Tag Archives: Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi

Are doornails really dead?

I got a nice surprise today. I got a story (at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/2025-was-the-year-xbox-died-130000467.html), the only inaccuracy I think is that the contraption was dead already, for about 2 years. So I got to wonder. What happened to:

Which gives us $78.7 Billion and it shouldn’t be allowed to go into a bad bank, that interest is still due. The last purchase was only completed in October 2023. So what happens, sell it to Saudi Arabia? The interest (said to be around 5%) implies that Microsoft is still meant to pay $3.935 billion interest on an annual basis and there is no way it gets to be reflected away, although I might advise Saudi Arabia in particularly Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi that he should not offer a Halala over $50 billion for the entire package. I don’t think Microsoft is allowed any leeway for their intentional stupidity. That being said, they bought Mojang studios in 2014 and they did mighty fine work on their Minecraft product, including the PS5 (which still needs the PS4 disc), but that is small fry. The result is truly amazing and the fact that it is still one of the most popular games on any console is due to the Microsoft teams and credit where credit is due I say. Still, as the optional spokesperson for Saudi Commerce, I think it is essential that the Saudi Fleet of airplanes need to be give to all its Microsoft 2024 Flight Simulator players free of charge the fleet of planes that are part of the Saudia airlines, which consists of Airbus A320-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-10, as well as include the King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah) and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in the base setting of the Flight Simulator 2024. I think that Saudi Arabia is due some VIP treatment if Microsoft wants to flog away their failures. I think that Saudi Arabia is due that privilege. 

I think if you want the grease the wheels of commerce, you better take out your best effort, but that is merely me speaking. This all started in 2013 when they upset the gaming industry, by thinking they could strong-arm gamers towards the Xbox, whilst they never actually understood gamers (I point to the Don Mattrick, the former president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, widely remembered for controversial stupid statement of “Fortunately we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity, it’s called Xbox 360”) my response was ‘Fuck you Mattrick” and I placed a handful of gaming IP on my blogs for anyone not Microsoft. That’s how I react and these people are still welcome too all that, especially as the Xbox is now dead on arrival, a proper vivisectioned console at your local morgue. So whilst the article gives you “Xbox didn’t enter 2025 in a great state, and it’s leaving the year grasping for help, like an Arc Raider player desperate for a revival after being knocked out. Microsoft cancelled the Perfect Dark reboot and Everwild, two of the most interesting games in its weak upcoming slate. The company brought titles like Forza Horizon 5 over to the PlayStation 5, which prompted Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham to declare he no longer needed an Xbox.” He never needed one and I did mine away years ago, it was just a dust collection setting and I merely held on to it because of Elite Dangerous and Subnautica, when they became available on PS4/PS5, the fate of my coaster to be (Xbox One) was set. Some regrets, but the Xbox360 was awesome, so not that much and it was my first setting for Oblivion and Skyrim, which I also have on Sony. We were also given “There was a chance for Microsoft to reinvigorate the Xbox brand with the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X gaming handhelds, but the $600 and $1,000 launch prices placed them out of reach for most gamers. It also doesn’t help that Windows still isn’t well-optimized for portable devices with touchscreens, and those systems also aren’t compatible with older Xbox titles like the consoles. At the very least, Microsoft now has a handheld foothold. But a future portable Xbox console would need to be significantly cheaper to compete with the likes of the Steam Deck, which starts at $549 (following the discontinuation of the $400 LCD model).” But as I personally see it, Microsoft tends to lose interests in solutions that dos not make them shine and the Xbox had nearly rusted through as I personally see it, but there was the news which was available for about three days now and I had other matters on my mind, so it was a nice setting today, I was proved correct all along and as Saudi Arabia is vying to be a digital powerhouse, the setting if upgraded to a better shine, what was left of Microsoft games, might get a decent second life, but the additions to the Microsoft Flight-simulator 2024 will be required, although they might include it as a package deal for the nice price of $50 billion, not a penny more, including the Flight Simulator 2024 might make it worth the time of Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, but that is merely my view on the matter. And there is the setting we need to consider, the Xbox came to life (with massive help of Dwayne Johnson) and grew to new heights in 2005, it actually became a competitor to Sony and made Sony release the PS4 and PS5 with the immense upgrades. Gamers rejoiced and then in 12 years (due to Don Mattrick as I personally see it) it went from hightop to basement level bargain value. Still, I am not happy. Sony was better with Microsoft chasing its tail and that needs to be said and the results as we still see every day its awesome and as I see it, Todd Howard now needs to say the words “Elder Scrolls 6 is coming to Playstation” the Sony and the gaming world needs to hear those words. The Microsoft blame game of ‘perhaps’ and ‘we will service all gamers’ is disingenuous at best and not appreciated. 

So whilst we are given “Its partnership with AMD could easily lead to new handhelds, and it also gives Microsoft a leg up in producing a compact and powerful Xbox PC. After all, why should the company keep trying to go toe-to-toe with Sony’s closed PlayStation platform? Why shouldn’t Microsoft embrace its PC roots to give us a gaming desktop under our TVs? The company has already committed to bringing new Xbox games to PCs immediately, so the line between the two is already blurring. It may be a risk, but evolving into a PC proves there’s still life in the Xbox brand. And crucially, it’s also something Sony can’t easily replicate.” You see, the gamers feel betrayed by Microsoft, even those having an Xbox, they aren’t (don’t say ever in this case) going to trust Microsoft, they tried to play gamers and these players don’t like to be played, they take this personally and that is what Microsoft did in a few ways as I personally see it.

So you all have a good day and those owning a Playstation have pleasant dreams, because Microsoft just bought the bucket from Davey Jones locker. I reckon that this setting is hardest on Phil Spencer, who tried to do everything to make Microsoft gaming work. I think he did a fine job, but Microsoft overhead was ruled (as I see it) by Excel users and that goes against the grain of gamers. Have a great day today, my time for a late lunch now.

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Freebee for Majid

Yes, that happens. I get an idea that is not really on my plate and I hand it over. And as the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) is part of the Ministry of Media, it seems only fair that I hand it over to the man with the plan, the man in charge Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi. It is up to him to decide if this has any option of succeeding. If someone else takes this on, that is not up to me. I have other issues to deal with. I got this idea whilst watching the remake of Candyman. I like it, it is superior than the previous edition and even as there are a few issues with it, there was no real objections. And whilst I was thinking that through this idea came to mind. 

Riyadh
It was a warm day, the sun was warming everything it touched and in the shadows was a man, his name was Henri Cernuschi, he was a banker, but not related to the Cernuschi family from the late 18th century. He was from Javrezac France and had an economy degree from the Sorbonne in Economie du Development. When he had his degree he had issues getting a job, he had no connections, he was eager to make a mark but in the end he gave his resume to an online place for resume’s and two weeks later the SAMA (Saudi Central Bank) offered him a position in Riyadh. Off course he eagerly accepted and he got to do the things asked of him. French bank papers were scanned and he looked if they were all up to scratch and correct. In the end he was to some extent an overpaid office clerk. He was not complaining, the money was good and he had amassed a nice sum over the last three years. But as all bankers, he got greedy and it was a paper he saw in some evening where he read “they are highly associated with financial risk-taking and gambling behaviours” it took a hold of him and held him in his grasp. If he could instil a level of superstition, he might profit, profit even more. And as such he set out a plan to instil superstition. 

There was no real action in the next few months, but he started to learn as much as he could on Arab superstitions, there was quite the number, yet nothing stood out to him. It was two day later when when he stumbled upon a book regarding the Afreet.

It was not until a bank trip to Jeddah that he started to have an idea. What happened if he could summon an afreet? What happens when that superstition took hold? 

This is the start, I would like to add a lot more, but the general idea come now and not in a story. You see, he starts learning the elements of such a summoning and he does it all nearly flawless, but as he prepared the 4 anchors he accidentally steps on one of the anchors that should keep the afreet to the small space in a basement. He becomes the anchor of the summon and the second part he overlooked that only a sorcerer can hold an Afreet as such the Afreet could break the shackles at any point, yet as anchor the man cannot be harmed and thus starts a larger stage. He does not know what he invited to be attached to his soul and an ancient afreet gets free rein in Riyadh. 

It is one of the clerks that recognises some of the symptoms and soon thereafter she understands the dangers the bank is in and she warns her boss, who does not dismiss the stage. The woman is very afraid and tells him of the stories her grandmother told her. The manager sets in motion a quiet investigation and sees the danger they face and as such he grows an idea to deal with it. He spices up the man’s achievements and sends him on official business to London and sends the spiced resume to people he knows. During the event in London the man is approached by a few companies and in the end one firm takes on his business and as such they invite the afreet.

London
It is one year later, London is in a setting of failed events, failed economics and even more disastrous elements in Fintech. No one can find any relationship. And as the Afreet grows in power, it learns of the crusades, and it becomes a lot more malevolent. Diseases, old diseases start forming in the UK and the weird parts are that the medics find links to St Olave-towards-the-Tower, as well as St Giles-without-Cripplegate. Both places of worship were investigated inch by inch and no findings were found, but they were on the lookout. As the months unfolded the Afreet started to get a lay of the financial land and he wrecks upon it. Banking systems stall and money goes missing. It was an Arabic cybersecurity officer that finds links in the display and links them to the stories of old. As he digs into the data he finds 5 people who have been to the middle east, Henri Cernuschi being one of them.

That’s all I got in a few hours and if you can make more of it, good luck to the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) for making it into a new kind of horror.

A small note. What happens when the anchor dies? Perhaps it gives the Afreet freedom to go wherever he wants. Just a thought.

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