Home General Discussion

Epic Games China!!?? lets support communism?

13
armagon9177
polycounter lvl 18
Offline / Send Message
armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
Just thought you guys should know.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10971

Im a huge fan of Epic games but this is a real dissappointment. I posted this on the official epic ut2007 forums and they deleted it!! They obviously dont want the average gamer to know about their buisness practices and outsourcing with one of the biggest human rights violators.
I mean come on Epic theyre Communists. I saw the Chinese military executing Tiawanese civilians they caught. And Epic is doing buisness with these people. Very dissappointing. What do you guys think?

Replies

  • Ferg
    Offline / Send Message
    Ferg polycounter lvl 17
    do you own anything?

    then you've probably done business with china, too



    edit: as for this particular instance... sure it sucks they're outsourcing to a place where they dont have to pay the workers as much... but we've all seen this coming. That's what happens when gamers expect 10x the content at 1x the price.
  • oXYnary
    Offline / Send Message
    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    Oh boy. I just gone done in the other thread.

    To recap my position.
    -Outsourcing is inevitable at some level with the economic system of a corporate bottom line structure.

    -It does not guarantee the same level of quality (nor does it say it cant be beyond under certain circumstances).

    -It also does not mean another artist is loosing there job (yet) as the industry is still growing. However, in another 5 or 10???


    As for the morality side, I agree with you. All you can do is try to minimize the injustice. So finding out about the working conditions and such of the company can maybe in part provide a choice where otherwise non exist. However, many times companies purposely obscure this information.

    Edit:
    -Communism is a scared word that really does not signify what it once meant. What you mean to say, its a authoritarian government.
  • Nilium
    Offline / Send Message
    Nilium polycounter lvl 18
    On the plus side, they could be possibly improving living conditions for the people they hire to do the work. They'll probably make more than they would otherwise and be happier for it.

    Relative to the way we live in the US, UK, Canada, etc. it probably seems like hell, but they don't live in the US -- they're in China. What's hell to you is just normal, everyday life to them. They could ask more, but do most of them want to? If so, what's stopping them? Fear?
  • aesir
    Offline / Send Message
    aesir polycounter lvl 18
    armagon, not all chinese are bad

    In other news, Feng Zhu just opened up a studio in China.
  • oXYnary
    Offline / Send Message
    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    If so, what's stopping them? Fear?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Now that you mention it Noel, yes...
  • Ninjas
    Offline / Send Message
    Ninjas polycounter lvl 18
    All Chinese people live in terror, quivering in their dirt floored huts.

    PS, it is also evil to hire them.

    K thx
  • PfhorRunner
    Offline / Send Message
    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    theyre Communists.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    So?

    To many people, we're the EVIL capitalist America coming to eat your infants. Can't you just realize it takes all types of people, with all types of different ideals to make the world work?

    Stand back for a second, and possibly pull your head out of your ass, and look at the REAL world for a second, and how it REALLY works. What you said isn't an ideal, its just discrimination. Grow up.
  • Nilium
    Offline / Send Message
    Nilium polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    To many people, we're the EVIL capitalist America coming to eat your infants.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I'm certainly coming to eat your infants, but that's a whole 'nother story.
  • arshlevon
    Offline / Send Message
    arshlevon polycounter lvl 18
    comeon guys get with the times! communism in china is dead as disco and punk rock. while communism remains the nation’s official dogma, and the government still holds the reins tightly, since 1978 corporations have been granted increasing liberty, and profits have been rolling in. by 2004, China had the second largest economy in the world, trailing only the US.

    “With a quarter of the world’s population and an economic growth rate approaching 10% a year, China has become the new business El Dorado.”
    -Alan Murray
    wall street journal columnist
  • PfhorRunner
    Offline / Send Message
    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
    Well yeah, didn't really want to get into that, I was merely pointing out the discriminatory attitude this guy had, rather than getting his facts wrong.. Which I suppose makes it worse, he's so blatantly discriminatory while being almost completely wrong at the same time...

    If you're going to judge, research! ^.^
  • Jeremy Lindstrom
    Offline / Send Message
    Jeremy Lindstrom polycounter lvl 18
    it's all about commerce.
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    PfhorRunner

    I didnt say all chinese are evil. And I didnt say anything that wasnt fact. Tell me what I said that was untrue. And stick to the specific comments I made. And yes I know how the world works. My head is not up my ass and I am not a biggot. I was merely stating my dissapointment that Epic has jumped on the outsourcing wagon with a country whose GOVERNMENT is immoral. Maybe I came on a little strong. But there is no need to insult me about this. I just wanted to bring this to everyones attention. I know how buisness works and your comments about me not knowing how the world works are unfounded and you were basically assuming this. Calm down please. I just dont think American companies should support a dangerous government's economy. Thats all I meant. Maybe with people like you I need to write a full f*!@ing essay on the subject as you leap to conclusions.

    Edit: I relize we are viewed by some countries as evil, but we dont execute civilians, well some get hit by stray bombs by us. To clear this up I dont like their government. It has nothing to do with their people. But!! you jump to conclusions and think I hate Chinese people. Im not going to insult you like you did me. Maybe your the one who need to mature a bit. I wish the best for all new employees at Epic Games China.
  • oXYnary
    Offline / Send Message
    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    You know, just to add. I think amagaon we might be confusing ethics for morals here. What we speak of are ethics. Verm, if your reading this can you help with the distinction? Which is the better term for our position (outside your own viewpoint)? I always personally misue the two for one another.

    (off topic)
    Hey guys, see armagons comments above and what I mentioned earlier about too many ASSumptions wink.gif here at pokeycount and jumping to conclusions on what a person meant?
  • ElysiumGX
    Offline / Send Message
    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    There are a lot of useless map assets thrown into next-gen games these days. Someone has to make them. May as well punish those pesky communist. Those evil bastards with their pink chalk!
  • acc
    Offline / Send Message
    acc polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    My head is not up my ass...

    ...we dont execute civilians...

    [/ QUOTE ]
    I think those statements are proof enough that assuming you "don't know how the world works" is not unfounded.

    I guess your government also doesn't detain and torture people without trials, or invade countries based on lies, or sell weapons to people that you know are "terrorists" just because the people they are terrorizing are ones you dislike.

    By your standards, everyone should be disgusted to work with the US. Think about that the next time you go spouting on about China. There's just as much evil at home than overseas.
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    acc

    "By your standards, everyone should be disgusted to work with the US." what are you talking about? Im talking about my dissappointment with Epic for outsourcing which I think hurts Americans in the long run. Just my personal belief. Only my opinion. The history of Communism is pretty dark. We may do some morally questionable things in America. Ill put America as the more noble country over China any day. And lets please stick to the origional topic and not bring current politics into this. I know you hate President Bush. And I mean we dont execute civilians based on the sole fact they are from another country. Our Navy is over there protecting Taiwan (because we are soooo evil right) I saw a video where the Chinese military caught some Taiwan citezens and executed them for the sole reason that they were from Taiwan. So if we are as evil why arent we executing Hispanics crossing the border? That would be the equivlant of what the Chinese military did to these people in this video. Now to be very specific!!! I dont think we should execute Hispanics okay. Since so many of my comments have been taken out of context. You chose a snippet of what I said and molded it into what you wanted to say. Which was Bush is evil I dont like what we are doing in Iraq or how we detain enemy combatants. Good for you you got it out. You seem to be one of those blame America first people while Im at the other end of the spectrum. Yes nasty things have to be done in war.
  • Robert Headley
    Offline / Send Message
    Robert Headley polycounter lvl 18
    Hell knows I wouldn't want to be an outsourcer, working on nameless art with no creative input.

    Screw that. China can have it.

    If you don't have a job as artist in the US, its either cause you suck, or you aren't trying hard enough.
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    To clear things up a bit more. My main motivation and assumption is that a lot of people at polycount are aspiring game designers. I am and I thought that some of the artists who are trying to get into the game industry should know that their future and possible career is being threatened by this. That was my main motivation, to inform you guys or gals that outsourcing to my knowlege had reached the gaming industry. It threatens my future as I am hard at work on a portfolio to try and "make it". And I am discouraged by the idea that someone in another country will take my job because they cost less.
    A pic of my 100 percent custom level, just a test room for assets, textures and meshes. I call it DM-Carbon
    mylevelpe4.jpg
  • PfhorRunner
    Offline / Send Message
    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
    armagon9177: I was merely pointing out my distaste for your discriminative comments.

    [ QUOTE ]

    I mean come on Epic theyre Communists.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    This was the portion I was frustrated at. Does it matter? I mean, I wouldn't post something about someone getting thrown in jail and post along with it "Come on judge, He's White!". The comment had no right being put in there. Not to mention the fact that I was talking about was from the same quote, China has the facade of Communism, its actually not how the country works as a whole, as arshlevon points out in the post after my post.

    I'm sorry that you were insulted by what I said, but if you're going to display such discrimination, I don't care, I'll put my neck out and say something about it. Those are my feelings, just as you displayed yours.

    And you're right, I do owe you an apology, I did ASSume, that you were talking about china as a whole, but in reality you just didn't specify.

    Edit: Oh yeah, and uhm, a full essay would have been nice, mainly because it would have allowed you to not sound like a biggot. It would have gotten the full point accross.
    While I respect your opinion of it being a "dangerous" country, I'm going to disagree with you.
    Claiming that a country is "dangerous" gets the United States into wars. Wars that we can't handle.

    If you have further problems with me, send me a PM and I will promtly ignore it.
  • oXYnary
    Offline / Send Message
    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    Armagon, I started a thread a few months ago on the subject http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=1&Number=141909 . It was pretty informative from all the viewpoints received.
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    PfhorRunner
    Your right that comment didnt really need to be there. As a history buff I have seen some pretty horrible things and hold some hostility towards communism because it has caused so much pain and suffering. I think my main point was lost because of that comment. So, Im big enough to admit I shouldnt have posted it and stuck with the outsourcing point. I apologize if it offended anyone. Im not here to be an asshole. Just wanted to bring this story to everyone's attention. I shouldve kept my personal beliefs about their system of government to myself. But that does not negate the fact that this is not good for Americans who are aspiring game designers. I hope PfhorRunner we can express our opinions without insulting each other. It accomplishes nothing really.

    Edit: Thanks oXYnary that was very considerate of you. I guess this subject was here before I discovered it. Thanks!
    Ill read it all.

    2nd Edit: PfhorRunner I just saw your edit of your previous post. How can I have a problem with someone Ive never met? All it is is differing opinions and arguments. You havent hurt my feelings haha.
  • PfhorRunner
    Offline / Send Message
    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
    Agreed, thank you smile.gif
  • Robert Headley
    Offline / Send Message
    Robert Headley polycounter lvl 18
    outsourcing has been around in the game industry for a very long time man.

    Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and Rainbow six 3 were made in Shanghai.

    Streamline studios did a large portion of the content in UTk2k4 and they reside in Netherlands, they alo did content for Saints Row.

    The fact of the matter is, if it wasn't for companies like Streamline, and others, the cost of game dev would be higher than it is already. Tho I am sure you would be happy making 900 variations of the same tree for minimum wage, Most artists in the US wouldn't be.

    No outsourcing, then dev time doubles, budget doubles, the amount of games produced would decrease. It would be just be BAD for the north American game industry if we didn't have outsourcing. My numbers may not be accurate, the meaning behind them is spot on.
  • Rick Stirling
    Offline / Send Message
    Rick Stirling polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    I am discouraged by the idea that someone in another country will take my job because they cost less.

    [/ QUOTE ]


    AND THEIR COMUNISTS!! AND TURORISTS!
  • Robert Headley
    Offline / Send Message
    Robert Headley polycounter lvl 18
    actually, them costing less is just a bonus. More than likely its because they are better at art.

    Like I said, If you cant get a job, you either aren't trying, or you suck.
  • Mister Sentient
    Offline / Send Message
    Mister Sentient polycounter lvl 18
    I'm sorry but there is no place for morality in economics. The only morality is the bottom line. Corporations are psychopaths.
  • Joao Sapiro
    Offline / Send Message
    Joao Sapiro sublime tool
    wow, i never believed a topic like this would keep going ! Its sad yeah , they might "steal" us some jobs, and i think thats the big "fear" you have. It happens with all industry where things are manufactured in china...it was just a matter of time until it begun with CGI. What can you do about it ? Nothing .
  • hawken
    Offline / Send Message
    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    armagon9177, if they decided to outsource to another country, say, I dunno, India, would you be just as disgruntled?

    I feel it's hard to see this as an outsourcing issue and more of an issue you have with China. Sure they execute people they don't like and a lot of people work for peanuts. How is that different from other countries? America does exactly the same, so does India.

    At the end of the day, America is built on capitalism. It's the American way. So if you don't like outsourcing to save a few bucks on overheads, please tell it that way. Instead of shoveling anti-china remarks.
  • KeyserSoze
    Offline / Send Message
    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Sure they execute people they don't like and a lot of people work for peanuts. How is that different from other countries? America does exactly the same, so does India.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    As far as I know, neither America nor India execute political prisoners and then harvest their organs to sell to rich westerners... could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we don't do that laugh.gif.

    http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1683142.htm
  • PfhorRunner
    Offline / Send Message
    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
  • rolfness
    Offline / Send Message
    rolfness polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Just thought you guys should know.

    http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10971

    Im a huge fan of Epic games but this is a real dissappointment. I posted this on the official epic ut2007 forums and they deleted it!! They obviously dont want the average gamer to know about their buisness practices and outsourcing with one of the biggest human rights violators.
    I mean come on Epic theyre Communists. I saw the Chinese military executing Tiawanese civilians they caught. And Epic is doing buisness with these people. Very dissappointing. What do you guys think?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    hmmmmmmm .... I think you live a very sheltered life and you have no idea of how the world works... Oh Im a dirty dirty chinaman and a bean counter to boot ! come fix my morals for me please.

    Edit.. oh here we go again bashing noobs .. someone get the kittens out please Im allergic to cats
  • Toomas
    Offline / Send Message
    Toomas polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    As far as I know, neither America nor India execute political prisoners and then harvest their organs to sell to rich westerners... could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we don't do that laugh.gif.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    What you do is lable them terrorist and hold them without a trial and then maybe shoot them.
  • KeyserSoze
    Offline / Send Message
    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
  • Mister Sentient
  • Wells
    Offline / Send Message
    Wells polycounter lvl 18
    yay. new sig.

    only good can come of this thread.
  • hawken
    Offline / Send Message
    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    [ QUOTE ]
    [ QUOTE ]
    Sure they execute people they don't like and a lot of people work for peanuts. How is that different from other countries? America does exactly the same, so does India.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    As far as I know, neither America nor India execute political prisoners and then harvest their organs to sell to rich westerners... could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we don't do that laugh.gif.

    http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1683142.htm

    [/ QUOTE ]

    yeah never!

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/5368620.stm
  • KeyserSoze
    Offline / Send Message
    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    [ QUOTE ]
    [ QUOTE ]
    Sure they execute people they don't like and a lot of people work for peanuts. How is that different from other countries? America does exactly the same, so does India.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    As far as I know, neither America nor India execute political prisoners and then harvest their organs to sell to rich westerners... could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we don't do that laugh.gif.

    http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1683142.htm

    [/ QUOTE ]

    yeah never!

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/5368620.stm

    [/ QUOTE ]

    We're talking about governments, not citizens.
  • Kevin Johnstone
    Offline / Send Message
    Kevin Johnstone polycounter lvl 19
    storm <
    > teacup.

    r.
  • firestarter
    Offline / Send Message
    firestarter polycounter lvl 19
    Id sign up in a thrice!
  • okkun
    Offline / Send Message
    okkun polycounter lvl 18
    Well said Ror..

    It's a known fact that the industry has been changing for the last couple of years and it will continue in a major way.

    At GDC last year I asked unnamed company if they would be interested to working with us. "We'll NEVER outsource, outsourcing sucks" they said(fuck off please),last week we were contacted by the same company asking for a bid.

    There is enough room for every kind of outsourcer, cheap in china, expensive in the US, we all do different things. We have several clients who outsource to our company, china, russia, vietnam etc. for the same game. We work on some pretty hot looking titles too.

    Ryno said it pretty well in that other thread.
  • PaK
    Offline / Send Message
    PaK polycounter lvl 18
    armagon you're a tard. there isn't a counrty on earth that doesnt sanction and intitutionalize the execution of citizens.

    -R
  • Frank
    Offline / Send Message
    Frank polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    I just dont think American companies should support a dangerous government's economy.

    [/ QUOTE ]
    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Oh, that's rich.

    Frank the Avenger
  • Thegodzero
    Offline / Send Message
    Thegodzero polycounter lvl 18
    The only thing dangerous about china is that its going to have a melt down in a few years and everything is going to change over there again.

    But again the same can be said about the US...
  • ebagg
    Offline / Send Message
    ebagg polycounter lvl 17
    I wonder how well it's going to work for Epic, not speaking specifically about China per se, but outsourcing for such a company as Epic where their art is at such a high standard, will this outsourcing idea bring down the artistic quality of their games?

    It seems like "outsourcing" has become a big bad buzzword these days based it's negative coverage in the media. Does anyone here really think the video game industry art created by outsourcing companies for cheaper labor in other countries come anywhere close to the majority for game companies in North America or Europe? I don't see how that could be feasible, but maybe I'm just silly.
  • Mark Dygert
    I'm sure Epic wouldn't hang their hat on a fly-by-night operation that puts out crap. Honestly the end customer will more than likely not see a differenace other than the game won't be delayed for 6mo while they force thier staff into a hellish crunch, or worse yet hire a bunch of onsite contractors then lay them off as soon as the game is out the door.

    If it gets a few chinese farmers off my WoW server for atleast an hour a day I'll be happy =P
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    I already said I shouldnt have put the anti china remarks up there. There is no such thing as private industry there which bothers me. But the main issue I was trying to bring to everyone's attention was the outsourcing. I know its been in other industries for a long time. This is the first time I realized it was happening in the game industry. And morrally I feel their government has done atrocious things which compounded my disgust with the ousourcing. As for India its a bit different, mainly because I dont see that government as opressive to its people, but still dont like the loss of american jobs. Let me give you an example of why outsourcing is bad. I recently bought an alienware and one of my 7900 gtx 512 cards just stopped working. I had a warranty and called to get a new card. They outsourced their customer service and I could barely understand the guy on the phone. As a result I was mailed the wrong video card a 7800 gtx 256 3 times! Since I was running SLI it was incompatible with my 7900 gtx 512. They didnt understand me and I didnt them. So it cost the company extra money in prepaid fed ex packages. I didnt get the right card until I called alienware coorprate in America. It was horrible customer service and they lost a customer for it. Thats not directly relevant to outsourcing content creation i know. But it shows that if the guy answering the phone was an American talking to an American, maybe I wouldve gotten the right card the first time. You can flame me on buying Alienware, just wanted something with a warranty and yes I have built all my previous computers myself. Blah!
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    hey pak suck a fart outta my ass! Why dont you READ what I said a bit more carefully. oh and pak Canada doesnt execute civilians so why dont you research before you make a wild generalization like that.
  • Fuse
    Offline / Send Message
    Fuse polycounter lvl 18
    i am pretty sure you are mistaken .. there is such a thing as private industry in China...

    In fact there is an increasing amount of privately own property/business within the economic structure of China..

    There has been an explosion of young billionaires that built their fortune on manufacturing/webbusinesses.

    I think you are living quite a bit in the past behind an iron curtain and you have much research to do before coming to such conclusions.

    You are under the impression that cheaper labour countries are stealing the good jobs right out of your hands, which they are not... What kind of jobs are they stealing exactly ? Are these the jobs you aspire to place ? If the answer is yes, then the problem might be with you ..

    I think outsourcing can bad on the aesthetic/artistic level, when outsourcing beyond the borders

    as for customer service ? yeh that's crap
  • armagon9177
    Offline / Send Message
    armagon9177 polycounter lvl 18
    Fuse did you not read my previous posts? Yes I do want a job that they are outsourcing. Its called content creation. Whhich is what I want to do in the video game industry. Does that mean something is wrong with me? or anyone else that is an aspiring game designer. Some of you people dont even read what I say you just insult me. [email="F@*ck"]F@*ck[/email] you guys who are just here to flame me.
  • Justin Meisse
    Offline / Send Message
    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    China Revealed is going to be on the Discovery Channel at 9pm eastern/pacific, give it a watch.
13
This discussion has been closed.