Friday, March 9th 2018
NVIDIA's New GPP Program Reportedly Engages in Monopolistic Practices
A report from HardOCP's Kyle Bennet aims to shake NVIDIA's foundations, with allegations of anti-competitive business practices under its new GeForce Partner Program (GPP). In his report, which started with an AMD approach that pushed him to look a little closer into GPP, Bennet says that he has found evidence that NVIDIA's new program aims to push partners towards shunning products from other hardware manufacturers - mainly AMD, with a shoot across the bow for Intel.
After following the breadcrumb trail and speaking with NVIDIA AIBs and OEM partners ("The ones that did speak to us have done so anonymously, in fear of losing their jobs, or having retribution placed upon them or their companies by NVIDIA," Bennett says), the picture is painted of an industry behemoth that aims to abuse its currently dominant market position. NVIDIA controls around 70% of the discrete GPU market share, and its industrious size is apparently being put to use to outmuscle its competitors' offerings by, essentially, putting partners between the proverbial rock and a hard place. According to Bennet, industry players unanimously brought about three consequences from Nvidia's GPP, saying that "They think that it has terms that are likely illegal; GPP is likely going to tremendously hurt consumers' choices; It will disrupt business with the companies that they are currently doing business with, namely AMD and Intel."
The crux of the issue seems to be in that NVIDIA, while publicly touting transparency, is hiding some not so transparent clauses from the public's view. Namely, the fact that in order to become a part of NVIDIA's GPP program, partners must have its "Gaming Brand Aligned Exclusively With GeForce." Bennet says that he has read NVIDIA papers, and these very words, in internal documents meant for NVIDIA's partners only; however, none of these have been made available as of time of writing, though that may be an effort to protect sources.
But what does this "exclusivity" mean? That partners would have to forego products from other brands (case in point, AMD) in order to be granted the GeForce partner status. And what do companies who achieve GPP status receive? Well, enough that it would make competition from other NVIDIA AIBs that didn't make the partner program extremely difficult - if not unfeasible. This is because GPP-branded companies would receive perks such as: high-effort engineering engagements (likely, aids to custom designs); early tech engagement; launch partner status (as in, being able to sell GeForce-branded products at launch date); game bundling; sales rebate programs; social media and PR support; marketing reports; and the ultimate kicker, Marketing Development Funds (MDF). This last one may be known to our more attentive readers, as it was part of Intel's "Intel Inside" marketing program which spurred... a pretty incredible anti-trust movement against the company.
As a result of covering this story, HardOCP's Kyle Bennet says he expects the website to be shunned from now on when it comes to NVIDIA or NVIDIA partner graphics cards being offered for review purposes. Whether or not that will happen, I guess time will time; as time will tell whether or not there is indeed any sort of less... transparent plays taking place here.
Sources:
HardOCP, NVIDIA GeForce Partner Program
After following the breadcrumb trail and speaking with NVIDIA AIBs and OEM partners ("The ones that did speak to us have done so anonymously, in fear of losing their jobs, or having retribution placed upon them or their companies by NVIDIA," Bennett says), the picture is painted of an industry behemoth that aims to abuse its currently dominant market position. NVIDIA controls around 70% of the discrete GPU market share, and its industrious size is apparently being put to use to outmuscle its competitors' offerings by, essentially, putting partners between the proverbial rock and a hard place. According to Bennet, industry players unanimously brought about three consequences from Nvidia's GPP, saying that "They think that it has terms that are likely illegal; GPP is likely going to tremendously hurt consumers' choices; It will disrupt business with the companies that they are currently doing business with, namely AMD and Intel."
But what does this "exclusivity" mean? That partners would have to forego products from other brands (case in point, AMD) in order to be granted the GeForce partner status. And what do companies who achieve GPP status receive? Well, enough that it would make competition from other NVIDIA AIBs that didn't make the partner program extremely difficult - if not unfeasible. This is because GPP-branded companies would receive perks such as: high-effort engineering engagements (likely, aids to custom designs); early tech engagement; launch partner status (as in, being able to sell GeForce-branded products at launch date); game bundling; sales rebate programs; social media and PR support; marketing reports; and the ultimate kicker, Marketing Development Funds (MDF). This last one may be known to our more attentive readers, as it was part of Intel's "Intel Inside" marketing program which spurred... a pretty incredible anti-trust movement against the company.
As a result of covering this story, HardOCP's Kyle Bennet says he expects the website to be shunned from now on when it comes to NVIDIA or NVIDIA partner graphics cards being offered for review purposes. Whether or not that will happen, I guess time will time; as time will tell whether or not there is indeed any sort of less... transparent plays taking place here.
317 Comments on NVIDIA's New GPP Program Reportedly Engages in Monopolistic Practices
We are the people who’s complaints carry a lot more weight, because people like us, which is the majority speaking against this, are on the side of doing the right thing. And that means sometimes you have to speak out against a product you use or a group you belong to. It’s called moral courage.
I haven't read all the article on HardOCP because i've got enough from the title and few lines, i already knew where it was going to go, i already read many others similar claims and accusations and theories, which ended up in smoke after a while. Now i'm not saying these surely will too, but you know, cronologically this has more possibility to end up in smoke than something else (and i say this again, i'll be happy to eat my words if proven wrong).
Following logic, nvidia doesn't even need this, their rival is basically digging its own grave, it's not like nvidia had to do anything to counter Vega or Polaris, Polaris was as good as Pascal 106, it was a competitive and good product, but then they totally lost it with Vega, and nvidia didn't do anything to accelerate or amplify AMD's failure, so i really wouldn't expect a complete turn of tide with Navi, it'll most likely be if not Vega, perhaps another Polaris, which is good, but just as good as nvidia's or slightly worse, at a cheaper cost. So again why would nvidia need to do anything about it? Especially risking with these kinds of stunts to counter a not-even potential market-killer product?
You know corporate espionage is happening, that's just a given. All of them do it. Just with NV it always comes off so obvious. They know what AMD is launching, what performance it will bring, and how best to counter it.
Intel has done it too however, Intel is just that 800lb gorilla with a giant harem that sits around eating and breeding all day. It may see a Ryzen coming but it has no reason to roll over and handle it until it's harem withholds nookie. Then it gets up in a groggy state and slaps together something temporary. Taking it's time to wake up but never really waking up unless it finds harem members talking to the sexy young AMD gorilla.
Their exclusive gaming line to be nvidia exclusive, they can't like make Red republic of gamers if we're fed correct information.
come on man don't you know that xbox will save pc gaming.
amd is got nothing to bring to pc gaming with there top line 1 card does it all bs
lets face it nv puts out something only for pc on there hardware that they could never get on a console they bitch and say its bad for gaming.if amd would just stop looking for frame rate and bring us features we can see that we could not run on a console maybe there would be a reason to spend more for a gpu
this has nothing to do with end users you want to cry for asus giga and msi so be it they don't have your back.
neither does ms Intel Samsung or apple.
And the GPU market isn't a healthy market. It's an oligopoly. And when you get an oligopoly, this is exactly the kind of behavior you can and should expect.
you see the stock price?
they have to do things like this to keep the wheel spinning
the tick tock launches ai in cars pro user hardware. like mentioned above nv has amd at every turn because they sit on there ass.the same will happen for the cpus also just give it a year or two
I hope Kyle has to buy his own cards from both sides now just because he was being a little bitch.
then we will see how he rates them for games
wake up nv has 70% of the pc gaming market
if he want to put out a tear jerker over it being so unjust and monopolistic tell him to wait and see if it does do any harm to pc users
its just bs that could go the rounds in the pr world not the public at this point fake news
about the vid done on it what a joke
more assholes opinon yeah you eat that shit up
I need another 5 year break from this site
Your last sentence is unintelligible. Despite two degrees I cannot figure out just exactly what it is you want to say. Edit: actually most of the post.
the degrees came from a box?
read what you said again..i could figure it out but its so wrong on more then one academic level its not even funny
why the hell would I care about some multi million dollar company? or that of 2 gpu makers 1 falters and 1 successes you see the prices? you see the games they make? dx12?
you need a degree to tell you when not to care about the state of pc gaming?
It actually will matter in the long run, for users that have brand affinity, since they may end up needing to change to another one when their favorite no longer has the benefit of engineering assistance.
Lastly, why has this got you so angry? I suggest availing yourself of some mental health services.
but you just have to respond to me
we all know how smart you are to argue over opinion but to show us your fine breeding also on the spread of baseless opinion and rumors are priceless.to have added to the conspiracy does not one bit of good
if you think that the gaming community should be so divided all the time we have you and the others to thank
now you could show us how long you have been around and come to the realization that it hurts AMD the most.
we have a vast amount of companys to buy cards from maybe too many infact.
so keep driving the knife in pc gaming.
All it come down it is nv not wanting to advertise the same named card as the other guy.
now you know it my opinion and conjunction but nv is ready to put a fork in the other brand they are going to hit gaming hard this year. while amd puts out mining cards that are slower but cost more yeah I should be all feeling great and shit.
then when we do get something pc only that adds to the looks(its 2018 man) the sides will bitch again