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

[RedBrood]

Epstein. If you're wondering what does that mean, then yeah this entire situation will blow pass your mind in a week tops.

[Onikaroshi]

Yes.

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

Most gamers already do, but there's not enough of them of that level to do anything about it. Most of the main population are kept so poor and repressed that they don't know a different way.

Doesn't help that they have people visit China and come back that I swear are plants, argued with a guy one day because he said china had GREAT living situations and was an amazing country and people who have never been there don't understand.

Was funny when someone who had lived there came out and refuted him harshly.

[BUdoubleG]

The funniest part of all this was "At Blizzard, we are always listening and finding ways to improve" hahaha I don't know when Blizzard has ever really listened to us...

[Onikaroshi]

The funniest part of all this was "At Blizzard, we are always listening and finding ways to improve" hahaha I don't know when Blizzard has ever really listened to us...

Real-id fiasco, they listened loud and clear when someone posted a Blue's info to show how bad real-id was.

[Kamilynne]

"The specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision"

*koff* Bullchit *koff*

And technically Blitzchung made the statement post-match in an interview. Had he did this during the match, I can actually see where it would have violated the rules. But since it was done post-match, it's fair game.

So much for your "Think Globally" and "Every Voice Matters" values. Plus he didn't address the Blizzard HQ employees covering up those same plaques in the building because they think the new bosses are subservient to their Chinese Overlords.

[Ielenia]

Yes.

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

And then Blizzard loses all the income they'd get from those millions of players, which means Blizzard will likely have to do more layoffs to keep itself stable. You'd be ok with those people who have nothing to do with the situation in Hong Kong and can do nothing about that situation being penalized over a "relatively innocuous, albeit political statement"? Damn, you're cold.

[haediff]

Coz there is nothing to apologize for.

qft

/10char

[Chickat]

What's wrong with it is Blizzard choosing to defend a brutal dictatorship that is oppressing its citizens and violating human rights on a daily basis.

If you can't see what's wrong with that, then I can only assume you're a paid shill.

EDIT: Looks like there's a few other chinabots in this thread too. Lol.

It's not blizzards responsibility to combat China
If these senators think it's so disgusting maybe they should go to war with China. Because that's the only way this ends. Protest all you want it does nothing but make other people think you're a good person.

I agree the initial punishment is too harsh. Makes me sick that blizzard are the ones getting shot for all of this. No one gives a shot about apple or the other companies. Bunch of hypocrites as far as I'm concerned. The people butthurt that is.

[Onikaroshi]

And technically Blitzchung made the statement post-match in an interview. Had he did this during the match, I can actually see where it would have violated the rules. But since it was done post-match, it's fair game.

He still did it under Blizzards platform during the competition. They have brought up contract breaches before over things not even on their stream.

- - - Updated - - -

If these senators think it's so disgusting maybe they should go to war with China. Because that's the only way this ends. Protest all you want it does nothing but make other people think you're a good person.

Only way that ends is with many people in body bags, China has too many brainwashed or repressed people willing to fight for them. You think a farmer who barely has enough food to eat or a factory worker making next to nothing working 12+ hrs a day is going to say no to military service and the perks they will offer?

For war, China has an abundance of the 2 things that matter most, money and people.

[Nephys]

The main point is that they want to foster a global community around their game but don't care much about what happens outside that bubble and whether or not people are fighting for freedom or death for others there. It may be hypocritical in that context to allow people to voice support for freedom fighters, but they're just showing themselves as the autocrats that value control and money over free human will here, not sparing a second of their stream to any political opinion by the winners, despite wanting them to share what went through their head as they won and are sitting there in front of cameras as champions now. Being shocked they get political and religious vibes from them in that emotional state is exactly what they should expect as people struggle to find their words. This sort of thing is more common than you'd think in sports and even with the reduced sentence for everyone involved it is still idiotic as they're still just trying to make an example out of this to adhere to their brick of fineprint rules for anyone dealing with them.

But the problem is that speaking about those kind of problems outside of their envoirment is bad, because there's no discussion, there's no debate, you just get someone's opinion thrown at you, doesn't matter if its right or wrong, and usually these things are neither. And then you have the sheep who just follow the first thing they hear.

[Dr Assbandit]

A treatise on damage control when shit hits the fan: A study.

[oplawlz]

I agree the initial punishment is too harsh. Makes me sick that blizzard are the ones getting shot for all of this. No one gives a shot about apple or the other companies. Bunch of hypocrites as far as I'm concerned. The people butthurt that is.

Actually plenty of people have been protesting corporations dealing with China for a long time - it's just impossible to get around corporate apologists who will excuse this behavior as long as it's a company they like. To use your example I refuse to buy any apple product because it's an american company profiting from the deplorable working conditions in Asia.

[Onikaroshi]

Actually plenty of people have been protesting corporations dealing with China for a long time - it's just impossible to get around corporate apologists who will excuse this behavior as long as it's a company they like. To use your example I refuse to buy any apple product because it's an american company profiting from the deplorable working conditions in Asia.

I mean, that's basically every tech company, so do you sit around reading books? What are you even posting on?

[muto]

Lul damage control. To sum this up $$$.

[Pilek01]

Holy fucking shit, they're not even apologizing.

Why should blizzard apologize ? He boke the rules, he got punished. The internet makes drama out of nothing.

[Mullet Man]

What a fucking joke...

[Krawu]

Sorry Blizzard, unless you plan on unbanning blitzchung, rehiring the two casters and issuing a heartfelt public apology I'm not interested.

[Chickat]

Actually plenty of people have been protesting corporations dealing with China for a long time - it's just impossible to get around corporate apologists who will excuse this behavior as long as it's a company they like. To use your example I refuse to buy any apple product because it's an american company profiting from the deplorable working conditions in Asia.

Okay but what exactly is blizzard it any company supposed to do about this? The only way this actually ends is with war. China doesn't give a shit about protests from the West.

[Onikaroshi]

Sorry Blizzard, unless you plan on unbanning blitzchung, rehiring the two casters and issuing a heartfelt public apology I'm not interested.

So breaking contract (both the player and the casters) should just go completely unpunished.

[Gadzooks]

Hey I hate to break it to you but anything with the Blizzard name that operates inside mainland China is owned by Tencent, a Chinese company aka they answer to Tencent rather then blizzard HQ. Anyone who thought they were going against their own government is not informed enough to be a part of this debate.

Nope. Just for accuracy, Blizzard's Chinese partner is NetEase. TenCent owns 5% of ATVI stock, along with stock in other companies like Ubisoft. Any game with the Blizzard logo on it is published by NetEase, a completely different corporation.