Tim Sweeny has said thing in the past that were later rendered untrue so I will hold back applause because as they say money talks.
Tim Sweeney follows up on Epic Game's stance on allowing players freedom of speech post Activision Blizzard controversy.
- Thread starter lowhighkang_LHK
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In practice there is no such thing as a private Chinese company. What Tencent execs may or may not want is irrelevant if the CCP tells them to cut ties with Epic.
I'm talking about memes about the protests going on in Hong Kong, not ones necessarily also related to Fortnite.
People haven't referred to Hong Kong on Fortnite live streams or social media? This whole thing with Blizzard started when blitzchung said Liberate Hong Kong on an unrelated Hearthstone live stream. No one has done something similar with Fortnite since yesterday? If not, I'm sure it's coming.
Yeah, but someone above just pointed out the gap between what Epic stands to lose and what Blizzard stands to lose, so I really don't know if it feels right comparing apples and oranges. One choice seems a lot harder to make.
Like what? I'm not doubting you, just curious about specific examples.
That's pretty bold, considering Tencent's 40%. If it does happen, he'll gain some points with me.
Lot of stuff relating to the EGS, saying they were funding some exclusive games for the platform when it turned into the deals of exclusivity that have become the headache that they became, pledging to not send deals to big and important game releasing on Steam and then still doing that, ditto for the crowdfunded scene, trying to spin themselves as the folkhero of the indiedev and then throwing up the curated wall and rejecting games if they wont take the deal, trying to say they are all about choice when that choice is actually reduced by taking away games from Steam and GOG, turning publishers into lairs themselves, see Take 2 saying that wouldn't take the deal and then they took the deal. So I am going pause and wait to see what the action games are before anything else.
exactly. The government has firm control and often has high level officials in the Communist government on boards and other jobs within those corporations. If the government tells a company to do something, they do it. It's all state run capitalism.
Good to see him come out with a strong statement.
Of course, if Epic does cave they should be criticised as much, if not more than Blizzard.
Of course, if Epic does cave they should be criticised as much, if not more than Blizzard.
Tbh, much as I dislike the particular way Epic has thrown their weight around in the PC gaming space lately, I think he's being honest about this. We'll see what happens, but this is a pretty strong statement and I think we'll probably see Epic stand by this pretty quickly here. No one should be chomping at the bit hoping he folds so they can point and laugh at how we've got proof he's evil.
Dude is a total opportunist, but I definitely support his stance if he's actually telling the truth.
Don't forget while he states about how he wants to help the PC landscape and developers with Valve's "unfair" split, he and Epic Games abandoned the platform long ago due to piracy and concentrated their efforts solely on consoles.
I think we all want Tim Sweeney, for once, to keep his word on this matter. However, money talks, and based on Tim's words over the years, it can go either direction.
Oh man....anyone else hear Ron Howard / arrested development voice over after reading those tweets
"Little did Tim know how wrong he was"
He is just asking for trouble
"Little did Tim know how wrong he was"
He is just asking for trouble
They can only make it right by rescinding any apology in the Chinese market and reinstating everyone they banned. It can't be a quiet thing where they just give him the prize money and silently unban him.
They probably already ruined the casters lives and made their careers unsafe though. This is very difficult to walk back.
I don't expect them to go far enough, but I'd happily be surprised.
Edit: I quoted the wrong person and I can't seem to find it easily on mobile. Clearly I meant to respond to if blizzard can possibly fix this.
They probably already ruined the casters lives and made their careers unsafe though. This is very difficult to walk back.
I don't expect them to go far enough, but I'd happily be surprised.
Edit: I quoted the wrong person and I can't seem to find it easily on mobile. Clearly I meant to respond to if blizzard can possibly fix this.
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Good on Sweeney and Epic. My respect for both would have gone way up though if he actually mentioned Hong Kong and the protests. In the coming days if there is any fallout with their business dealings with Tencent it will clearly show Tencent is an apparatus of the Chinese government and not just some investor we should overlook because they have their hands in everything.
I believe him. Not the first time he's made it clear that Tencent doesn't - and probably will never - own a controlling stake in Epic.
certainly can't get any clearer assurances than these.
that probably makes no difference, since I hear they play a different version of Fortnite in China. Memes on international Fortnite don't really faze the Chinese communist party any more than on Reddit, for example.
certainly can't get any clearer assurances than these.
that probably makes no difference, since I hear they play a different version of Fortnite in China. Memes on international Fortnite don't really faze the Chinese communist party any more than on Reddit, for example.
None of those were as categorical and explicit as the pledge he's making with respect to freedom of speech.
it's really the personal antipathy and towards Sweeney that's shaped the narrative that he's some sort of compulsive, pathological liar.
It comes down to a reputation and in this case a willingness to suffer being banned in China potentially. I want to believe this statement but I can't do it at face value.
Sweeney's reaction makes Blizzard's censure even more baffling and throws it into even worse light.
My understanding is that Fortnite eSports doesn't have as much of a foothold in China as Blizzard's games. Googling around, it looks like most of the Asian competitors are from South Korea.
Epic: "We love to enable our players to have freedom of speech especially when it comes to politics"
Epic immediately after: "Celebrate your right to freedom of speech by buying this limited edition, one day only $35 skin"
Epic immediately after: "Celebrate your right to freedom of speech by buying this limited edition, one day only $35 skin"
I really appreciate him voicing his views and confronting the concerns head-on. You can feel any type of way about him or Epic or Fortnite, etc, but more CEOs need to take stands like this.
This will probably be tested in the near future though
This will probably be tested in the near future though