Will Blizzcon be devoid of "fan with live mic" elements?

[rrayy]

They could protest or complain to people who's job it is to manage foreign policy. You know politicians not game developers.

BlizzCon is as much for Blizzard employees as it is for Blizzard fans. This is the stuff these guys spend their lives doing and what they are proud of and if you decide to make an effort to ruin the celebration of their work over a thing they have NO power to change you are an absolute piece of human garbage.

Blizzard has the ability to pull out of China completely and have some morals. The real human pieces of garbage are those blindly defending Blizzard and blindly defending their doing business with that government.

[Thokri]

They will have paid actors ask questions no one cares about and only bring good rep about irrelevant stuff.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

See, I hadn't heard that. When did they mention that? It doesn't surprise me at all, and last year is all the excuse they need to never let a fan in front of a live mic again, but I hadn't seen anywhere where they flat out said "yep, that's done."

It was probably on the Blizzcon site months ago but nobody picked up on it because there wasn't a twitter outrage at the time.

[monkaW]

All the protester have to do is just wear FreeHK tshirt, if they get caught on the live camera, Blizzcon stream wouldn't get aired in China, causing massive amount of profit loss for Blizzard and possibly removing their access to sell v-ticket to China next year.

Its pretty simple tbh, China's government is just that sensitive, i believe a musician got banned for liking a tweet or something.

Many youtubers also started to fund FreeHK tshirt for Blizzcon and giving them for free near the Blizzcon entrance, if you see one, get one for free and wear it.

[TwoMana]

Blizzard has the ability to pull out of China completely and have some morals. The real human pieces of garbage are those blindly defending Blizzard and blindly defending their doing business with that government.

Just a bit disappointed that the online gamer-rage-train went for "let's wreck Blizzard profits in China, lul" instead of "let's support HK protesters getting beaten by police/milita" when we actually had the chance to show that the "gamer community" isn't full of petty, angry 30-somethings.

But sure, I guess some kind of picketing outside Blizzcon will change things and will send "a strong message" to Bobby K.
We can join the "videogames are devils work"-religious nuts who are there every year.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Just a bit disappointed that the online gamer-rage-train went for "let's wreck Blizzard profits in China, lul" instead of "let's support HK protesters getting beaten by police/milita" when we actually had the chance to show that the "gamer community" isn't full of petty, angry 30-somethings.

But sure, I guess some kind of picketing outside Blizzcon will change things and will send "a strong message" to Bobby K.
We can join the "videogames are devils work"-religious nuts who are there every year.

I like how people think Blizzard pulling out of China and burying their head in the sand changes anything.

But then it never was about Hong Kong was it?

[Mikazukinoyaiba]

Zedd got permabanned in China for liking South Park tweet.

Blizzcon could get banned in china if you start wearing Winnie the Pooh and HK shirt as well.
If Blizzard start to preemptively banned the shirt, contact your government.

You dont have to tryhard to get in Q&A or anything like that, its an easy job, stop making it harder.

[TwoMana]

But then it never was about Hong Kong was it?

Yeah exactly, it's just your typical gamer hate train against big companies because.. I don't know.. gamers like to rage online?

Better solution: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Yeah exactly, it's just your typical gamer hate train against big companies because.. I don't know.. gamers like to rage online?

Better solution: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/

It's all performative. It's not about the oppressed people, it's about your own twitter clout.

[Ghostile]

Pleae. those organizations have done NOTHING for Hong Kong or anywhere else in a similar situation. The best way to effect a country is through their pocketbook. But Blizzard is too morally bankrupt and only cares about money.

I cant tell if this is sarcasm or stupidity.

How on earth would screeching at a single company out of hundreds do anything?

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Blizzcon could get banned in china if you start wearing Winnie the Pooh and HK shirt as well.
If Blizzard start to preemptively banned the shirt, contact your government.

Please tell me you are only pretending to be this stupid

[Mosotti]

A lot of people don't seem to be aware that it's not general admission and security is no joke

What can security do if one pops a shirt with anti-China shit on it? Will they take him out while screaming "freedom for HK" and being filmed by hundreds of people? I assume they can't just shoot you and quickly hide the shirt in a body bag, Tiananmen style.

Security is useless, their luck is that protesters are usually poor fucks, who don't have hundreds of dollars to attend that shit just to create a commotion...

[gcsmith]

My expectation will be they will have a script to follow if any question about HK gets through. I also expect if Bobby does what Mike used to do and take the stage, he will have to give some sort of comment on the HK situation.

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What can security do if one pops a shirt with anti-China shit on it? Will they take him out while screaming "freedom for HK" and being filmed by hundreds of people? I assume they can't just shoot you and quickly hide the shirt in a body bag, Tiananmen style.

Security is useless, their luck is that protesters are usually poor fucks, who don't have hundreds of dollars to attend that shit just to create a commotion...

?? They just don't let you in. And if you start causing a scene, of course they'll take you outside. The only people that will be critisizing Blizzard for removing someone trying to cause a scene are idiots on reddit.

[Kathranis]

What can security do if one pops a shirt with anti-China shit on it? Will they take him out while screaming "freedom for HK" and being filmed by hundreds of people? I assume they can't just shoot you and quickly hide the shirt in a body bag, Tiananmen style.

Security is useless, their luck is that protesters are usually poor fucks, who don't have hundreds of dollars to attend that shit just to create a commotion...

Just don't put them on camera.

[monkaW]

?? They just don't let you in. And if you start causing a scene, of course they'll take you outside. The only people that will be critisizing Blizzard for removing someone trying to cause a scene are idiots on reddit.

Yeah no, there's no rule that state you cant wear a shirt with FreeHK on it, and since its America, people can sue you if they tried to enter peacefully and get denied of access after they paid for ticket and hotel, banning them would just put them on a greater media exposure.

[nozoth]

I've never been to Blizzcon. I will likely never go to Blizzcon for various reasons. If this question seems crazy to ask, it's because of those two things, but I would like to ask it all the same.

It had to be on their minds with the Diablo Immortal fiasco last year, it's DEFINITELY on their minds now, so my question is this: Are the "fan with live mic" moments at Blizzcon so integral to the format that it couldn't function if all Q+A's were read by blizzard staff, and any and all situations that would usually point a mic at random fans in the audience were just... quietly removed this year? Of course there will be content creator interviews off the main floor, and some host with a phonebook-like contract, under threat of blacklist may read all the questions. Is this viable given the usual flow of the con?

I can't help but feel that Diablo Immortal last year was this moment of realization that, with the hyper interconnected social media age being what it is, there is no... I guess awe now to self-censor people at events like this. We've all "met our heroes" and now have a hard time seeing anyone, particularly game devs as "special enough" to watch what we say to them. Everyone's just another follow on twitter, no one is seen as big enough to just be unapproachable, which leads us to this moment, well before all the international incident stuff.

The fans "can't be trusted" to be "civil" on a live mic when the vibe of the convention and particularly the virtual ticket are on the line, it's clear. Will that have them change the format in this singular way this year?

they have done it in the past, like 2 years now where they had the community put in questions, then they filtered them and then someone on stage read them, i think both during wod. Jesse cox one year, panser trade chat another year.
so that might replace it.

[gcsmith]

Yeah no, there's no rule that state you cant wear a shirt with FreeHK on it, and since its America, people can sue you if they tried to enter peacefully and get denied of access after they paid for ticket and hotel, banning them would just put them on a greater media exposure.

Did I say for just wearing a shirt? I said for wearing a scene, like screaming free hong kong in a room full of people who have no power to do so.

[D3athsting]

"Is this an out of season april's fool joke?" must have been hurting more than any "free hong kong"

[Monoxide]

No, not becaue China, but because useless asswipes thinking they are making a difference by yelling FREE HONG KONG at blizzard, while doing absolutely nothing else about it.

Ok, I'll bite. What would you suggest these individuals do aside from show their support for the protesters and bring awareness to the situation?

[Ghostile]

Ok, I'll bite. What would you suggest these individuals do aside from show their support for the protesters and bring awareness to the situation?

Donate to the charities that do other than screech at a single company out of hundreds for a few weeks and then forget it.

[TwoMana]

Yeah no, there's no rule that state you cant wear a shirt with FreeHK on it, and since its America, people can sue you if they tried to enter peacefully and get denied of access after they paid for ticket and hotel, banning them would just put them on a greater media exposure.

You watch too many movies my friend. That's not how any of this works.
Also, tickets for this event sold out long, long before any forum HK-rage signaling. The people who are going, are fans of Blizzard games. You can't just turn up at the door, buy a ticket and go in to protest.

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Ok, I'll bite. What would you suggest these individuals do aside from show their support for the protesters and bring awareness to the situation?

Start here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/