KUALA LUMPUR: Earlier this week, a group called Games Done Quick (GDQ) was supposed to host a Metal Slug anniversary speedrun stream for charity in collaboration with game creator SNK (Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves).
The livestream was cancelled midway after the organisers cut ties with SNK over its links to the Saudi Arabian government and concerns about human rights.
To quote, GDQ said it was an “oversight we deeply regret”. In reality, though, GDQ should have been aware of SNK’s current ownership structure – it is partly owned by the Saudi Arabian government. It should also have known that Metal Slug is an SNK-owned title.
Yet somehow it went ahead with the SNK-sponsored stream, only to decide halfway through that its ethics clashed with the partnership. A glance at the livestream speedrun’s chat makes it clear that criticism and protests over alleged human rights violations overwhelmed the session.
That is to say nothing of the consequences of breaking a business contract with SNK over this “oversight”. The financial repercussions are likely to hurt the organisation in the long run.
It’s one thing to boycott a slew of game companies and major esports tournaments due to their ties to and investment from Saudi Arabia. It’s another to pull out of a done deal midway after caving to online pressure, then virtue signal about your stance while others do the same simply for online clout.
The other reality is that almost every major publicly traded game studio and publisher has some degree of Saudi ownership. It’s not just SNK, but also Niantic (Pokemon GO), EA (EA Sports FC, Apex Legends), Nintendo (Mario games), Take-Two Interactive (GTA 6), Capcom, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Nexon, Koei Tecmo, NCSoft and several others.
If you are going to take that stance against SNK, you might as well commit to applying it across the board, lest you come across as a hypocrite. Or simply find a new hobby outside video games.
Still, this raises a broader question: where should players draw the line when deciding which game companies to support and which to avoid because of funding from a “controversial” government?
There are always indie games and the small development teams behind them that could use more support. Beyond that, we honestly are not too sure.
Short Beats
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang reunited with former Sega president Shoichiro Irimajiri to announce a new partnership between the two companies. They also revealed that Sega’s upcoming fighting game Virtua Fighter Crossroads and future Sega titles will support Nvidia’s RTX Spark system-on-chips.
A new survey by the Japan Online Game Association has claimed that 100 per cent of Japanese online game developers are using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Dead Space creator Glen Schofield is retiring from the games industry after 35 years. The last game he produced was The Callisto Protocol in 2022, a horror title that received mixed reviews.
Capcom is teaming up with Japanese fragrance company CODE Meee to create room scents inspired by the fighting styles of Street Fighter 6 characters. The first three scents are based on Ingrid, Juri and Ed.
The Washington Post has selected 1990s PC first-person shooter Doom as one of the 25 most influential works of American culture, alongside Moby Dick, Robert Johnson’s deal with the devil, The Simpsons, Seinfeld and Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing.
Op/Ed
We talk about the upcoming MiHoyo adventure title Honkai Nexus Anima, a combination of Pokémon and Teamfight Tactics.
Games Of The Week
Denshattack! is an arcade action title where you control an electric train racing to the finish line, performing tricks and stunts to power up and get ahead of the competition. As train conductor Emi, you travel from southern Japan to the north in a bid to become the best Denshattacker alive, battling ganguro girls in mechas and juvenile delinquents with pompadours and giant walking fortresses. Out now for PC and consoles.
The Mermaid Mask is a new adventure game from SFB Games. As detective duo Grimoire and Sally, solve a locked-room murder mystery involving Captain Mortuga and his crew of suspicious characters, in an adventure filled with sharp humour and tricky puzzles. Out now for PC and consoles.
K-Pop Idol Stories: Road To Debut is an Indonesian-developed simulation title in which you manage and build your dream idol group. Scout talent, manage schedules and facilities, and solve puzzle-based challenges along the way. Out now for PC and consoles.
Teeto is an adorable 3D platformer where you control a blob and its bunny companion to stop shadow corruption from spreading across their world. Out now for PC and consoles.
Recommended Viewing
Content creator The Electric Underground talks about Rain World, an indie game that redefines the search-action/metroidvania genre. It is worth watching to see how the genre can be deconstructed by an outlier.
