J. Allen Brack: Regarding Last Weekend’s Hearthstone Grandmasters Tournament

[schwarzkopf]

Do you not recognize the similarities,

There were none, as I said every single aspect of the two events was objectively and factually different.

If you can't even recognise reality - then there really isn't any point attempting rational discourse with you.

[Kyphael]

Isn't comments like this just as bad, though?

Like laptop warriors dismissing how useless laptop warriors are. The most violent masturbation ever.

It is, and I relish in the irony. But go ask the "online protesters" if they think their comments aren't as stupid as mine.

They'll call you a morally bankrupt sellout. Or nihilistic something, whatever their word of the day calendar says.

[Theangryone]

I really hope all of these complaints about Blizz were researched with Google and written on IPhones.

[OriginalName]

There were none, as I said every single aspect of the two events was objectively and factually different.

If you can't even recognise reality - then there really isn't any point attempting rational discourse with you.

ok buddy, you're delusional

[Tiwack]

For the most part it started off that way, but in the end both sides have committed violence, and even though they claim it was peaceful, there was rioting amongst the protesters, both China and Hong kongs protesters are to blame for how out of hand its gotten

And what's even worse, if that dude really did murder his girlfriend in Taiwan he's getting off free

They've been using instigators to escalate the situation for a while now and it's finally starting to "pay off" for the police. They've gotten to a point where people will say "both sides" and turn their backs on the protesters, ignoring who's asking and for what.

E. No clue what that other thing you're referring to is or how it's relevant.

[tangers58]

Reality check, as far as the courts are concerned you don't get to decide. If you allow one you can't ban the other which is what companies fear the most. Do you really think big name companies would walk away from that good PR if it was that easy?

Reality check. That only applies to the government you gibbering idiot. A private company can allow or disallow anything they want.

[Onikaroshi]

They've been using instigators to escalate the situation for a while now and it's finally starting to "pay off" for the police. They've gotten to a point where people will say "both sides" and turn their backs on the protesters, ignoring who's asking and for what.

E. No clue what that other thing you're referring to is or how it's relevant.

This whole thing started over an extradition law because Taiwan wanted to extradite a guy from Hong Kong who murdered his girlfriend there, but hong Kong doesn't have an extradition treaty with Taiwan and because the world doesn't recognize Taiwan as its own country it got messy and had to be a general extradition law that worried the Hong Kong people that China would use it to take less desirables from hong Kong to persecute in China, which is probably true.

So in the end riots happened, people committed suicide for the cause (which is a dumb thing to do), and the dude is getting off free

[schwarzkopf]

I really hope all of these complaints about Blizz were researched with Google and written on IPhones.

Yep - protesting against Blizzard is easy (and meaningless) - if people actually tried to protest against China - they'd find they would need to sacrifice too much.

[Santti]

Someone probably posted this twitter chain already, but it's definitely a bit troubling to me. It has to do with the language and phrasing used in the writing seeming like something coming from a native Chinese speaker than a native English speaker.

https://twitter.com/SGBluebell/statu...147052544?s=20

That's pretty interesting. Didn't notice it when I first read it (probably due to not being that great at English), but the wording/grammar is pretty weird. You'd think they'd have someone whose actually native English speaker to write something like this, especially since this whole shitstorm is basically about whether China has Blizzard's balls or not.

Can't really say from this post. But still, very interesting.

[shadowmatrix]

We have a franchise company, that uses our name and our branding. They operate somewhat independently from us, but if they make announcments, they have to check with our HQ in Vienna, AS THEY USE OUR NAME AND LOGO.

Right now, blizzard is defending the pride of china, and if they don't want to do it, then they shouldn't let them use their logo and name. Or if they are okay with it, all power to them, but then they are hypocrites about their own company values.

They cannot have the cake and eat it.

It all comes down to what is in the contract. No company wants to give China control but they don't have many other options if they want to do business there.

[Onikaroshi]

That's pretty interesting. Didn't notice it when I first read it (probably due to not being that great at English), but the wording/grammar is pretty weird. You'd think they'd have someone whose actually native English speaker to write something like this, especially since this whole shitstorm is basically about whether China has Blizzard's balls or not.

Can't really say from this post. But still, very interesting.

Someone posted about it early, but you see a lot of what that person is pointing in Formal writing. Formal writing tends to be wordy for the sake of being wordy and will use phrase like "If you think about" vs "Thinking about"

[Yelmurc]

If Blizzard banned someone for earring a MAGA hat an saying Trump 2020 on stream you’d all be rejoicing. I think they made the right move and expect them keep these standards in there rules. You can claim it’s about China all you want. Until they have to act on someone without it being about China we can’t know for sure what they’d do.

And if you want to help the people of Hong Kong I’m sure there are better ways than typing on the internet, maybe call your political rep and tell them to put pressure on China through trade.

[Pannonian]

It all comes down to what is in the contract. No company wants to give China control but they don't have many other options if they want to do business there.

Yeah that maybe, we have been in the same boat when we were thinking about expanding into China (we are the biggest supplier for industrial kitchen software in europe, especially school meals for children - so china would be a big market for us) - but we decided against it, as we don't want to play by their rules.

Not an easy decision, but in the end we thought it would be better for us.

Again, i'm not complaining about them playing by chinese rules. That is a business decision. I'm attacking the balatant hypocrisy on Blizzards side.

They have to decide what is more important: their company values or their business decision. Not saying they should do one or the other, but they cannot have it both ways.

Also: Yeah, "no political messages in our games", while posting on social media that they defend chinas pride. Again, they can't have it both ways.

[Tiwack]

This whole thing started over an extradition law because Taiwan wanted to extradite a guy from Hong Kong who murdered his girlfriend there, but hong Kong doesn't have an extradition treaty with Taiwan and because the world doesn't recognize Taiwan as its own country it got messy and had to be a general extradition law that worried the Hong Kong people that China would use it to take less desirables from hong Kong to persecute in China, which is probably true.

So in the end riots happened, people committed suicide for the cause (which is a dumb thing to do), and the dude is getting off free

In a nutshell two autonomous regions under Chinese hegemony can't recognize each other without drawing China's wrath. Protesters demands are getting more and more out of hand as well, they started with the leaders resignation and a new election and now some radicals want the police force disbanded. It's starting to become bleak and that desperation will only make things even worse before they get better.

[Swnem]

This is not convincing. While i agree that the player should have been fined for breaking the rules and i think this outcome is not not bad for him at all, the issue of the casters still doesn't fit. They did nothing wrong. They hid and tried to have him stop, yet they are the ones taking the brunt here. No, Brack, i cannot believe this is not politically motivated when only a regime washes away everyone in the picture. The casters did nothing wrong. It makes no sense to punish them except as a show of force and intimidation.

[Onikaroshi]

In a nutshell two autonomous regions under Chinese hegemony can't recognize each other without drawing China's wrath. Protesters demands are getting more and more out of hand as well, they started with the leaders resignation and a new election and now some radicals want the police force disbanded. It's starting to become bleak and that desperation will only make things even worse before they get better.

Basically, it's a no win situation honestly.

[Forgottenone]

Doesn't matter what people think. Blizzard is doing damage control now and it's great to watch. They backtracked because people are upset, more people support the decision of the player and Blizzard realizes it otherwise they would have had no need to backtrack. At the very least their image is hurting and they know that.

"In hindsight, our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly." this can be applied to a few things they do *looks at how they over nerf some things*

[Kagthul]

But you have to be upset and in outraged for both first, as i did not notice a particular outrage for human rights in western countries that is invalid.

Ahh, your anecdotal experience is definitely scientifically accurate.

Declaring arguments you dont like invalid as if you're the arbiter of what is and is not accurate is a great way to tacitly admit you have no argument and are full of shit.

[Beazy]

LoL that was funny. Good late night laugh..

[Kagthul]

So you're ok if all the Blizzard players that live in China and Hong Kong are forbidden to play not only Hearthstone, but all Blizzard games, over a "relatively innocuous, albeit political statement"? Because that's what was likely to happen, considering the Chinese government is quick to ban things they find offensive.

Yes.

It might inspire them to realize their government is the problem.