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

[baskev]

weak response if you ask me. Yes he is right to say everything, and i think in many other instances the judgement would be right. But we are not talking about left v right. Not pro v anti. we are talking about a evil regime vs free people.

[froschhure]

Am i gettin this right... a chinese player advertized to free hong kong and got punished by blizzard because of chinese law???

[lappee]

Am i gettin this right... a chinese player advertized to free hong kong and got punished by blizzard because of chinese law???

No, you're not getting it. HS player got punished for breaching his contract, people here are screaming because they liked his political stance.

[cuafpr]

If you believe that then I have a bridge to sell you...

I see no evidence to contradict it. The policy seems pretty straight forward don't use the game interviews for views beyond the game.

[DotEleven]

Because those don't involve human rights.



I'm fairly certain Hong Kong is not willingly going into contract with China. That's why he said it, not because he's havin' a laugh.

But it's still politicized which is the problem. Meanwhile if someone shouted out about impeaching Donald Trump we'd probably be back here again. Although the issue is not as hot as Honk Kong.

Or let's put it this way. If a player spoke out AGAINST the Honk Kong revolts during an interview we wouldn't be here. People would be saying it was well deserved.

[Rendark]

Am i gettin this right... a chinese player advertized to free hong kong and got punished by blizzard because of chinese law???

He was punished because it may make China mad if he wasn't. So it was done for money any nothing else.

[cuafpr]

No, you're not getting it. HS player got punished for breaching his contract, people here are screaming because they liked his political stance.

^ this (like it or not is the truth) the real question is had he came out in support of China and against HK would people be complaining had he got the same punishment?

[laplacedemon]

^ this (like it or not is the truth) the real question is had he came out in support of China and against HK would people be complaining had he got the same punishment?

Would he get the same punishment?

[Ielenia]

I'm fairly certain Hong Kong is not willingly going into contract with China. That's why he said it, not because he's havin' a laugh.

Except I'm pretty sure I was talking about Blitzchung. I even mentioned his name, specifically.

[StillMcfuu]

As Namond Brice said, "it's not that you do shit, it's how you do it."

Clearly Mr Brack here doesn't get the problem at hand, he thinks people are mad that Blizzard punished this player. People aren't, 95% of the people get he would be punished some how. But the removal of money, year long ban, firing the 2 announcers, and then going radio silent as the world lost its shit, then only made an announcement about chinese national pride.

Its disturbing that he is either not smart enough to realize the issue or so deep into the Chinese pocket that he is intentionally being obtuse about it.

[ringpriest]

No, you're not getting it. HS player got punished for breaching his contract, people here are screaming because they liked his political stance.

Again, no, that's not why people are upset, and its far from an accurate summation of what Blizzard did and has done (setting aside for the moment and "because its in the rules!" is the cry petty authoritarians use to justify the sort of things that got criminals hanged at Nuremberg); they, afaik, have never seen fit to judge anything else any streamer has done as a rules breach in this fashion - and then then went on to parrot the god damned PRC government party line like good little corporate muppets.

You want to do business with China and its government? Fine, I really can't criticize that. But you want to reach out beyond their borders, do their censorship and push their propaganda for them? Oh hell no - that is, at best, putting unmitigated greed over having any principles at all, at worst, it's looking at the society of which Blizzard is a part, and from which it and its owners benefit a great deal, and saying "Nah, eff that, we're going to side with these guys over here and try to wreck you... but we still expect to get the benefits of being based in the US".

When the Blizzard and Activision C-levels (and you) have all moved to the mainland and have to worry about getting disappeared because they said the wrong thing because those are the "rules" they're living under, then maybe, you can say what they did is understandable; but using their own internal rules as an excuse to willingly act as mooks for dictatorial totalitarian regime beyond its borders? A boycott and constant protest is the absolute least Blizzard deserves.


Side note: The Imperial Agent storyline in TOR is a blast so far (I'm just about done with Chapter 2).

[Guinness]

Blizzard can go F themselves. My house cancelled and uninstalled all Battle.net products the day this news came out. All these companies pushing communist agendas isn't cool. We USED to stand for something better.

[Fkiolaris]

No, you're not getting it. HS player got punished for breaching his contract, people here are screaming because they liked his political stance.

That's my take on it. As much as I have no love for Blizzard at present, the quoted statement above is the gist of the whole story. Obviously there are more strands to the story (ie trying to avoid the whole mess the NBA is in with the whole Chinese market atm), but on the other hand if that player came out and, for example, expressed exactly the opposite opinion and got punished for that, people would be applauding Blizzard at the very least.

[varren]

Disgusting. How can anyone defend blizz at this point.

[apples]

Blizzard can go F themselves. My house cancelled and uninstalled all Battle.net products the day this news came out. All these companies pushing communist agendas isn't cool. We USED to stand for something better.

you never stood for anything.

[glowpipe]

Blizzard can go F themselves. My house cancelled and uninstalled all Battle.net products the day this news came out. All these companies pushing communist agendas isn't cool. We USED to stand for something better.

see you in 8.3

[UndedoKoleda]

Blizzard can go F themselves. My house cancelled and uninstalled all Battle.net products the day this news came out. All these companies pushing communist agendas isn't cool. We USED to stand for something better.

I'm just curious, do you and your household use any, and I mean ANY products made(even partially) in China, at all?

[scelero]

Blizzard can go F themselves. My house cancelled and uninstalled all Battle.net products the day this news came out. All these companies pushing communist agendas isn't cool. We USED to stand for something better.

This a job. PLain and simple. You're supposed to check you personal life at the door. How old are you? Do they not teach you not to bring your personal life to work?

And don't tell me they don't treat this like a job. They pay taxes, put in time, etc to prefect their craft.

It's a job, not just a tournament. You're working. If this was a venue to discuss politics, then sure. This was not the venue nor the time to do this.

This jackass could've done this on his youtube channel before or after the event, and been in the clear. Which begs the question, why didn't he?

[MrDaemon]

Again, no, that's not why people are upset, and its far from an accurate summation of what Blizzard did and has done (setting aside for the moment and "because its in the rules!" is the cry petty authoritarians use to justify the sort of things that got criminals hanged at Nuremberg); they, afaik, have never seen fit to judge anything else any streamer has done as a rules breach in this fashion - and then then went on to parrot the god damned PRC government party line like good little corporate muppets.

You want to do business with China and its government? Fine, I really can't criticize that. But you want to reach out beyond their borders, do their censorship and push their propaganda for them? Oh hell no - that is, at best, putting unmitigated greed over having any principles at all, at worst, it's looking at the society of which Blizzard is a part, and from which it and its owners benefit a great deal, and saying "Nah, eff that, we're going to side with these guys over here and try to wreck you... but we still expect to get the benefits of being based in the US".

When the Blizzard and Activision C-levels (and you) have all moved to the mainland and have to worry about getting disappeared because they said the wrong thing because those are the "rules" they're living under, then maybe, you can say what they did is understandable; but using their own internal rules as an excuse to willingly act as mooks for dictatorial totalitarian regime beyond its borders? A boycott and constant protest is the absolute least Blizzard deserves.


Side note: The Imperial Agent storyline in TOR is a blast so far (I'm just about done with Chapter 2).

Pushing their propaganda? He broke rules of their tournament on their stream. If he wanted to support HK he could do it on his own social media. You are only bashing blizzard because it suits you and your views of the world, what about the other side? People who don't support these protests in HK. Right, fuck them, they are not important I guess. Blizzard can't allow people mix in politics into their stream because not everybody agrees with them. Someone always gets offended.

If you think otherwise you are delusional.

[DotEleven]

As Namond Brice said, "it's not that you do shit, it's how you do it."

Clearly Mr Brack here doesn't get the problem at hand, he thinks people are mad that Blizzard punished this player. People aren't, 95% of the people get he would be punished some how. But the removal of money, year long ban, firing the 2 announcers, and then going radio silent as the world lost its shit, then only made an announcement about chinese national pride.

Its disturbing that he is either not smart enough to realize the issue or so deep into the Chinese pocket that he is intentionally being obtuse about it.

Now let's not forget, the announcers weren't fired because Blitzchung said something, they apparently had actively egged him on to say it. And honestly, they should know better than Blitzchung to not do that. They've also been dropped to a 6 month suspension instead of being fired now. But still.