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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

#71

Post by TeMPOraL »

atroche wrote: post #52
filleokus wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The other way around. Woke Inc. want to stay woke, but they also want to not be on the bad side of the Chinese state due to business interest there. Hence, the woke company needs to do pretty un-woke things, and their hypocrisy is exposed.

I think the part that confused me was the idea of one side in the culture war forcing companies to bow to China, as a tactical manoeuvre. I just can’t see the “unwoke” segments siding with China.

After reading further reply, I understand the idea as this: the "unwoke" side of the culture war sees a company proclaiming to be woke, and to expose them as hypocrites they do something that forces the company to either defy China or to reveal that their woke marketing is full of crap.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#72

Post by cooperadymas »

cooperadymas wrote: post #39

Is it safe to say we're in the middle of the Software Wars? The headlines have been littered with stories like this lately. From major open source contributors taking down their projects, to Apple, Adobe, and Blizzard. It's only a matter of time until it's a critical piece of software that can cripple a nation or beleaguer it's people. If you're looking for positives, maybe this will finally force people to rethink d…

Also, I'm disappointed I missed the obvious "Softwars"

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#73

Post by [deleted] »

FDSGSG wrote: post #69
soapdog wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So a company does a shit move and you want to take it out on kids? Doxing is never the answer. The answer is: stop using products from shit companies.

Direct action against executives, even by tiny groups, is far more likely to have an impact than passive boycotts. Eh, I guess virtue signalling is the priority on HN and not actual change. Think of the poor executives kids! Not Falun Gong, HKers or the Uyghurs.

[deleted]

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#74

Post by atroche »

diveanon wrote: post #65
jackvalentine wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Article 35. Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.

That's completely true, except for the fact that none of it is true. Go to China and openly criticize the government, hand out fliers about Tienanmen square with Winnie the Pooh on it and see what happens. God forbid you actually are a citizen of China, because as a foreigner you will be put in a detention center until deported. As a citizen you will disappear.

I think GP was responding to the way you said “codified into the constitution” as if that were the main differentiating factor (whereas it’s clearly not, because China also codified freedom of speech).

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#75

Post by TeMPOraL »

diveanon wrote: post #59
ianleeclark wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can we please start a cultural movement that forces large corporations to choose between appeasing Chinese censors and looking like fools to the rest of the west or getting banned in China. But what about the share-holder value?

That's the best part, there is no correct choice. Corporations love sitting the moral grey area on issues like this, but putting them in a position of having to choose between looking like Chinese stooges or getting banned from China will break their minds.

I don't think it will, really, because as a Chinese stooge with access to Chinese market, you have ample money to spend on PR & marketing that makes you not look like a Chinese stooge.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#76

Post by diveanon »

nabla9 wrote: post #61
diveanon wrote: post #27

Can we please start a cultural movement that forces large corporations to choose between appeasing Chinese censors and looking like fools to the rest of the west or getting banned in China. Really seems like a win win scenario.

How about Chinese owners? Chinese Tencent owns 5 percent of Blizzard, if full owner of Riot Games, 48% of Epic Games, 11.5% of Bluehole (Fortnite and PUBG), 5% of Ubisoft. They are also investor in Discord. https://www.pcgamer.com/every-game-company-that-tencent-has-... AMC is fully owned by Chinese. The largest movie theater chain in the United States is fully owned by Chinese. Legendary Entertainment Group is owned…

Make them choose between the two markets.

I'm tired of the idea that the Western and Chinese markets can both be appeased the middle of the road morality.

What is happening in HK right now is wrong, and the west has fought wars over this very issue.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#77

Post by logicallee »

I think it's fair to say this isn't clear enough (it's the ToS rule they're citing):

>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 will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.

For example, if similar language were on Hacker News I don't think I would think it would include offending the government of China.

What do others here think?

EDIT: someone has now quoted what was said. It was "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!" I must say, it does change my opinion. If I read and understood the original text I quoted, and was agreeing to abide by it, I probably wouldn't post something so strong. I thought it was something much milder.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#78

Post by hug »

kkarakk wrote: post #49
hug wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am completely unaware of blizzard tooting their own horn for being progressive about having a gay character. Undoubtedly they’ve used gay and lesbian characters in marketing, but marketing towards gay and lesbian people is, again, not a political statement in and of itself.

What exactly are you trying to say? Blizzard has indeed used pride flag in marketing materials and that is a VERY political statement

Do not mistake a giant faceless corporation’s product marketing decisions for anything other than the soulless money grubbing than they are.

If Blizzard actually were so politically progressive, perhaps they might not be in this situation of backlash.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#79

Post by blzrdnofreespch »

This is really unfortunate. I don’t game a ton, but when I do I pretty much only play Starcraft or Overwatch. Long time fan of the GSL as well.

I know it’s nothing but a drop in the bucket but I will no longer support Blizzard - time to find another game.

Perhaps we should organize a day of protest across all blizzard games.

I think it’s pretty telling that I don’t feel comfortable posting this on my main account.

Re: Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

#80

Post by byte1918 »

Aozi wrote: post #58

What we need is a JS developer to take down an important package from NPM in protest, thus breaking the Internet again.

The NPM fiasco should no longer be possible

If you want to unpublish a package after 72 hours have passed, contact npm Support. For more information about why we don’t allow users to unpublish packages after 72 hours, see our unpublish policy.

https://docs.npmjs.com/unpublishing-packages-from-the-regist...

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