EA sold to the devil

[Maryokutai]

A tiny bit of pushback happening: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/saudi-arabias-acquisition-of-electronic-arts-faces-pushback-from-game-developers-petition-calls-on-ftc-to-scrutinize-this-deal-closely/

 

But I think if the ABK deal could get through, I don't see how this could get blocked. 

[DANGERMAN]

2 hours ago, Maryokutai said:

A tiny bit of pushback happening: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/saudi-arabias-acquisition-of-electronic-arts-faces-pushback-from-game-developers-petition-calls-on-ftc-to-scrutinize-this-deal-closely/

 

But I think if the ABK deal could get through, I don't see how this could get blocked. 

if Saudi do something to piss Trump off maybe? But given his son in law is involved, that seems unlikely

[Maf]

Well this is dark

 

Don’t care too much about EA but the fact the PIF has large investments in something like 200 companies from video games to UBER means you can’t really get away from them. 
 

Surely you would think a country with deep problems in human rights violations and political killings^ investing in every big company across the west would raise some kind of national security concerns regarding soft power and influence but I guess when Trump, for example, is also making money off it. What do they actually care about the potential dangers of it all

[DANGERMAN]

I'm amazed how many people leap to the defence of the PIF (and similar groups) already. Granted, being a football fan maybe I'm exposed to it more, with City, Newcastle, PSG, even Chelsea to some extent, but it's such a peculiar thing that anyone would be pleased about it for a company. 

 

I know I'm just not of that persuasion, but I'm still gutted about SNK getting bought, ultimately it means the same thing as if they'd stopped existing to me 

[Maf]

In gaming some of the FGC were the first to fold. I don’t remember who but there was controversy around players going to tournament/events in Qatar and/or Saudi Arabia and the response was basically “why is it different from any other country?”. E-sports washing 

[Maryokutai]

So, how likely do you think is a new Alice game with Saudi financing?

 

[DANGERMAN]

This has been approved now. The BBC say it's finalised, which it might be, I'm not sure how quickly things like this move 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjejyl34345o

 

Directly this doesn't really affect me, I haven't bought an EA game in years

[one-armed dwarf]

Last thing I got by them was a pack of Ultima games on GoG, cause they own that. Not that they're doing anything with it currently. 

 

Pretty easy to avoid their games going forward I think, as Mass Effect is never going to get a new game anyway and if it did it would be totally compromised by its new owners, given that those games have been exploring LGBT stories since 2007.

 

This leveraged buyout thing makes no sense to me, we will buy you guys out and you will have to pay back 20bn. 

 

Reminder also that these guys own EVO, if you're watching that and getting hype for the latest FG news and tournaments, the main value in that, this and SNK are reputation laundering not monetary

 

Quote

But the huge purchases have also often drawn accusations of sportswashing - sponsoring or hosting sporting events to promote a positive public image and distract attention from human rights issues.

While the Saudi Arabian government has spent years denying such claims, Osborn said the EA deal could present another way of allowing it to project its influence.

"If the PIF's football strategy limited them to ownership of Newcastle United and some Saudi Pro League teams, owning EA hands them a relationship with the 20,000 players, 750 clubs and 35 leagues at the top of the professional game," he said.

"What is clear is that a state seeking to shape perceptions now owns an asset with proven reach to billions of people.

"How it uses it in the years to come is something we should watch closely."

PIF is controlled by Saudi Arabia's prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose government has been accused of human rights violations.

 

I wonder what would happen if they bought a company people really give a shit about, like a Capcom or something like that. 

[Sly Reflex]

Anecdotal, but a few of the football focus youtubers I follow have said they won't be pursuing FIFA or whatever it's called now. I don't think it's related with the buyout, more a case of FIFA being shit now compared to earlier versions.

 

What's funny is this has been going on since the days of when it was FIFA vs Pro Evo. People have always complained about FIFA being turd, with the exception of a year here or there where they actually rectify stuff that bothers people.

 

Is it a sign that the wheels are about to come off? Barely. People would play a subpar game that had Messi's face on it over a better game that has Vinyl Pessi in the ranks. Ultimately with all these sports games as long as the players people see on TV are in the game, this is the game they'll buy. Unless the quality really falters to a degree that the casuals revolt, they'll be fine. That shit is a license to print money. 

 

For the enthusiast, people say they won't, but they will. At least some will. The allure of playing new Mass Effect or other stuff EA have under their umbrella will be too strong for a lot and they'll quite happily or begrudgingly sweep that shit to the side so they can play the game they want. We have a canny ability to go "Ah this one doesn't count" with many aspects of our lives when it comes to things we supposedly stand against.

 

I do wonder if we will see a pivot on the narrative of games and also if people champion this change given how vocal the antiwoke crowd is. There's a lot of minutiae that could alter how the games come out in the coming years. It wouldn't surprise me if there's significant pandering to that crowd, a pandering I think will bomb because that section of the market is (ironically) a minority.

 

I just realised that I've not answered this weeks Hot Topic. See you over there.

[DisturbedSwan]

America itself is one of the worst and most evil countries on earth so I don’t really see this as much of a change really. 

[one-armed dwarf]

The american government as an entity didn't 'own' EA before though, and sell it to the Saudi government. Though the Kushners do have a stake in one of the companies buying them now, so there's that.