Posted by Paleface on November 29, 2020 at 16:19:58 EST.
Mohammed Bin Salman is buying SNK.
Besides being a murderer, apparently he's also a big creepy gamer: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Abdullah_Al_Saud/.
Beginning of the notice from his charity:
"The Mohammed Bin Salman Charitable Foundation “MiSK Charity” announced a strategic investment of about 813 million riyals, whereby it acquires an initial share in the Japanese games company SNK at a rate of 33.3%.
The initial acquisition in this investment was made by the wholly-owned electronic game development company of the corporation, according to the agreements signed with the shareholders selling on the Korea Stock Exchange on which the Japanese company SNK is listed, as the agreement also stipulates that the corporation will buy another 17.7% of SNK's shares in Future to raise its share of investment in the ownership of the company to 51%."
If I needed any more reason not to buy new SNK games...
Follow Ups:
Why SNK? That seems random. (n/t) (Jeurja) (21:35:15 11/29/20 EST)
Yeah, that would be the thing that’s gets me to never buy a single thing they make from now on. Presumably the libtards have organized a divestment/boycott thing? I find this not surprising at all, btw. That dude has “AES collector” written all over him. (n/t) (SignOfZeta) (07:52:52 11/30/20 EST)
Really makes Spanish incursions onto the forum seem kind of bushleague, doesn't it? (n/t) (substance J) (13:03:11 11/30/20 EST)
yep, it's real bad. sucks to watch a company you spent 15 years building a relationship with, whose history you've documented and raised up as a beacon in some ways just turn into this overnight. Like someone said somewhere else, I miss they days when they were just extorting money from people. Suffice it to say, I can't work with them anymore. The killing of the journalist is a pretty bad one but let's not forget the basically ongoing genocide in yemen. there's no way I could work on anything that has even a chance of enriching this guy. with US taxes and all the murdering our military does I have no choice other than becoming a citizen of another country. in this case here I have a choice. (n/t) (exodus) (23:11:43 11/30/20 EST)
I would think any developers still at SNK worth their starch, or just halfway decent human beings, would be headed for the exit as well, regardless of how company-loyal Japanese work culture has traditionally been; when a murderous dictator buys your company, all bets have got to be off even in Japan, don't they? And MBS wouldn't be stupid enough to think he'd get the company with old developers--or even a good chunk of their nich audience--intact, would he? So did he just buy it for the properties, or the name? (n/t) (Paleface) (21:01:34 12/01/20 EST)
You must know that enriching and supporting people like Mohammed bin Salman is the result of almost every single economic interaction in your life. That's just the way society is organized today. Working for this company instead of that one or buying that product instead of this one doesn't change anything about who derives profit from you. Are you actually so upset that he's doing it with his real name instead of through the usual anonymous international banking and investment corp? I guess that does put a bit more stress on the implicit bargain we make by living in modern society doesn't it? (n/t) (Convenience and Opa Opa) (16:51:12 12/02/20 EST)
obviously I'm aware of that, but like I said, if I can make a choice, I would rather do it than not. Some other considerations that factor in, for example: I did take money from google to make a game. But I was certain it wouldn't make its money back, so I was taking that money from them and distributing it to my team rather than contributing back to the source. of course they can write off any losses, but it's slightly better than actively giving them money. Choice is largely an illusion under our current systems but why not practice exercising the better choices available in anticipation of a better system existing some day, or as an example to future generations who might live under such a system. Also if I weren't leaning toward this side with my choices I could very definitely a be rich libertarian money hoarder like so any other bay area people. Though I can't eject myself from the economic interactions that prop up all these people I can at least choose not to support them *this directly.* It's not much but it's better than zero. Like obviously me recycling, reusing bags, and walking instead of driving doesn't do much in the grand scheme when most of our pollution problems stem from an extremely small number of companies, but that doesn't mean strewing my trash around and driving a humvee when I want to go two blocks wouldn't negatively impact the environment more than what I'm doing. (n/t) (exodus) (17:04:37 12/02/20 EST)
I don't see what makes the choice of Royalty Investment Partners, Llc. better than the Muhammed bin Salman Charitable Foundation. Is there something other than a bargain you've made for your silence in the name of convenience that makes them different? If the difference really is only that the public attachment of his name makes it hard for you to turn the other way, then the problem with taking a stand over the choice is that it implicitly strengthens the current system and the people who profit from it by giving the impression that you think one of the two choices is acceptable. This strenthens the bargain, both in your own conscience and for other people. As a result any path to this "better system" you vaguely imagine becomes more and more untenable. You should thoroughly and equally condemn all choices made within this system. Focus all of your attention on your own hipocrisy rather than deflecting it with imaginary ethical decisions. (n/t) (The Little Death and Total Obliteration) (17:51:54 12/02/20 EST)
There’s nothing imaginary about feeling like shit for taking a paycheck from a company known to be controlled by one of the worst dudes living on planet Earth, which is the situation exodus would be in if he didn’t abandon whatever project I’m sure he’s been thinking about since the Samurai collection finished up. Your emotional distance from the situation is perhaps easier given your physical distance from the situation. Would you take $20 to mow his lawn if you just saw him push a button that launched a missile into a hospital? Maybe you would because, after all, it wouldn’t bring the hospital back. Not everyone is so enlightened though. Frankly this situation is very shitty but also very simple. I wouldn’t like walking away from them, as a customer or a consultant, but it wouldn’t be a difficult choice at all. (n/t) (SignOfZeta) (12:59:46 12/03/20 EST)
No, you haven't been paying attention to what I said. I don't think anyone should accept working for Muhammed bin Salman. Working for him would be absolutely terrible and a moral trap, BUT SO IS WORKING FOR ANY CORPORATION. My comment was not just in response to exodus, either. It was also in response to other comments here, like yours, about not buying from SNK anymore. Buying stuff from Muhammad bin Salman would be absolutely terrible and a moral trap, BUT SO IS BUYING STUFF FROM ANY CORPORATION. This is not just because of some @CapitalismIsEvil bullshit, it's because all of your economic interactions literally benefit Muhammad bin Salman and other people exactly him, regardless of whether their names are attached to the companies. You know this just as well as I do and the only reason you don't make the exact same connection is that you've internalized the terms of a bargain with your conscience in which you agree not to think about the how your actions support these people and their system. I make that bargain, too, but I cannot accept its terms. (n/t) (Cuckness Unto Death and Opa Opa) (14:26:44 12/03/20 EST)
This is why I only work on mobile games financed by The Human Fund ("Money For People" TM). (n/t) (substance J) (14:25:17 12/05/20 EST)
A game called "Misk Schools Quest" popped up on the PS4 PS Store today. "Misk Schools" is a private school in Riyadh owned by MBS; his "MiSK Foundation" logo appears at the start of the game's trailer. As far as I can tell from the trailer, in the game you control a fully-masked tech-suited humanoid running around lifeless tech scapes, zapping other tech/roboty-looking humanoids with lightning from your hands, Star Wars emperor style. // The latest update for SNK's page on Wikipedia says "In November 2020, the MiSK Foundation, a non-profit organization owned by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, acquired a 33.3% share of SNK, with the intention to acquire a further 17.7% share at a later time as to gain controlling interest in the company." (n/t) (Paleface) (00:40:17 01/17/21 EST)
