Steam vs Epic games

Bellular News | Borderlands 3 UNDER FIRE | Epic DELETE Saves, Keylogger?! Bad DRM & Performance | Much Misinfo!:

Borderlands 3 has been under the spotlight for its rocky yet successful launch, but no-one seems to know what's really going on. There are reports of extreme performance issues across all platforms, accusations of keylogging and hogging bandwidth, and supposedly, the most intrusive version of DRM we've seen yet.

History of Denuvo - the DRM for DRMs:

An investigation into the history of Denuvo Anti Tamper, the controversial anti piracy protection that is rumored to hurt game performance.

Development of the Denuvo software started in 2014.[1] FIFA 15, released in September 2014, was the first game to use Denuvo.[5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denuvo

Denuvo has been bought by the company that tried to force Overwatch porn offline, January 23, 2018:
https://www.pcgamer.com/denuvo-has-been-bought-by-the-company-that-tried-to-force-overwatch-porn-offline/
Denuvo Has Been Sold to Global Anti-Piracy Outfit Irdeto:
https://torrentfreak.com/denuvo-has-been-sold-to-global-anti-piracy-outfit-irdeto-180123/
Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/7se2ek/denuvo_has_been_sold_to_global_antipiracy_outfit/

gamertribalism
Irdeto!! The same asshats that partner and monitor the cable companies users traffic, torrents and streams and have them send out piracy notices on music and movies.

Also, note to current and future CoH streamers. Sega now use Denuvo in new games including DoW3, Total War series, Football Manager, Two Point Hospital, Valkyria Chronicles 4 and Sonic Forces.
Denuvo likely will be in future CoH games and could have a negative impact on CoH streamers without highend PC/bandwidth.

Sega Denuvo list:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/26095454-Denuvo-Games/list/9946/
Steam games using Denuvo:
https://store.steampowered.com/curator/26095454-Denuvo-Games/
Every PC Game With Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM:
https://crackwatch.com/drm/denuvo/games
https://www.game-debate.com/games/gamesWithDenuvo

Epic doesn't care about gamers. They only want to be the king themselves.
Death to the king! Long live the king!

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2014-01-23

I agree, Epic want to be king and reap the benefits. Using whatever means possible to destroy Steam.

AAA gaming + EPIC CEO:


Epic Games Store Exclusivity Was A Mistake For Borderlands 3:
https://www.thegamer.com/borderlands-3-epic-games-store-mistake/

Poor Steam.

Following the Metro Exodus debacle, Borderlands 3 just had to go and make things worse with their own Epic Games Store exclusivity. It was an unnecessary move that merely highlights the money-hungry reality that plagues triple-A gaming publishers like Deep Silver and 2K. Though it's realistically always been about the profits as opposed to the fans, now so more than ever it has become the driving nature for most game production. *SNIP*

Borderlands 3 Seemingly Has a Reference to Randy Pitchford’s Porn Scandal, September 19, 2019:
https://segmentnext.com/2019/09/19/borderlands-3-seemingly-has-a-reference-to-randy-pitchfords-porn-scandal/

*SNIP*
It seems as a reference to his statements, developers at Gearbox added an easter egg in Borderlands 3.

Rumor has it that Randy wasn’t happy about a quest in the game called “Randy Randy,” in which the quest giver asks the vault hunter to “storm a castle and find my hard drive, unless you are the FBI.”

It looks like an attempt to publicly shame Randy. It seems even his own development team is tired of his antics.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/01/gearbox-ceo-allegedly-kept-underage-porn-on-usb-stick-new-lawsuit-alleges/
The allegations about a USB stick places its discovery at a 2014 Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament location in Dallas, down the road from Gearbox's Plano, Texas, headquarters. Callender alleges in the December suit that someone from the restaurant perused the USB stick's contents upon their discovery and then contacted the game studio so that its employees could recover it. "Pitchford declared that the thumb drive was his and requested its prompt return," Callender's suit states.

Epic Games Paid 9.49M Euros For Control's Exclusivity According To Digital Bros:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/d6uwa9/epic_games_paid_949m_euros_for_controls/
https://www.spieltimes.com/news/epic-games-paid-9-49m-euros-for-control-exclusivity/

Epic Exclusivity is something that has been a very controversial topic in the recent days. Many fans have been against Epic Store’s business strategy of grabbing timed exclusives to increase the exposure of their Store. Amidst all that, a report revealed by Digital Bros, parent company of 505 Games, Digital Bros, parent company of 505 Games, reveals that Epic Store paid 9.49 million euros for Control Exclusivity
*SNIP*

Finance Yahoo | Epic has been tight lipped on its exclusivity deals, but a financial report from 505 Games' parent sheds new light on financial arrangement:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/505-games-parent-digital-bros-170300923.html

Based on the details made public when 505 Games and Remedy announced their deal, we know that 45% of the funds—€4.27 million—went to the publisher. The remaining 55%—€5.22 million—were distributed to Remedy

SidAlpha | Epic Games Store Exclusive Payment for Control Disclosed by Publisher:


Imagine how much EGS paid Randy/2K for Borderlands 3 exclusivity?

Randy Randy

Randy Randy

Allegedly, Wade Callender's attorney Blake Beckham is one of the best in Texas and has never lost a jury trial..

Blake L. Beckham, co-founder of The Beckham Group, is an accomplished Texas business litigation attorney with one extraordinary and formidable distinction: Beckham has never lost a jury trial.

source:http://beckham-group.com/attorneys/blake-beckham

Blake Beckham seems confident Wade Callender will win this 'money fight' that likely can cost Gearbox/Randy millions of dollars.
Also, NRA just hired Wade as new top lawyer & general counselor.

Below a new quote from Blake Beckham in response to NRA hiring Wade Callender.
NRA Hires Former Gearbox Software Attorney:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gearbox-software-attorney-hired-by-nra-1237620
Callender will replace NRA former general counselor David Lehman, who stepped down in August.
"I think the NRA went out and found the best of the best," Blake Beckham, one of Callender's attorneys, said. "He's a rock-solid individual, a man of high morals, strong Christian values, conservative politically, ex-military. He's exactly what the NRA needs."

https://www.turboplay.com/

TurboPlay's grand ambition to be the Spotify of games:
Co-founder Vince McMullin wants to take on other PC storefronts with different takes on algorithms, revenue sharing, and community
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-09-24-turboplays-grand-ambition-to-be-the-spotify-of-games

*SNIP*
Vince McMullin is ready to pick a fight with Steam. And the Epic Games Store. And just about every other PC gaming storefront that isn't, as he put it, giving gamers what they want.
"We have a lot of developers that are very concerned about what's going on with the Epic Games store," he said. "The exclusives are creating quite a closed market. And anybody that's been around the industry for as long as I have would know that eventually that's going to become problematic. We're going to be completely non-exclusive."

EGS nonexistent BL3 "sales" & boycott successful?
Good steam news, it seems the EGS BL3 boycott is working and Take-Two investors/shareholders are not buying the corporate marketing stunt (see below).
Maybe BL3 sold well on console but not PC/EGS (needs more proof to validate Take-Two claims).
As said by other gamers, BL3 "sell-In" doesn't actually really mean "sold".

Take-Two News Release | Borderlands® 3 Redefines Mayhem; Establishes Franchise as Billion Dollar Global Brand (misleading "sale" info):
https://ir.take2games.com/news-releases/news-release-details/borderlandsr-3-redefines-mayhem-establishes-franchise-billion/?field_nir_news_date_value

latest installment in genre-defining, shooter-looter series sold-in more than 5 million units within first five days of launch, making Borderlands 3 the fastest-selling title in 2K history and highest-selling title for the label on PC

For all we know BL3 retailers could end up selling this game on discount or return unsold units/keys for a refund. Take-Two/2K did the same marketing stunt with Mafia III's record "sales".
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/sellthrough-vs-sellin-34397.html

Sell-through” and “sell-in” are terms used in a specific type of sales channel. In these transactions, a retailer buys and stocks products from a manufacturer or distributor. The retailer reserves the right to return unsold units to the supplier for a refund or credit.

https://i.imgur.com/RVpxmkH.jpg

EPIC CEO stayed suspicious quiet on twitter during this record BL3 "sale" and only making retweets from Gearbox/2K marketing.
Also informed gamers in Europe reported that BL fans who could not wait for steam release are buying on console, not EGS.
The irony here, Steam/Microsoft/Sony all get a 30% cut of the revenue they receive on the digital market sales. EGS so bad it's pushing gamers to buy on console?.

Borderlands 3's "big sales" figures actually caused Take-Two's stock to drop by nearly 5% as the game failed to beat analyst projections:
https://www.tweaktown.com/news/67756/borderlands-3-sales-milestone-causes-stocks-dip/index.html

*SNIP*
A bit of perspective on the figures: Take-Two used similar vernacular when describing Mafia III's sales in 2016, which managed to push 4.5 million copies in its first week, making it the then-fastest selling 2K Game on the market

Mafia III's "record sales" (BL3 used same marketing stunt):
https://www.videogamer.com/news/mafia-3-has-now-sold-in-approximately-5-million-units
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4043598-take-two-interactive-software-ttwo-q3-2017-results-earnings-call-transcript

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/daatm6/borderlands_3_sales_milestone_causes_stocks_to/

Red_Eye_Ragnarok
You're right and you're not.

the 5 million shipments (sell-in, not sell-through as in actual sales)

5 million keys have been sold to store fronts in the first 5 days. That number is probably correct and "high" - but a mathmatical fake. No one is "really lying" - they are just brushing up the numbers to look good.

Within its first five days of launch, 50 percent more consumers purchased Borderlands 3 versus sales of its predecessor – Borderlands 2

We also know that BL3 in the first 5 days was actually sold 50% more than BL2 - probably within in the same time frame? Which isn't really impressive, from my point of view. We could repeat what was said over the subreddit again: PC gaming was smaller when BL2 released ... BL2 reached its height with the DLCs and sales ... etc

game failed to beat analyst projection

Yes. It did. Obviously. Because it should have sold 5 million copies instead of just shipped them. And investors are getting paid to look through marketing BS.

Since the announcement, Take-Two's stock has dropped from yesterday's $131.11 high down to $124.91 low during the time of writing, representing a 4.72% dip.

That's a boycott in action, y'all.

Hey u/timsweeneyepic - you had the chance to make a better launcher, but now PC gaming just hates you. I don't really know what your goals are, but I assume Tencent is quite happy that you're disrupting the PC market, and that the general consensus for something like Galaxy 2.0 is generally positive. I assume that you're smart enough to notice that you and the EGS are being exploited to further a cause that is bigger than yourself. I also assume that you facilitate that for your own gain. I really hope all the hate is it worth it in the end for you - because for us it's fucking not. fuck you. fuck epic.

Zellio2015
That's only inconcurrent users, which went from 6 to 18.5 at max:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/308330/number-stream-users/

Steam had 50 million users in 2012 (And we have no monthly user stats). Now they have 1 billion:
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-11-22-steam-still-at-50-million-users-500-000-use-big-picture
https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-has-over-one-billion-accounts/
That is an increase of 2000%

EPIC CEO lurking in the fuckepic subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/dapan2/so_he_is_really_lurking_around_here_lmao/


source:https://www.thegamer.com/epic-boss-says-developers-win-game-store-wars-not-consumers/

TL;DR:
Randy and 2K/Take-Two released some misleading BL3 sale info. Brushing up the numbers to look good.
Game journos did a poor job on this news story and copy pasted some Take-Two marketing BS.

Randy/Gearbox fails again to pay royalties!. New lawsuit from Duke Nukem 3D composer.

SidAlpha | Randy Pitchford, Gearbox, AND Valve SUED over Duke Nukem 3D Copyright Infringement:

Jim Sterling | Duke Nukem 3D Composer Sues Randy Pitchford, Gearbox & Valve For Infringement

Duke Nukem 3D composer sues Randy Pitchford, Gearbox and Valve:
https://www.pcgamer.com/duke-nukem-3d-composer-sues-randy-pitchford-gearbox-and-valve/
Furthermore, Prince claimed he contacted Randy Pitchford requesting royalties for the music in the 2016 game, and was told he would be "taken care of", but never received any money. Pitchford also "refused to remove the music from the game", Prince's attorneys said.

Duke Nukem Lawsuit Brought Against Gearbox, Valve By Original Composer:

https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/duke-nukem-lawsuit-brought-against-gearbox-valve-by-original-composer
The situation is perhaps best summarized by this paragraph in the Duke Nukem lawsuit filing:

Incredibly, the electronic files for the music within Duke Nukem 3D World Tour include text specifically stating that Mr. Prince owns the copyright to the music and has reserved all rights to the music’s use. Yet Gearbox incorporated the music into the game without ever contacting Mr. Prince and without clearing the rights expressly mentioned in the electronic files.

Mr. Prince is demanding a trial by jury, requesting a judgement in his favor and the maximum statutory damages for the alleged infringement. Alternatively, he's put the offer of "actual damages and Defendants’ profits, plus attorneys’ fees and costs, as well as an injunction prohibiting Defendants from infringing his copyrights" on the table.

Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/434050/Duke_Nukem_3D_20th_Anniversary_World_Tour/
Robert Prince (video game composer):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Prince_(video_game_composer)

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/JimSterling/comments/db33e6/duke_nukem_3d_composer_bobby_prince_files_lawsuit/

Wildroses2009
From the article it looks like Randy doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Whether this is true is for the courts to decide but I will watch with fascination as history suggests Randy will rant about the ingratitude of artists who don’t appreciate exposure unless his lawyers manage to gag him.

It does remind me a little of the whole situation where Claptraps voice artist wanted to be paid after not being paid for the first two. Randy seems to have trouble with the idea that creative people might actually have rights to their work and he can’t just take things he wants for his video games.

pcgaming | Bobby Prince (music composer for Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem, and others) has filed a lawsuit against Gearbox Software:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/davg2v/bobby_prince_music_composer_for_wolfenstein_3d/

EDIT: Updated Info

Exclusive: Troy Baker on Randy Pitchford: “I Would Fact-Check Before I Tweeted”
https://www.onlysp.com/troy-baker-rhys-borderlands-3-randy-pitchford-exclusive-interview/
Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/bem7mh/troy_baker_on_randy_pitchford_i_would_factcheck/
Troy Baker:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1684869/

Update to this news story.

Voice actor Troy Baker claims Gearbox refused union talent for Borderlands 3 (Updated):
https://www.pcgamer.com/voice-actor-troy-baker-claims-gearbox-refused-union-talent-for-borderlands-3/

“They wouldn’t go union” – Troy Baker on why Gearbox didn’t use him for Rhys in Borderlands 3:

https://www.vg247.com/2019/09/30/borderlands-3-troy-baker-rhys-union/
*SNIP*
We recently got a chance to talk to Baker during a fan event for Retro Replay, a Let’s Play series the actor hosts alongside the other Troy Baker, Nolan North. During our chat, he was openly disappointed that he didn’t get a chance to play Rhys again in Borderlands 3.

“So they came to me, and they were like, ‘Do you want to do this?’,” Baker explained. “Which I said, ‘Absolutely.’ And then they made it impossible for me to do the role. It had nothing to do with money, it had nothing to do with money. They just simply would not go about doing it the way that we needed it to be done. So then it was like, I never said no.”

We asked Baker to clarify what he meant by this, be it scheduling conflicts or something else.

“No, it was simply a matter of they wouldn’t go union,” he replied. “And I can’t do a non-union gig. And without getting too deep into the weeds of that, we had long conversations about this. We always knew going into it, that this was going to be the thing. They were going to take these characters, and put them from the Tales from the Borderlands series from Telltale, into Borderlands proper. I’ve been waiting for this call. They were like, ‘Do you want to do this?’ And I said, ‘Yes’. They never, because they would never move from that position. I’m not mad. It’s invariably a completely different character, but it still stings.”

In a statement delivered to Kotaku, SAG-AFTRA backed up Baker’s claim with their own. In their words, Gearbox “refused and disengaged” from union talks:

“The misguided decision by Gearbox to deny their performers the opportunity to have fair union wages, a safe workplace and the possibility of health care coverage for their families, is unfortunate.”

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/10/01/troy-baker-isnt-in-borderlands-3-because-gearbox-wouldnt-go-union/
https://kotaku.com/troy-baker-says-he-didnt-voice-rhys-in-borderlands-3-be-1838620065

Reddit | Voice actor Troy Baker claims Gearbox refused union talent for Borderlands 3:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/dbbz6z/voice_actor_troy_baker_claims_gearbox_refused/

It Turns Out Borderlands 3 Sales Aren't Quite As Good As 2K Said They Were, SEP 30, 2019:

https://www.thegamer.com/borderlands-3-sales-not-what-2k-said/
So it turns out that 2K might have fibbed a bit when they said that Borderlands 3 sales were the best thing since sliced bread.
*SNIP*
However, one number might have been a bit of a fib. 2K said that there were 5 million units of Borderlands 3 sold-in, which is not the same as 5 million units sold (that would be "sold-through," to use retail parlance). This means there are still copies of Borderlands 3 sitting on shelves out there waiting for homes.

This also failed to capture Wall St. interest as the actual sales figures were about what analysts expected. Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of 2K Games, saw its stock drop roughly 5% after the announcement.
TweakTown notes that 2K pulled a similar fast one on announcements regarding Mafia III back in 2016, saying that the game sold more than the 4.5 million copies that actually did in the first week.
And while Borderlands 3 may be the new fastest-selling Borderlands game, it still hasn’t hit the 10 million units that Borderlands 2 has sold over its entire lifespan. Furthermore, 2K didn’t provide any figures to showcase pre-sale numbers, which might be indicative of Epic Games Store controversy causing some players to wait for the Steam release in 6 months.

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/dbpj7l/it_turns_out_borderlands_3_sales_arent_quite_as/
Borderlands 3 sales milestone causes Take-Two's stocks to dip:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/daqpjx/borderlands_3_sales_milestone_causes_taketwos/

NonBelieverKappa
Previous post got removed for editorializing the title. I thought (as many people) that BL3 sold 5 million units, but it turned out they "shipped" not sold. As u/adanine said:

"It's important to point out that nothing in their original statement (2K) was a lie. The terminology they used in their press release was:

... In addition, Borderlands 3 has sold-in more than 5 million units in its first five days...

Note "sold-in", not "sold". For those unfamiliar, the definition of "Sold-in" is "to sell (new products) to a retail outlet to be sold to the public". "

theBlackDragon
They did the same with Metro Exodus. They're just trying to make it seem like not enough people give about the exclusivity deals in hopes those not fully committed to not dealing with the EGS will start considering it an inevitability and give up their "resistance" against being assimilated.

For the record, they compared Exodus to the previous title in the series, a niche game from quite a while ago now, without giving actual numbers, which is akin to saying Witcher 3 did good because it sold twice as much as Witcher 2 (in Witcher's case that would not even have been enough to break even, iirc).

TL;DR:

Report: Steam's 30% cut is actually the industry standard:
A breakdown of how much every major retailer takes from the sale of a game
https://ca.ign.com/articles/2019/10/07/report-steams-30-cut-is-actually-the-industry-standard

Last year the Epic Games Store swooped in and started hoovering up game exclusives like they were Pokemon cards, offering PC publishers an alternative to Valve's 30% cut on Steam by taking just 12% from the games sold through its new platform. Since then, the cuts game retailers take and the effect it has on both players and developers alike have been a hot topic - and, as it often goes with the internet, a lot of misinformation can get mixed into those conversations.
We reached out to nearly half a dozen sources within the games industry (as well as the game retailers directly) in order to get the actual numbers on what cuts most major retailers take. While many of these sources prefer to remain anonymous, they paint a picture that could be surprising to some players, one where Valve’s now infamous 30% cut isn’t actually out of the norm. In fact, it's pretty much the industry standard.

Here's an easy-to-read infographic breaking down how much the biggest game retailers take from the sale price of a video game, and keep reading below to find out why it’s not quite as straightforward as these simple percentages:

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/denab8/report_steams_30_cut_is_actually_the_industry/

EPIC CEO salty about IGN Report?
Reddit:
Tim Sweeney at it again: This time Tim VS IGN
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/depcj3/tim_sweeney_at_it_again_this_time_tim_vs_ign/
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/df25qk/i_feel_like_he_has_more_important_stuff_to_do/



https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1181302491226525698

Timmy Tencent using the "it takes time" argument:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/depmcv/timmy_tencent_using_the_it_takes_time_argument/

EVERSPACE 2 devs on Kickstarter:
"Due to broken promises from indie devs all the way to AAA publishers, it is probably no exaggeration to say that trust in developers is at an all-time low"; reaffirms that Everspace 2 will launch on Steam first "no matter what".
source:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rockfishgames/everspace/posts/2644664
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/de6yh4/everspace_2_devs_on_kickstarter_due_to_broken/
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-09-09-rockfish-interview-everspace-2

ANTI Steam & Epic Move?! Red Dead Redemption 2 PC PUNISHES Users Not Using Rockstar’s Launcher:

Rockstar are going hard on the Rockstar Game Launcher, offering customers who wish to use Epic or Steam a downgraded experience, with Steam being delayed and Epic have it's pre-order bonus's downgraded to be WORSE than console! This entire story serves as a look into the fundamentals of Rockstar's business model and, how it's less about what you pay, and more about what they receive.

Reddit:
https://twitter.com/RockstarGames/status/1180129407710715905

Bound By Blades indies (kickstarter) strongly against EGS exclusivity:

source:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/973070/Bound_By_Blades/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boundbyblades/bound-by-blades-a-monster-hunting-action-rpg/faqs
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/dey69a/bound_by_blades_dev_is_against_exclusivity_and/

Tim Sweeney's strategy centers around slandering Steam so this IGN report really hit a nerve.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Really Shouldn't Be Allowed on Twitter:
Unsurprisingly, Tim Sweeney has used the latest IGN report as further ammunition to flaunt the merits of the Epic Game Store in a fashion that makes you wonder whether he should be allowed to use Twitter.
https://www.ccn.com/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-really-shouldnt-be-allowed-on-twitter/

The verge | Unlike Blizzard, Epic Games says it won’t ban players for political speech:
https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/9/20906110/blizzard-hearthstone-ban-hong-kong-china-epic-games-fortnite-blitzchung
https://www.reddit.com/r/FortNiteBR/comments/dfih95/epics_stance_on_the_hk_and_bliz_conflict
https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1181933071760789504:


Cookie points to Epic CEO?:


Fortnite Employees Work Up To 100 Hours A Week:
https://screenrant.com/fortnite-employees-work-100-hours-week/

Epic CEO: I will not bend to China.
Twitter mob: Orange man bad!
Epic CEO backpedal: I will bend to twitter cancel culture/npc mob.
https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1182747079946493952
Quote Epic CEO:

"Oh wow, there's some horrible stuff there. Sorry all, had no idea. At a quick glance, I'd assume this site was some kind of general r/fuckepic style industry criticism."

TheQuartering | My Tim Sweeney Interview RUINED By Jealous Deplatforming Game "Journos":

Epic Games CEO bows to Twitter mob FAST! Backs out of Quartering interview:

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckepic/comments/dgmrar/no_tegrity/

PCgamer | Every game company that Tencent has invested in:
A quick reference of how China's largest tech conglomerate has quietly expanded into videogames.

https://www.pcgamer.com/every-game-company-that-tencent-has-invested-in/
Tencent's $330 million investment in Epic Games back in June 2012 triggered one of the most dramatic shifts in PC gaming of the last decade, ushering in a new era of free-to-play games as a service. Seeing that "the old model" of selling games wasn't working, Epic founder Tim Sweeney decided to join forces with Tencent to better learn about operating live-service games. It paid off.

From Chinese Tencent, China’s Latest Online Viral Game Makes You Clap for Xi Jinping Smart propaganda – now clapping for Xi Jinping has become a competition, October 18, 2017 (old news but relevant):
https://www.whatsonweibo.com/chinas-latest-online-viral-game-makes-clap-xi-jinping/

With the introduction of a new game by Tencent, people can now also clap along to Xi Jinping’s speech from their own living room. The game became an online hit on October 18. It was already played over 400 million times by 9 pm Beijing time.

Clap for Xi mobile game from Tencent goes Viral:


Former Blizzard lead, Mark Kern warns about China's growing influence within entertainment/media industry:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1181736075775004672.html
https://twitter.com/Grummz/status/1181736075775004672

*SNIP*
Chinese game companies have grown huge not just because of market size, but because the government subsidizes them. They get free land, free offices, and huge infusions of cash.

This cash was and is used to do expand and buy up stakes in US gaming companies.
I’ve seen firsthand the corruption of Chinese gaming companies, and I was removed from a company I founded (after Blizzard) for refusing to take a 2 million dollar kickback bribe to take an investment from China. This is the first time I’ve ever spoken pubically about it.
I’ve also seen how American company reps in China have been offered similar bribes to get licenses for large AAA titles. Not everyone refused like I did.
Chinese companies tried to ruin my career with planted press stories. Money is often paid for favorable press in China and some of that money flows here to the US as well.

Unfortunately, money talks. China has succeeded in infiltrating all levels of tech, gaming and more.
Unfortunately, US and European companies are loath to take risks and invest in game companies legally as much as China was. China remained one of the few places mid tier studios could get funding.

So again, China influence grew. I’m sure this is the same for movies as well.
But now we are in a situation where unlimited Communist money dictates our American values. We censor our games for China, we censor our movies for China. *SNIP*

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/dfslaf/world_of_warcraft_vanilla_team_lead_mark_kern/

Good analysis by Drift0r & Inside Gaming. Explain the complex situation for western game companies that do business in China.
Drift0r | Chinese Censorship of US Media Explained (Blizzard, NBA, & South Park):

Inside Gaming | How Chinese Censorship is Changing Gaming - Inside Gaming Feature:

Excellent thread..!!!
peanut roasting machine