring to the exceptional products and services offered by Image Metrics?
"...There is not a market for the products they offer, as there has never been a product like it. Until there is a demand for it, they have to essentially give it away to whoever is willing to showcase it to the world..." But I'll guarantee you that money exchanged hands in order to bring this FREE OFFERING to life.
SOEmote goes live tomorrow...
The Wall Street Journal spotlights SOEmote.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/06/09/e3-sony-online-entertainment-exec-talks-planetside-2-facial-recognition-features/
"...It sounds cheesy? It is cheesy. It's awesome!..."
"...It's this company we've been working with called Image Metrics. They are phenomenal..."
SyFy spotlights SOEmote...
http://vimeo.com/45081738
"Seems they've captured shareholders pain and suffering perfectly..."
That made me laugh, I have to admit. I just simply don't agree with you on your point of view regarding their lack of concern for shareholders. I don't know if you're a shareholder or not, but it sounds like you're feeling burned. I think most of your logic stems from the Faceware spin-off being shareholder robbery.
Faceware was a product that was released in early 2011; it was developed and then quickly sold less than a year later to generate cash. Oil refineries learned to sell diesel fuel, which is essentially the waste generated from producing gasoline. Sausage utilizes the portions of livestock discarded by the slaughterhouse as undesirable. A good business knows how to sell the byproducts of their efforts as a means to achieving the final product.
I don't recognize any foul play here. The overwhelming majority stake in this company is owned by members of the board, therefore a general shareholder vote is not required to make these decisions. I have no sway over the actions of Image Metrics.
You've mentioned the timing of it when compared to the de-registration smelling fishy. I have no doubts that the spin-off plans were in the works when they filed in December, however they were not complete nor public knowledge and therefore did not warrant disclosure. Stating their intentions to pursue their B2B efforts was accurate given the intentions of the Faceware division at the time of filing. Mentioning incomplete plans to take future actions would have been much more irresponsible in my mind, given their public status.
I also believe that if deception was present, then the announcement of the de-registration would have come AFTER that of Zombie Wars and Live Driver. They knew it would scare several people off and drive the share price down, so they saved the good news for those who stuck it out, rather than trying to jack it up prior to the fall.
You seem to think that they're generating wealth for their clients while failing to capitalize for themselves. I'm not sure where that logic comes from as people don't play Red Dead Redemption or Grand Theft Auto for the facial animation. It is one of many minor elements that when brought together, form an impressive overall product. Those games would have sold with or without IM tech because it is still acceptable to have static faces in video games.
That will not be true for the next wave of interactive media, though. It would be like trying to develop a AAA game today with only text narrative and no voice-overs. It would be unacceptable to the market, as the standard no longer allows for it.
There is not any money to be made in what Image Metrics is doing until it's too late for the industry to turn back due to market demand. When that happens, they will own that market and we'll soon start seeing copycats popping up with inferior tech like this...
http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/avatar-animated-in-real-time-using-facial-expressions-captured-with-a-webcam-20120611/
I've said it before and I'll say it again; this takes patience. There is not a market for the products they offer, as there has never been a product like it. Until there is a demand for it, they have to essentially give it away to whoever is willing to showcase it to the world.
To me, their desire to not throw money away by pumping the stock with headlines shows that they have shareholders' best interests in mind. Historically, one of the worst things a company can do is to put the importance of the trading price above that of the product. It's considered to not only be bad for business, but unethical in general. I also don't think that trade price is as big of a concern when the overall goal of management is to be bought out and acquired. That's when the share price gets decided upon in a conference room by those in the know trying to squeeze every penny out of it, instead of some basement dweller trying to turn 6 cents into 8.
It all makes sense to me. Waiting...
The future of Live Driver...
..."Perhaps IMGX is never going to be allowed to benefit from what they uniquely enable others to do... that generates large benefits for them ?"...
I just think it's a matter of how many contracts they're able to land. A deal with Sony isn't going to make the company viable, but annually reoccurring deals with multiple developers and publishers will. Profitability will come from the industry's demand for the product. If SOEmote is able to effectively demonstrate Live Driver's capabilities to the Everquest II community, then every other MMORPG on the market including World Of Warcraft will be making a call to Image Metrics. But that's just the tip of the iceberg as this tech is compatible with many other forms of communication outside of gaming like Facebook, Google+, Youtube, Skype, Match.com and Second Life not to mention all their competitors.
..."Otherwise... I see the IMGX charts only map what's happened since the change of control ?"...
I think the chart reflects exactly what should be expected with a low volume, low float and low demand security. A few shares being tossed back and forth like a hot potato with each new recipient cutting their losses after realizing that they're not going to be able to flip it the way they had hoped. This does not reflect the true share value to the overwhelming majority of shareholders. I believe demand, volume and price will pick up if IM is able to prove that there's money to be made. However, unless the trade price hits a figure that I absolutely can't refuse, I'm just waiting for a buyout offer.
..."Can't see, from the charts, whether IMGX ever had gained any benefit from "deals" they'd done with others... as far back as ten years ago... ?"...
I'm not sure what charts your looking at, as this company only went public in March 2010, just over 2 years ago. I have to wonder if you're looking at the charts for International Cellular Accessories which is the shell company IM acquired to obtain public status.
..."How far back in history does your own awareness of the company extend ?"...
I've only been aware of them since 2008 when they released the "Emily" tech demo. I began investing in them in 2011, based upon my expectations of the need for digital media to cross the "Uncanny Valley" and IM's ability to do so with significantly less man hours. I have since come to realize the value they could have in portable and social media.
The Model-T wasn't able to effectively change the transportation industry until a network of roads and gas stations were in place making the daily use of an automobile feasible.
Online gaming has been around in it's current form for as much as fifteen years, but has just gained a foothold in the last five due to the availability of a broadband connection in every home.
Cameras have become a standard piece on virtually all computing devices. This is the infrastructure necessary for Live Driver tech to gain traction.
My biggest fear is that this tech becomes a novelty toy that people play with for 10 minutes and then forget about. My biggest hopes are that everybody wants to have an online avatar that they can update according to event, mood or season just as they do with their profile pictures.
Today's kids, the future adults of the world, will eat this up.
It was difficult to locate but here's your link showing the connection between Live Driver and Image Metrics...
http://www.image-metrics.com/?page_id=199
Here's some "cold hard logic" for you...
Starting at post #224 (less than a month ago) you were incorrectly pumping this forum with news and events concerning Faceware Technologies, where I later had to inform you in post #229 that there is no longer a connection between the two entities. You have since done nothing but spin paranoid speculation. I have yet to see any real contribution to the facts.
If you continue to read the forum's history, you'll see that I have been consistently biased about this company, and that my comments and responses have been in line with my post from yesterday. That's not to say that anything I have said is intentionally inaccurate, or inaccurate at all. I am just trying to stay positive about my investment and remind myself why I bought in the first place. As any investor knows, patience is probably the hardest and most important part of the process, next to due diligence.
Also, instead of trying to make me look like a liar, you should probably be a little more appreciative of my efforts and Mr. Ryder's time, as it was your paranoia that led me to make contact with him for a second time in an effort to relieve those unfounded concerns.
Oh snap! You caught me, downsideup. My cover is blown. My real name is BSgenerator3000 and I am from the future. I was sent back in time to your present day on a mission to accelerate the integration of avatar technology into the masses. If I fail, then the future I come from will remain. A future where people have to read through endless mind vomit in order to assess the true character of the author, instead of just seeing the "crazy" written all over their face.
I suggest you loosen up your tinfoil hat. I think it's cutting off circulation.
In response to the Sony deal...
Q: What are the licensing and financial arrangements with Sony Online Entertainment?
A: Unable to go into specifics, but the initial part of the deal (assuming EQ2) is probably less than you'd want but with much larger potential going forward (assuming EQ Next and others).
I just got off the phone with Mr. Ron Ryder. I should mention that he is aware of this forum and who I am, as he simply connected the dots when I announced our scheduled phone call. He was somewhat confused when I mentioned other's attempts to contact him, as he really tries to respond to all investor inquiries. Understand that the format was more of a conversation rather than a Q & A but I will try to summarize as follows. This is not in any way word for word.
Q: Why does the new website fail to mention anything about the public status of the company?
A: The website is intended to be utilized by clients and potential customers, not for investor information.
Q: What was the reasoning for the Faceware Technologies spin-off? Who currently owns FTI?
A: It's no secret that Image Metrics has been acquiring debt throughout the years. Some of this debt was scheduled to default sometime around the turn of the year. It was agreed upon by the board and some or one of the debt holding parties, that the work being done by Image Metrics should continue, and that the best way to avoid default was to sell their Faceware brand and relieve the pending liabilities. The only other option was to fall into insolvency, and nobody wanted that, so Faceware was sold to and is currently owned by an IMGX debt holder while the liabilities of IM was significantly reduced. It should be understood that Live Driver, released in February of this year, has been the goal of Image Metrics from day one. All other products and services up to this point have simply been vehicles used to achieve that goal. Faceware is a great piece of software but the market is minuscule when it comes to generating any substantial revenue. All in all, the FTI deal was a good one for all parties involved.
Q: Does IM make any money through licensing with Faceware Technologies?
A: FTI is contracted to have access to the IM tech but are restricted from using it at the consumer level.
Q: Would you say that interest in Live Driver has been as expected, greater than, or less than expected?
A: Much of the interest received has been from unexpected parties. Software developers were anticipated and are present, but they have been in communication with hardware manufacturers as well. There are multiple deals in the works, some with more potential than you'd expect from an unnamed AAA video game publisher.
Q: Why has IM stopped making press releases?
A: It was never the intent of IM to go public. They did so out of a need for generating cash, which was still a somewhat failed attempt. Being a public company has expenses beyond what was originally anticipated. Their current focus is to develop the product(s), land contracts and generate cash-flow. The stock will never have value unless the company does, and money is better spent on developing the business. Understand that 85% of the stock, if not more, is held by IPO investors. They want value as much as the next guy, and are taking whatever actions they feel are necessary to acquire that value. They're not selling. The price fluctuations being witnessed are the result of a minor amount of shares exchanging hands.
Q: What is the current debt owed by IM?
A: Non-public information
Q: What is the annual operating cost for IM?
A: Can only say that it's significantly less than last year.
I have said in the past, and have to say again (not just because I know he's reading this), that Mr. Ryder comes across as very a genuine guy. He is excited about the future of Live Driver and Image Metrics in general, aside from being the CEO of FTI. I opened the conversation by stating bluntly that there are concerns on this forum about shareholders being left holding the keys to a company with no real assets. He ended the conversation with an unsolicited remark about how all the members of the board and management team have made every attempt to stay focused and honest and make IM a success. They're all working hard to make sure everyone gets paid in a fair manner.
Thanks again, Ron.