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Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

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Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#231

Post by johnchristopher »

From https://www.pcgamer.com/blitzchung-removed-from-hearthstone-... a description of the incident :

> As Andy reported earlier today, Blitzchung did not back down after the sudden removal of the broadcast, during which he wore a gas mask and goggles before shouting "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!" Following the incident he released a statement elaborating on his stance, writing "I know what my action on stream means. It could cause me lot of trouble, even my personal safety in real life. But I think it's my duty to say something about the issue."

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#232

Post by aesh2Xa1 »

StevePerkins wrote: post #218
zwaps wrote: post #139

Then we have to boycott Hearthstone. While the current case is neither surprising nor substantially important, it is important because of principle. Blizzard is not responsible for what players say in interviews. In our society, it still matters that people can tolerate other opinions. The Chinese government tries to make it a new normal that entire people can have their "feelings hurt" (what?) by mere non-insulting…

> "a new normal that entire people can have their "feelings hurt" (what?) by mere non-insulting opinions, and it tries to make it a new normal that all actors should censor any undesirable or potentially undesirable opinion" Umm... yeah... but... oh boy... okay look, I AGREE with your ultimate conclusion here. But I think you might need a new rubric which with to argue it. Because as-written, this calls to mind half…

> we've largely coalesced around the idea that insult should be defined by the insulted.

I know that is not an opinion I share. I suspect it is not one many people share at all. I think it's just the one of a vocal minority on the far left.

Ideas have a place in the open. If they're going to die somewhere, it needs to be in public discourse.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#233

Post by yters »

Eldt wrote: post #108
TeMPOraL wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Anything anti-China gets buried or discredited or shouted down using whataboutisms. Interesting. The only time I see whataboutism and China/Russia brought up in the same HN thread is when somebody tries to defend China/Russia by pointing out similar problems in the West, and that person gets shouted down and accused of engaging in "whataboutism".

Sounds like you're describing the same thing. I've seen many comments defend China and try to turn attention towards actions done by the US.

What US actions are equivalent to China? If you were in China could you make the same argument regarding Chinese actions?

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#234

Post by trentnix »

bayesian_horse wrote: post #215

It's really hard to tell the difference between what is genuinely offensive and what is not. No easy answers. In this case, maybe there is a relatively simple rule: Supporting democracy must not in itself be regarded as offensive...

It is hard to tell, that is true. And that reality is exploited to silence opposition and control others.

That’s why language policing, hate speech laws, Twitter mobs, and bully-the-bully efforts are abominations. So really, the answer is easy: everyone has the right to offend, and has no right not to be offended. Your simple rule doesn’t go far enough.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#235

Post by SolaceQuantum »

eanthy wrote: post #230
zwaps wrote: post #139

Then we have to boycott Hearthstone. While the current case is neither surprising nor substantially important, it is important because of principle. Blizzard is not responsible for what players say in interviews. In our society, it still matters that people can tolerate other opinions. The Chinese government tries to make it a new normal that entire people can have their "feelings hurt" (what?) by mere non-insulting…

ok

Might I propose the following idea:

Suspending a player in order to curtail their speech because of China's politically motivated demands is, itself, a political act.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#236

Post by vonmoltke »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #221
alimbada wrote: post #158

It's a shame but I feel like the majority of gamers won't care. They'll either be ignorant of this or they'll just shrug and continue playing. I boycotted Activision and by proxy Blizzard when Activision acquired them a long time ago but their continuing success shows I'm part of an extremely tiny minority.

> I feel like the majority of gamers won't care The simultaneity of the NBA and now Blizzard so publicly siding with Beijing may elevate this out of the realm of commercial issues (subject to boycotts) into a political one.

> the NBA ... so publicly siding with Beijing

I must have missed something, because all the coverage I have seen is of Adam Silver publicly supporting Morey and Tsai. Additionally, the Nets cancelled a media event in Shanghai over this.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#237

Post by humanrebar »

freeflight wrote: post #220

I really don't like how this is made out as "China clamping down on Blizzard", just like it was framed when Ubisoft tried to get a lower age-rating for Rainbow Six Siege and claimed that was what China demanded for their market. Blizzard has been suspending plenty of pro players in plenty of their games for all kinds of questionable, and not so questionable reasons. And because Blizzard is a private company, offering…

> And because Blizzard is a private company, offering a service they maintain, they have the house right, they have the final say about who can partake and who can't.

Except it's not a matter of some Chinese customers taking their business elsewhere. They don't have "the house right" if they are facing consequences from the Chinese government for exercising their freedom of association.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#238

Post by scoutt »

With the risk of being flagged I may say that Blizzard did the right thing BUT ONLY if the interview was a an official post-match interview. Otherwise they did wrong, since they cannot force people into not telling whatever they want by any other mean.

I think it is the right thing to do in order to avoid future sociopolitical references in official post-match interviews: imagine someone saying 'power to the whites' or whatever in an live Blizzard interview. Like it or not, if you urge to call this move "censorship" you (and Blizzard) would have to tolerate slurs like that.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#239

Post by yters »

I've seen plenty of US business types on LinkedIn who are China fans and seem envious of how well China controls it's populace. In general there is a complete ignoring of the human rights issues. They seem to think that's something that irrelevant, idealistic people care about. In their mind the only people who matter are those with power, and China seems to have loads of power.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#240

Post by mbel »

jobigoud wrote: post #187
rayiner wrote: post #103

Opposing communist takeover of a free society apparently violates the following: > Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute , offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image

> offends a portion or group of the public Surely their own actions just offended "a portion or group of the public".

Not "in Blizzard’s sole discretion".
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