PopCap Preparing For IPO As Early As November

Popcap CEO Dave Roberts says the popular casual game company could be headed for an initial public offering of stock in a matter of months. "We are very much in the process of preparing a listing," Roberts told reporters at a news conference, as reported by Reuters. "We expect to be ready to be listed as early as November this year." Roberts has been talking publicly of a potential IPO since as far back as December, and said in April that the company has been in talks with both the New York and NASDAQ stock exchanges, with the latter being a more likely home for the company's offering. In a March interview with Gamasutra, Roberts said that, regardless of any IPO plans, the company would not be seeking to get bought in the near future. "Whenever you [talk about filing] an [IPO], you’re pretty much guaranteed that someone will come and try to buy you," he said. "Our goal is not about an exit at PopCap. It’s about creating this legacy of games that mean as much as Monopoly and Scrabble to the world." The company has been expanding its international footprint recently, signing a Plants vs. Zombies distribution deal with Chinese social gaming network Renren and launching a Pop Tower social game service in Japan. Angry Birds studio Rovio has recently been making noise about pursuing an IPO in the next few years. Social gaming giant Zynga, meanwhile, has remained largely silent on widespread speculation of an IPO, amidst private investment that puts the company's value in the billions.