Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney addresses Chinese investor Tencent
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to address the ongoing anti-China backlash to the Epic Games Store.
The Epic Games Store has had its share of backlash over the past few weeks. The most recent Internet kerfuffle surrounds Chinese company Tencent's investment in Epic Games. Some trolls and misinformed individuals have spread the rumor that Epic Games Store is actually Chinese spyware. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to set the record straight.
I’m the controlling shareholder in Epic Games, and have been since 1991. We have a number of outside investors now. Tencent is the largest. All of Epic’s investors our friends and partners. None can dictate decisions to Epic. None have access to Epic customer data.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 5, 2019
Here's Tim Sweeney's full statement posted to his personal Twitter page:
I support everyone’s right to complain about tech industry stuff. Epic’s store, with exclusive games and a spartan feature set, is a fine target for ire. But please help separate facts and opinions from the lies about spyware and foreign control.
I’m the controlling shareholder in Epic Games, and have been since 1991. We have a number of outside investors now. Tencent is the largest. All of Epic’s investors our friends and partners. None can dictate decisions to Epic. None have access to Epic customer data.
Tencent is a Chinese company founded in 1998. CEO Pony Ma and the other co-founders played a lot of Unreal Tournament back then, and visited Epic in the early 2000’s. In 2012 Epic was looking to move to online games, and we invited Tencent in as an investor to help us.
I’ve never regretted it, and the recent anti-China rage doesn’t change that even slightly, as its completely unfounded. Epic has only had positive interactions with Tencent at all levels.
All of Epic’s big decisions are made here in the USA and as CEO I’m 100% responsible for them. I’m grateful for everyone who has spoken in support. I also read and respectfully consider all dissenting arguments of fact and principle. Just please keep it real.
We caught up with Tim Sweeney at GDC 2018 and chatted with him about Tencent's investment. "They're just going around and making investments in companies they think have potential in the industry. They've been a good partner in just giving us advice, but we don't see them all that much actually," said Sweeney when asked about the relationship between Tencent and Epic Games.
Sweeney just wants people to tell the truth, and not spread damaging rumors. There are legitimate gripes to have with the Epic Games Store, but review bombing of the Borderlands series on Steam and spreading anti-China rumors on the Internet is not constructive. For now, it appears that the Epic Games Store is not a China spyware plot here to take all of our memes. The Launcher Wars are really bringing out the worst in people. We will continue to report from the frontlines as needed.
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replyAsif Khan posted a new article, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney addresses Chinese investor Tencent
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But the Reddit detective agency has never been wrong before!
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Good article. The anti-China sentiment that seems to be so popular in the USA is problematic.
I'm afraid it is a gateway to anti-Chinese racism. :(-
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I don't think I'm mixing up anything. I think it's absolutely a thing for anti-Chinese government or business sentiment leading to (or supplementing) racism.
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The problem is that there is a historical precedent for this. It's a well documented phenomenon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril -
Also, you should read my posts again.
I'm saying the anti-Chinese sentiment is problematic, not that it's necessarily wrong. There's a lot of shit that is fucked up in China, but does it normalize Chinese racism?
Abso-fucking-lutely.-
It is almost like China and Chinese people are related in some way.
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Your post is a 0% accurate interpretation of mine.
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I took it to mean that you believe criticism of China could cause increased racism against Chinese people, and that implies the criticism should stop, doesn't it? I don't think racists are waiting for permission to be racist.
Sorry for the snarky, obtuse post. It should go without saying that I hope your fears about this don't come true.-
Okay, 50%. Yes on the first part. No on the second part.
Remember that racism and alt-right inculcation are a gradual process. You don't wake up one day deciding to be racist. For most racists, it's many unconscious and conscious micro-decisions that lead to bigoted views.
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You must not read the news, like at all, regarding how China interacts with other countries trying IP, spying, buying stuff, manipulating currency, and many, many other things. It's not racism against the Chinese, it's well founded suspicion of their government and agencies like Tencent that have well known histories of bad activities.
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And how much thought does the average american give to any of this? almost zero. worrying about it on a scale that say racism affects other races here is silly, and I say this as an "asian american" who considers himself educated on the absolutely appalling issues that china has.
You said it yourself, its not racism against the chinese, its their government and by and large I think americans generally get this.
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I'm afraid of it too - the same way as I'm afraid of it in Canada. It's double fucking infuriating that the Chinese government, and a relatively small number of super rich, super corrupt Chinese 'business' people are giving racists ammunition.
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I like Tim Sweeny's whole vibe and attitude about stuff, even though I know he's said stuff I disagree with in the past. Dude is sincere and no-nonsense.
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yeah, agreed! I really like the way he's handling this (and the shack's reporting on it)
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Exactly!
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The biggest issue my friends have had with the Tencent connection is that they're one of the companies behind China's social credit system, not the spyware angle. They don't want to help fund a company taking part in that.
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Do they also boycott Activision Blizzard and Riot Games?
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I don't know? Looks like they have a 5% stake in AB, and 5% in Tesla as well.
I don't seem to have any skin in any of this. I had heard of Tencent before, but I've been learning a lot about them the last few days.
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All of the discussion has been happening on various Slack teams :D
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Thanks for letting me know about the Discord link, btw. Just deleted.
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And Reddit's gone now, as well.
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Tim was caught lying about their future practices with steam games. Tencent has 40% stock. You think, even for a second, that Tim is not going to lie to cover Tencent's involvement or desires? With a history like Tencent, even thinking that they WOULDN'T want to exploit such a relationship is naive. The practices of Epic are dishonest, dirty, and you think they are going to be all clean on their invasion of your steam files looking for friends and games? Riiiiiiiiggghhhhttt...
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I'd be more inclined to believe him had Epic not been caught making backups of your Steam account info (without the user's consent) using a work around to Steam's own API created for such purpose (Ubisoft uses this API to link your accounts with uplay for example).
The whole thing is scummy and to me, it sets a precedent on the kind of business practices I can expect from them as a company. -
Guess what? Tencent also owns large percentages of Ubisoft, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Paradox and a bunch of other large to medium sized video game companies. So do we assume that makes the Uplay launcher + their library and all of the Blizzard launcher games all compromised and infected with spyware as well? Is there a reason no one goes after those other companies that are also partnered with Tencent? Isolated Witch hunts are always the best am I right.
Just a bunch of people who are jealous of the success of Epic Games, Fortnite, Unreal Engine, Epic Games Store and Tim Sweeney. Here is an idea work hard, try to be like those that own, do your own thing and be successful and stop complaining and whining like spoiled brats. My policy -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVrNHI4RdPM
Even fucking Prince Harry is in on this shit train and saying they should ban Fortnite(a Free game) from kids due to being too popular and successful which they spin into addictive and evil.
This right here -> " The Launcher Wars are really bringing out the worst in people. - Asif ". I'd bet money that Valve paid people to start this shit in the first place just to smear and discredit Epic and in hopes of stopping or slowing down the Juggernaut.
I guess at the end of the day "It's not personal it's strictly business" and it is what it is and any new launcher or competitor will have to go through the ringer. Personally I will continue to buy games from the Epic Games Store and all the others digital stores that I choose to cause that is how I roll.-
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"And you're seriously going to post something like Valve paying people to start shit? Really?" why not, you think Valve are saints? Look around you the internet is corrupt anything goes, it could easily happen. Having said that Valve could have 100% nothing to do with it but they could as well and no one will probably ever know.
Honestly at the end of the day I could care less who sells my video games, I just want to play them on my PC and my hard drives. I do however dislike it in any industry when X company is singled out and others are doing the same thing or worse. That is my only beef with this whole situation, I am not loyal to Valve or Epic or any other digital store my loyalty will always be to the video games for that is what really matters.
Keep in mind this in all just my opinion, so it is just words on the NET of what I am thinking no one has to agree with it and that is 100% cool and I respect that.-
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? , nothing you said bothered or offended me.
Do you think it is cool for everyone to "accuse people of things just out of the blue with no reason" like in Epic's case cause that is what everyone is doing? This was my point anyone can accuse anyone or like I just did randomly point the finger at Valve and say they caused the fabricated hate on Epic(with the whole infected with spyware etc) it's really no different and all stupid shit and could be/is groundless.
All this sort of shit is stupid and pointless no matter who it is, not sure why my random accusation on Valve bothers you, I don't think it is any different than the shit piling the majority are doing to Epic.
Anyways I like to think we are Bros and friends and I hate this discussion over others hate make us dislike each other.-
Of course I don't think that's cool, but that's not 'everyone' doing that. It was not obvious to me from reading your post that you meant it as a criticism of that in particular.
There are other reasons people may not like or want to use Epic's stuff; for me, it was the fact that my UE dev tool suddenly became the epic launcher and started downloading fortnite with an automatic update; they're going to have to do a lot to convince me to do stuff with them after that.
But don't worry a bit about this somehow causing a rift; we're cool.-
"the fact that my UE dev tool suddenly became the epic launcher and started downloading fortnite with an automatic update" crazy, I don't use UE dev tools so I had no idea they did that, that is pretty stupid if you ask me. Having said that when I first installed their launcher I swear they auto started to install Fortnite too that is pretty dumb, at least you can stop it though so that is good.
I get what your saying on that front that is pure marketing bullshit to force a product and it is not cool. They should be confident enough with their product to not have to do that MS is the absolute worse at that. This is the problem with most companies that have a lot of money they go to marketing for advice/direction and they end up tainting most companies with their shit/sketchy marketing practices.
Cool Man, I am glad :) \m/
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Make me a pretty salad game launcher! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XAPxidW7pU
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