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Sony Has a “Monopoly” on the High-End Japanese Gaming Market, According to a US Senator

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The never-ending saga surrounding Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has a new participant.  Today, Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from the state of Washington, said some things about the subject that were hard to understand.

The senator, whose remarks were reported on by ResetEra, spoke at a Senate finance committee hearing on “the president’s 2023 Trade Policy Plan,” which we are sure was quite interesting.

Senator Cantwell said that she had been told that Sony “controls a monopoly of 98% of the high-end game market” despite the fact that “Japan’s government has allowed Sony to engage in blatant anti-competitive conduct through exclusive deals and payments to game publishers, establishing games that are among the most popular in Japan.”

This 98% statistic is highly deceptive because it ignores PC, Nintendo, and mobile games and instead refers to Sony’s adoption rate over Microsoft in Sony’s native country of Japan, a fact that shouldn’t surprise anyone who is even somewhat familiar with the video game business.

What can we do to rectify these problems and create a level playing field, she said of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai after charging Japan’s Federal Trade Commission with improperly failing to look into this purported “exclusionary conduct”?

It is absurd to claim that Sony has a monopoly on the Japanese video game market, as Luke Plunkett of Kotaku correctly points out, “because Sony doesn’t even have a 98% share of the market for the God of War series, a title they own, as Steam is getting 30% of every sale on PC.”

It goes without saying that we can’t expect elected officials to be experts in every field, but this is a visible step at a time when the ongoing attempt to buy the company is at a very important point.

Is it significant that Microsoft, along with Nintendo, maintains its headquarters in Redmond, Washington—Senator Cantwell’s district—or that Microsoft has given Cantwell more than $500,000 over the past two decades?  Let us leave that up to you.

 

As Editor here at GeekReply, I'm a big fan of all things Geeky. Most of my contributions to the site are technology related, but I'm also a big fan of video games. My genres of choice include RPGs, MMOs, Grand Strategy, and Simulation. If I'm not chasing after the latest gear on my MMO of choice, I'm here at GeekReply reporting on the latest in Geek culture.

Gaming

Helldivers are angry at Arrowhead because the community manager was fired without due process

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Throughout history, it has become evident that, in the face of tyranny, those who cherish liberty and democracy will stop at nothing to defend them. They will fight relentlessly, using every last round of ammunition and shedding the final drop of blood. In a stunning turn of events, it appears that developer Arrowhead is facing a potential revolution, as previously loyal Helldivers 2 players who once supported the developer are now expressing their outrage. They passionately advocate for justice and the inclusion of the undemocratically dismissed community manager, who has affectionately been nicknamed “General” Spitz, into the official in-game lore.

In typical fashion, an overnight Change.org petition (courtesy of RPS) has garnered nearly 4,500 signatures at the time of writing. This is an attempt to make Arrowhead reevaluate their decision to let go of Spitz, a community manager who has been an integral part of the community since the game’s release. In the midst of the PC/PSN account linking debacle, Spitz, like a game critic sensing the winds of fate, rallied the community on Discord (as seen on Twitter) to express their discontent through reviews, refunds, and other means. It enhances our influence in the discussions with Sony. They completely disregard our discord.

After the chaos subsided the following day (yesterday), Spitz addressed the community, describing this action as “almost.” It hasn’t exactly resulted in their termination. Shortly after, a final transmission was confirmed where Spitz disclosed that they had been released, expressing their resilience by saying, “Every war has its casualties.”

On May 7, 2024, around 11:45 PST, the Helldivers Discord community made an interesting discovery. It seems that the community manager, Spitz, had been unexpectedly removed from his position, and any evidence of his previous involvement in the discord was completely wiped out. This incident seems to have ignited a revolution, with Helldivers demanding the immediate reinstatement of Spitz and his immortalization in the game for his self-sacrifice.

“We strongly advocate for the official canonization of General Spitz in Helldivers lore. Embracing the spirit of liberation. Supporting democracy. For the betterment of the game and its devoted community.

It’s interesting to see how this situation unfolds. Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt himself commends the determination of players in the Sony showdown, but there seems to be a hint of contradiction here. “General” Spitz provided us with some thought-provoking words to ponder: “I was well aware of the potential consequences when I made my statement about refunding and altering reviews; nevertheless, I remain steadfast in my position. I fulfilled my role as a representative of the community, just as I was expected to.

Spitz is no longer the Community Manager.
byu/Tabub inHelldivers

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Ciri from The Witcher expresses her hope that fans will give Liam Hemsworth a fair chance in his portrayal of Geralt

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Netflix’s The Witcher has been at the forefront of the recent trend of video game IP transitioning to TV, alongside HBO’s The Last of Us and Amazon’s Fallout adaptations. In 2022, it was announced that Henry Cavill would be stepping away from his role after Season 3, making way for Australian actor Liam Hemsworth to become The White Wolf in Season 4.

In an interview with Collider (courtesy of Eurogamer), Freya Allen, the actress who plays Ciri in the series, has reached out to fans who may find the change to be a challenge. Allen expressed his view of the situation, acknowledging that it may not be ideal and that fans can be quite critical. He mentioned that he doesn’t want to speak on behalf of Hemsworth, but based on his understanding, it seems like Hemsworth is aiming to inject some heartfelt elements into the project. I’m eagerly anticipating his performance after all that training. And he’s truly a delightful individual. I hope people give him a fair chance, you know?

It’s unclear why Henry Cavill decided to depart from the show, despite his previous commitment to stay for the entire seven seasons if needed. Netflix has announced that The Witcher has been renewed for a fifth season, which will be the final installment of the series.

 

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CEO of Helldivers 2 commends the remarkable determination displayed by the community during the intense Sony showdown

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The experience for Helldivers 2 players has been quite turbulent lately, and we’re referring to a community that is accustomed to leaping from great heights into the most intense and terrifying battlegrounds imaginable. In the midst of a highly debated PSN account requirement for PC players and facing intense backlash, Sony has made a surprising reversal, yielding to the overwhelming force of public opinion. The CEO of Arrowhead, Johan Pilestedt, has displayed an intriguing attitude throughout this challenging period. He has shown remarkable composure, actively engaging with community managers and experiencing the difficulties they face firsthand.

Pilestedt expressed his admiration for the community’s determination and praised their ability to work together on Twitter, following Sony’s reversal. He sarcastically expressed gratitude towards Sony for their “prompt and efficient choice to make PSN linking optional.”

In the future, Pilestedt expressed his vision of working closely with PlayStation and the players to establish a groundbreaking benchmark for the concept of a live game. The aim is to foster a strong partnership between developers and the community, ultimately resulting in an unparalleled gaming experience.

What are your thoughts on the commotion surrounding Helldivers 2? What are your thoughts on Sony’s involvement, Pilestedt’s attitude, and the community’s reaction? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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