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Epic Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney has addressed this a number of times and so far given no reason to doubt it, > I’m the controlling shareholder in Epic Games,

by mdoms 5y ago

Epic Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney has addressed this a number of times and so far given no reason to doubt it, > 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. https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1113963999287291905 https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/111396399928729190... Although I completely agree with you that it's a shame to see yet another indie source get swallowed up by a big corporation.

AlexandrB 5y ago
I think it's naive to think that the opinion of a 40% shareholder has no influence on the CEO. Even if that just presents as a bias in their decision making. > Although I completely agree with you that it's a shame to see yet another indie source get swallowed up by a big corporation. For the record, I don't think that Tencent is any more evil than Disney, Sony, or Microsoft in this regard.
- mdoms 5y ago
  > I think it's naive to think that the opinion of a 40% shareholder has no influence on the CEO. Even if that just presents as a bias in their decision making. I'm more than willing to accept that I'm being naive. All I ask is some actual evidence of this influence/bias.
  - KerrAvon 5y ago
    Given almost literally all of recorded corporate history in the United States, the onus is very much on the other side to continually demonstrate a lack of influence/bias. Edited to add: I find the blind faith people place in billionaire CEOs insane. Maybe save the empathy for people who need it and treat the obscenely wealthy with healthy skepticism?
    - mdoms 5y ago
      Maybe you could start with what kind of evidence would convince you? It seems like you're asking Tim Sweeney to prove a negative, which is difficult. I don't think "blind faith" is fair - I just haven't seen any reason to believe Epic is controlled by Chinese interests.
    - johnnyanmac 5y ago
      "the onus is very much on the other side to continually demonstrate a lack of influence/bias." does 10 years of lack of influence count? Like, all Tencent did was try to make some LoL mobile game in china (in Unity, ironically enough). That's the one thing I can't imagine Riot/Epic doing without influence. But that's not really a smoking gun. China, mobile market huge, LoL big IP. No effect on LoL proper outside of the devs working on it. Tencent don't seem to be the kind of company that cares about sticking fingers in the pudding of what works. They invest in successful companies and help other companies (including Sony and Nintendo) operate within China. At this point it feels like the skepticism is unwarranted.
    - nemothekid 5y ago
      There are many American companies that capitulate to Chinese political pressure without even being owned by the Chinese. Tencent owns 2 of the top 5 biggest gaming platforms in the US, but the one that got accused of being too close to the Chinese is now owned by Microsoft. I think the question is why is there an expectation that Tencent is somehow more nefarious than any other billion dollar conglomerate?
      - samplatt 5y ago
joemi 5y ago
Defending one's investors is expected and fairly meaningless, though, isn't it?

by mdoms 5y ago

AlexandrB 5y ago

I think it's naive to think that the opinion of a 40% shareholder has no influence on the CEO. Even if that just presents as a bias in their decision making. > Although I completely agree with you that it's a shame to see yet another indie source get swallowed up by a big corporation. For the record, I don't think that Tencent is any more evil than Disney, Sony, or Microsoft in this regard.

mdoms 5y ago
> I think it's naive to think that the opinion of a 40% shareholder has no influence on the CEO. Even if that just presents as a bias in their decision making. I'm more than willing to accept that I'm being naive. All I ask is some actual evidence of this influence/bias.
- KerrAvon 5y ago
  Given almost literally all of recorded corporate history in the United States, the onus is very much on the other side to continually demonstrate a lack of influence/bias. Edited to add: I find the blind faith people place in billionaire CEOs insane. Maybe save the empathy for people who need it and treat the obscenely wealthy with healthy skepticism?
  - mdoms 5y ago
    Maybe you could start with what kind of evidence would convince you? It seems like you're asking Tim Sweeney to prove a negative, which is difficult. I don't think "blind faith" is fair - I just haven't seen any reason to believe Epic is controlled by Chinese interests.
  - johnnyanmac 5y ago
    "the onus is very much on the other side to continually demonstrate a lack of influence/bias." does 10 years of lack of influence count? Like, all Tencent did was try to make some LoL mobile game in china (in Unity, ironically enough). That's the one thing I can't imagine Riot/Epic doing without influence. But that's not really a smoking gun. China, mobile market huge, LoL big IP. No effect on LoL proper outside of the devs working on it. Tencent don't seem to be the kind of company that cares about sticking fingers in the pudding of what works. They invest in successful companies and help other companies (including Sony and Nintendo) operate within China. At this point it feels like the skepticism is unwarranted.
  - nemothekid 5y ago
    There are many American companies that capitulate to Chinese political pressure without even being owned by the Chinese. Tencent owns 2 of the top 5 biggest gaming platforms in the US, but the one that got accused of being too close to the Chinese is now owned by Microsoft. I think the question is why is there an expectation that Tencent is somehow more nefarious than any other billion dollar conglomerate?
    - samplatt 5y ago

joemi 5y ago

Defending one's investors is expected and fairly meaningless, though, isn't it?