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David Jaffe claims he rejected $100m Tencent deal ‘because I want nothing to do with them’ | VGC

Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe has revealed that he turned down a $100M offer from Chinese conglomerate Tencent over his views of the Chinese government.

www.videogameschronicle.com

Speaking on the Sacred Symbols+ podcast (paywalled, transcribed by VGC), the director of the original God of War discussed how he felt uncomfortable dealing with the company after receiving an offer from it.

“I had a $100 million deal,” he claimed. “I was courted by a Chinese company… and I said ‘no thank you’… because you’re Tencent and I want nothing to do with you.

“It was bad because it was the western Tencent, and it was a western guy that I respect that was calling me and I wasn’t trying to shame the guy. I hope he’s got thick enough skin, and he’s been an executive in the business way longer than I have, but I was just like ‘man, I don’t want to do business with a company like that, with a government like that.'”

Later in the podcast, as Moriarty and Jaffe discussed the increase in money being invested in studios across the industry, Jaffe elaborated on some of the reasons why he turned down the Tencent deal.

“Stop killing people,” he said. “Again, people will be like, ‘America’s hands aren’t clean’, no they are not clean at all but we’re also not, you know, we all have a system that if we actually gave a shit, we could change it.

“In China, you just get picked up off the street if you go online and say something bad about the police or the government or anything and who knows when they’ll see you again. That’s not even mentioning if you’re a fucking Uyghur.”

UPDATE: Following the publication of this story, Jaffe also shared what appears to be correspondence with the aforementioned Tencent executive in which he further explained his decision to turn down the offer.

In addition to his views on China, Jaffe said he wanted to continue dedicating his time to talking about and streaming games on his YouTube channel.

 

[NoLootBoxDev]

 

[remember_spinal]

Good for Randy

This must be in response to someone calling his post GoW career DLC on discord chat

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I remain skeptical.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Americans.

 

[Bragr]

Good for Randy

This must be in response to someone calling his post GoW career DLC on discord chat

I dont understand why hes willing to talk down to those guys, thought he knew some of them.

 

[PSYGN]

RESPECT++

 

[kyliethicc]

davidjaffe

 

[Warnen]

Tencent

 

[Dr Bass]

I don't doubt him at all. But at the same time, that is some lame-ass "proof."

 

[Unknown?]

I am sure it's true and hats off to him! LeBron is next?

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

UPDATE: Following the publication of this story, Jaffe also shared what appears to be correspondence with the aforementioned Tencent executive in which he further explained his decision to turn down the offer.

In addition to his views on China, Jaffe said he wanted to continue dedicating his time to talking about and streaming games on his YouTube channel.

hum...i mean...nothing here makes me think it's an email lmao. he could've written this today

 

[MScarpa]

Americans.

People really be hating on America. Meanwhile, as soon as something pops off, it's we need help America, save us

 

[mitch1971]

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

People really be hating on America. Meanwhile, as soon as something pops off, it's we need help America, save us

Naive much?.

 

[nominedomine]

What is Tencent doing offering 100m to a guy that doesn't have a studio and who hasn't worked on a comercial hit since 2007?

 

[Otre]

People really be hating on America. Meanwhile, as soon as something pops off, it's we need help America, save us

 

[EDMIX]

lol this just sounds like he is trolling people.

doubtmeme

Semi OT, where the fuck is LA Noire 2? aka NY Noire? lol

 

[Kdad]

They're near unavoidable now...they've got money invested in/with everything/everyone. If I can avoid them I do.

 

[Life]

Respect for bringing up the Uyghur at least. They have no voice in the media.

 

[Tripolygon]

That is not proof of a deal but it is totally believable that he would turn down a deal.

 

[Slothbeing1209]

Deleted.

 

[AtomicStarving]

I still do not believe it

 

[John Wick]

This is typical American thinking. China, Russia bad etc........
They hypocrisy is unbelievable............
Well done Jaffe now apply that logic to all the bad things America does?

 

[FunkMiller]

Take the 100 million, pay yourself the minimum to get the job done, and then plough every cent into highlighting the gross injustices and crimes being committed by the Chinese government. That would have been... more constructive.

 

[sn0man]

I am sure it's true and hats off to him! LeBron is next?

LeBron next to denounce China? I doubt it.

 

[remember_spinal]

You can’t buy me chiiiina

 

[MegaBustet]

I don't get his proof tweet. What's that proof of?

 

[ahtlas7]

uuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh

 

[FunkMiller]

This is typical American thinking. China, Russia bad etc........
They hypocrisy is unbelievable............
Well done Jaffe now apply that logic to all the bad things America does?

If you're seriously trying to compare the bad things America has done with what the Russians are up to, you need to seriously address your thinking.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Load of BS. Guy was offered nothing from Tencent.

 

[Balducci30]

Why would he just randomly make this up and type that out? I buy it

 

[sn0man]

Respect for bringing up the Uyghur at least. They have no voice in the media.

I got a Christian upbringing but shit don’t matter. What they are doing over there is straight up wrong.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Red Flag:

"Oh you don't believe me? Man, some of you are broken."

Vs.

"I've produced an incredible claim with a limited amount of evidence therefore it's only natural to doubt."

Big red flags here.

 

[Tripolygon]

Why would he just randomly make this up and type that out? I buy it

People make shit up all the time.

 

[AmuroChan]

Why would he just randomly make this up and type that out? I buy it

Also, he mentioned this on a podcast that's locked behind a paywall. If his intention was to virtue signal and get maximum reach, he would do an interview with IGN instead. Not some independent podcast that maybe a few thousand people will listen to.

 

[Daytonabot]

I guess he's due to have done something right, so it's plausible.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Also, he mentioned this on a podcast that's locked behind a paywall. If his intention was to virtue signal and get maximum reach, he would do an interview with IGN instead. Not some independent podcast that maybe a few thousand people will listen to.

Because virtue signaling only happens on an IGN and up level.

 

[ByWatterson]

Based but also definitely didn't happen.

 

[Northeastmonk]

If I was a big time game designer, I’d sell out. I’d sell out more than those girls who work in the red light district.

 

[AmuroChan]

Because virtue signaling only happens on an IGN and up level.

That's not what I said. I said if he wanted "maximum reach". Also, have some context and know the audience. Who is he virtue signaling to exactly on Sacred Symbols? That community hates virtue signaling and all things woke.

 

[Rykan]

Nothing to discuss here with a no politics rule in place as far as I'm concerned. I'm glad he made a decision that he is comfortable with and he seems to be doing quite alright for himself.

 

[ByWatterson]

UPDATE: Following the publication of this story, Jaffe also shared what appears to be correspondence with the aforementioned Tencent executive in which he further explained his decision to turn down the offer.

In addition to his views on China, Jaffe said he wanted to continue dedicating his time to talking about and streaming games on his YouTube channel.

 

[gypsygib]

I would expect nothing less from the person who made Kratos, probably the greatest fictional example of will (kinda hatred/vengence) prevailing against insurmountable power and adversity in a while. How many times did that dude literally fight and crawl his way out of death and hell.

If videogames and comics are the hot commodity for Hollywood ideas right now, GOW would be an amazing series. Greek and Norse mythology plus gratuitous violence and sex, and themes of defeat, loss, and triumph against all odds and gods. Consumate winner. Sony could have a Vikings on their hands but more popular. Greatest mass appeal anti-hero is 20 years.

 

[Yoboman]

Based

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

What's wrong with Tencent? Is Jaffe racist against the Chinese?

 

[MScarpa]

Naive much?.

Whatever helps you sleep at night my man. On that note, I'm going to go watch Team America World Police

 

[TexMex]

Yeah sorry. I like both of them. Big Colin fan.

But he rails against China and Tencent every single week. Every beat of his story just sounded like it was fabricated specifically to what Colin would want to hear. Little too perfect and that twitter screen shot isn’t proof of anything at all.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Whatever helps you sleep at night my man.

Only if you knew LoL.

On that note, I'm going to go watch Team America World Police

You should actually listen to what's actually said in the final speech.

 

[TheKratos]

Sure David, sure.