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[Kdad]

Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman is set to become the leading shareholder in publicly-listed South Korean software and hardware developer SNK Corporation through the Electronic Gaming Development Company (EGDC) firm held by the Mohamed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (MiSK) Foundation, according to a report published in South Korean publication Bloter. The report claims that EGDC has signed a stock transfer agreement with the studio which will see it acquire 33% of SNK’s outstanding share capital through mixture of treasury shares and a block owned by the current leading shareholder on 12th January 2021, for a sum in excess of ₩207bn (£139.9m). The suggested share purchase follows the signing of a corporate agreement between SNK and Saudi firm Manga Productions at the MiSK Global Forum event in 2017.

While the move may be seen as a boost to the Middle Eastern video games industry, which has been growing at CAGR of 25% year-over-year according to recently-launched studio Sandsoft Games, the direct involvement of the Saudi crown prince is controversial given the country’s human rights record and allegations directly implicating the Crown Prince in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. In July, Riot Games terminated a partnership with Saudi Arabian city building project Neom following a backlash from gamers as well as staff over the move.

Update (08:30 GMT, 27/11/2020): A notice filed through the South Korean DART public information system has confirmed that EGDC will be acquiring a total of 6,065,798 shares from current leading shareholder Zuikaku Co., Ltd. for a total of ₩207.346bn (£140.134m), taking EGDC’s ownership share in SNK to 33.3%.

Update (12:25 GMT, 27/11/2020): A statement published by MiSK has revealed that EGDC will be acquiring a further 17.7% ownership stake in SNK at an undisclosed date, giving it majority (51%) control of the company.

Saudi Crown Prince to Become Largest SNK Shareholder; 2UP Receives USD$2.8m | TheGamingEconomy.com

In today’s digest from TheGamingEconomy: Saudi Crown Prince leads rumoured SNK buyout; 2UP receives USD$2.8m (£2.1m) from Supercell; and CD Projekt net profit climbs by 57%

www.thegamingeconomy.com

SNK - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Mohammed bin Salman - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Editorialised content: Fuck this

 

[tusharngf]

i wont comment on crown price.. who knows what will he do to me lol.

 

[Soltype]

Maybe with the new money they can bring back sprites

 

[The Pleasure]

Did he buy em for kof 2002 im ultra match now with ggpo netcode and lobbies?

 

[Punished Miku]

Fighting games are big in the middle east. Guess we'll see what happens.

 

[ReBurn]

Neo Geo fanboys smh

 

[Hudo]

The Future is Now.

 

[Amiga]

Great. can this can seed a games development industry in the middle east. and revive classic IP's

 

[hemo memo]

Fighting games are big in the middle east. Guess we'll see what happens.

Mostly in Kuwait. Not as big on other regions.

 

[Captain Hero]

Let’s go Saudi Crown Prince .. great move

 

[drganon]

Sadly, even he can only afford one or two neo geo carts.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

 

[Birdo]

 

[Futaleufu]

Looks like SNK has increased its value 10 times in the last 5 years.

At least we won't see more Taiwan/Hong Kong censorship in their games

 

[OutRun88]

I wonder what the other 49% makes of this.

 

[michaelius]

Looks like SNK has increased its value 10 times in the last 5 years.

At least we won't see more Taiwan/Hong Kong censorship in their games

I wouldn't expect Saudi Arabia to be more fanservice friendly

 

[GrayFoxPL]

Hopefully this new owner anything crazy like stopping development of KOF XV and turning it into mobile game.

We can expect more characters from that region like when HongKong bought SNK they did the same + awful animated series.

 

[AC_Eivor]

Can he bring back the clicky circle pad from the NGPC

 

[GrayFoxPL]

I wouldn't expect Saudi Arabia to be more fanservice friendly

They hopefully hold business in higher regard and won't censor the international version. Maybe. :/

 

[Futaleufu]

I wouldn't expect Saudi Arabia to be more fanservice friendly

The chinese version of KOFXIV was censored.
Most Super Sidekicks games are delisted because they feature Taiwan and Hong Kong.
They removed the japanese imperial flag from Art of Fighting 2.
They changed the names of the teams in Baseball Stars, erasing any reference to TW/HK.

It can't be worse than this

 

[mejin]

KoF with fatalities!

 

[NoLootBoxDev]

Is not that the guy who sends a bunch of people, and killed a reporter on an embassy?

 

[sublimit]

 

[Pejo]

I hope to god this guy a 2d pixel purist. PLEASE SAUDI PRINCE.

Need more this:

and this:

and this:

And less of this:

 

[GrayFoxPL]

The chinese version of KOFXIV was censored.
Most Super Sidekicks games are delisted because they feature Taiwan and Hong Kong.
They removed the japanese imperial flag from Art of Fighting 2.
They changed the names of the teams in Baseball Stars, erasing any reference to TW/HK.

It can't be worse than this

Everything in China is censored. Period.

I don't remember international version being censored apart of something about Luong but can't recall what. Maybe her sitting on people's chest was slightly changed, can't remember.

 

[Futaleufu]

I hope to god this guy a 2d pixel purist. PLEASE SAUDI PRINCE.

Need more this:

This is actually a 3D render "converted" to pixel art, which proves how good the SNK artists were in their prime.

 

[InDaGulag]

It's a bit rich the man who is a prominent member of a government in a country that will arrest and/or fine people for showing the smallest deviation from ultra-conservative form of Islamic values will now be the largest shareholder in company that has games filled with half naked women & modern liberal values.

 

[Pejo]

This is actually a 3D render "converted" to pixel art, which proves how good the SNK artists were in their prime.

Yea that's how they did the models for KOFXIII too, which I thought looked great.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I like nothing better than dictatorships in my videogames. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[Amiga]

I wonder what the other 49% makes of this.

China owned apparently.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Gaming outlets better not give these games a low score or they’ll get chopped up.

Also, don’t exchange WhatsApp information with them, either, or your nudes will be leaked.

 

[OutRun88]

I like nothing better than dictatorships in my videogames. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

This has to be the most over and misused word of the year.

 

[Kdad]

Gaming outlets better not give these games a low score or they’ll get chopped up.

Nah...they're safe...they're 'bloggers' not journalists...

 

[Kdad]

This has to be the most over and misused word of the year.

Yes..it should be a totalitarian absolute monarchy...i feel much better about it now.

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

Some replies here....wew lad, i felt some IQ points drop i can tell you that.

Don't read too much into this (if it's true in the 1st place) it's a simple business acquisition nothing more, those who think this somehow would affect their content or game design are beyond saving, besides some character representation like Najd.

https://www.siliconera.com/snk-picks-saudi-arabian-fans-design-character-design-contest/

 

[MrMephistoX]

Can an actual Wahabi Islamist chime in here? As long as her face is veiled is everything else okay here?

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

This has to be the most over and misused word of the year.

You're riding on the fact that technically, it is an absolute monarchy ruled by someone acting like a dictator? Ok. Whatever.

 

[Kdad]

Some replies here....wew lad, i felt some IQ points drop i can tell you that.

Don't read too much into this (if it's true in the 1st place) it's a simple business acquisition nothing more, those who think this somehow would affect their content or game design are beyond saving, besides some character representation like Najd.

https://www.siliconera.com/snk-picks-saudi-arabian-fans-design-character-design-contest/

There is a direct link to the statement from MiSK...what do you think is untrue about this news?

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

There is a direct link to the statement from MiSK...what do you think is untrue about this news?

Woops didn't see the statement link, either way my post point still stands.

 

[Foamy]

What a trash company to invest in. All the do is retro/rehash games.

 

[OutRun88]

Yes..it should be a totalitarian absolute monarchy...i feel much better about it now.

You're riding on the fact that technically, it is an absolute monarchy ruled by someone acting like a dictator? Ok. Whatever.

Heaven forbid we actually use words the way they are meant to be.

 

[Laconian Sword]

It's a bit rich the man who is a prominent member of a government in a country that will arrest and/or fine people for showing the smallest deviation from ultra-conservative form of Islamic values will now be the largest shareholder in company that has games filled with half naked women & modern liberal values.

I defer to any Saudis here especially since I'm no expert in the region, but my understanding is that Mohammed bin Salman is actually a reformer, so not completely surprising if true.

 

[Mister Wolf]

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[K1Expwy]

A Saudi crown prince has taken controlling stake in South Korean software developer New Japan Project (SNK), formerly controlled by a Chinese software corporation.

seinfeld_imout.gif

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

They are diversifying their portfolio. Nothing new there. As far as I recall they have some stocks in Uber, Disney etc.

 

[Boss Mog]

Since when is SNK South Korean? It literally has "Nihon" in its name.

 

[Edgelord79]

I defer to any Saudis here especially since I'm no expert in the region, but my understanding is that Mohammed bin Salman is actually a reformer, so not completely surprising if true.

Define "reformer".

Saudi Crown prince sent hit squad to Canada to kill former spy, lawsuit claims

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia sent a hit squad to Canada in an effort to hunt down and kill a former top intelligence official who knows too much, a civil suit filed Thursday in court in the United States asserts.

www.google.com

 

[FunkMiller]

I’m sure it’s all fine for SNK. It’s not like the chap who owns them now chops up journalists or anything...

 

[Laconian Sword]

Define "reformer".

Saudi Crown prince sent hit squad to Canada to kill former spy, lawsuit claims

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia sent a hit squad to Canada in an effort to hunt down and kill a former top intelligence official who knows too much, a civil suit filed Thursday in court in the United States asserts.

www.google.com

Well, in the context of Saudi Arabia. Not making a judgment good or bad. As a counterpoint, check out his recent women's rights reforms.