Sorry, what? Reliance towards the Chinese market? You lost me there.
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
(Polygon) BlizzCon 2019: Blizzard apologizes for its response to Hong Kong protests
- Thread starter signal
- Start date
This is some genius galaxy brain type thinking here.
I would love to see you bring up that point to a Hong Kong protester on the street, ya know. I imagine it would go something like this
Hong Kong Protester said:
Dumbass tired hot take said:
#MoralPurity
The thing is that I don't think very many people know that, and framing it that way makes it look like protestors are asking Blizzard to stop doing business with China, which makes the protest look unreasonable. It's important for people to be introduced to this issue with the understanding that the problem with Blizzard is something that *Blizzard* has control over.
It's just as important as the distinction between asking someone to speak out against workplace harassment vs asking someone to stop working for a company where workplace harassment takes place.
oh look the dude who works in the industry and comes into every thread critical of predatory monetization practices to defend them to the death is also defending Blizzard's right to kowtow to China for the money! Color me surprised!
it's almost as if business interests shouldn't trump the interests of humanity. Just because the world works the way it does doesn't make it right. Corporations arent people. We are. And we, the people, should hold corporations accountable for their shitty actions
Of all Blizzard's IPs Overwatch is the one I actively dislike now instead of just being apathetic towards.
It embodies the hypocricy of Blizzard's attempts to cash in on wokeness but willingness to throw politics in games under the bus at the drop of the hat if it suddenly threatens their profits.
It embodies the hypocricy of Blizzard's attempts to cash in on wokeness but willingness to throw politics in games under the bus at the drop of the hat if it suddenly threatens their profits.
Last edited:
Yeah but greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works.
Nah they just lost everyone who mattered in thre interest of shareholder gains. They're a shell now. All it takes is looking at the stuff they showed at blizzcon and how utterly hollow and devoid of vision or creative spark at all to see that.
You clearly don't actually read my posts if that's your takeaway.
Like when a company has a significant amount of their revenue coming from the Chinese market they are reliant on it, yeah?
Yep. Overwatch is emblematic of the hypocrisy behind corporate wokeness.
OK, I get it now. Sorry, semantic misunderstanding on my part.
I'm not saying that Blizzard doesn't deserve being protested. If you look through my post history, I'm also pro HK in this matter.
What I'm saying is that Blizzard is in a lose-lose situation here, and that posters here suggesting they cut off ties with China aren't suggesting a reasonable solution.
The "we fucked up royally" part of the apology is actually great...the "we'll do better, we promise" part is totally hollow and completely undermines the first part.
How will you do better? Why are the casters still banned if you know you fucked up? You won't even say China or HK out loud and we're supposed to believe that you're going to be better?
How will you do better? Why are the casters still banned if you know you fucked up? You won't even say China or HK out loud and we're supposed to believe that you're going to be better?
Oh no I understand your posts just fine. As usual you attempt to explain away or excuse corporate actions by popping in to tell everyone "well actually this is how business works"
we know. We know how business works. We don't approve of it. Understanding is not the issue no matter how much you want to act like it is sotheir actions can be put in a context that allows them to be absolved of their complicity or tacit approval of the inhumane.
So yes I have read your "well actually" posts I'm just sick and tired of them
As one of those posters I understand they are in a lose-lose situation but humans rights should always be more important than profit. We have to draw a line in the sand. Making money shouldn't be the go-to excuse for immoral behaviour.
Well, guess no Diablo IV for me then. I refuse to buy their products until they turn things around, and I don't have any faith they will. So really, no Blizz stuff for me ever again.
Okay, you're right that it's a lose-lose situation, but you're not considering what got them into this situation. The "lose-lose" you're referring to is a consequence. Asking blizzard to face consequences for their decisions is not being unreasonable.
Y'know something, I don't think I have ever seen an apology that seemed legitimate and not just "sorry we were caught" in this whole industry — ever.
Happy to be proven wrong.
Happy to be proven wrong.
Weird that this apology is nearly everything I want to hear but they can't bother to actually name the problem or manage to even mention the victim, so that's still making me feel like they're really just continuing on with a reality where "it is what it is and we're sorry that it sucks" and not "we're sorry about our actions taken toward Blitzchung."
And again, if it is what it is, then I don't fuck with Blizzard.
And again, if it is what it is, then I don't fuck with Blizzard.
Yep, it does not reflect what they actually apologized for. How does one notify a mod to change the title?
"We apologize for how we communicated our decisions."
"OK, but do you apologize for the decisions?"
"Oh fuck no we nailed that."
"OK, but do you apologize for the decisions?"
"Oh fuck no we nailed that."
I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I dismiss the apology because of his choice of words and what he may or may not have mentioned. I think that is irrelevant when the fact of the matter is that the player was and still is being punished for it and two casters and four other players were punished for a similar message.
His (and I paraphrase here) "we will do better" is vapid and meaningless if Blizzard doesn't rescind any and all punishment towards those who were affected.
His (and I paraphrase here) "we will do better" is vapid and meaningless if Blizzard doesn't rescind any and all punishment towards those who were affected.
Lame "apology", and predictably doing nothing to quell the legitimate and loud protests surrounding the venue:
Is it also unreasonable to actually show compassion for the thousands of employees at Blizzard that share the same thoughts as you that could theoretically lose their jobs because Blizzard decided to do the "reasonable" thing and cut ties with their china market connections? Because let's say Blizzard does go this route? Takes a stand against China and completely cuts ties with their partners over there. It's highly likely hundreds if not thousands of employees lose their job as a result. Is that an acceptable consequence for you or is that too unreasonable?
On one hand, I give Brack props for accepting accountability and I really do hear some sincerity in his voice. I do think he meant it and I do think Blizzard can right this.
However, now we have to wait and see if they actually act or if those were indeed empty words. As for this moment, I don't think it was enough and have to see something done, especially so given no mention of Hong Kong or the player/caster names. It is a decent start but they need to do more at this point.
However, now we have to wait and see if they actually act or if those were indeed empty words. As for this moment, I don't think it was enough and have to see something done, especially so given no mention of Hong Kong or the player/caster names. It is a decent start but they need to do more at this point.
They went beyond the point that any apology can be accepted outside of drastic action. They'd have to do something that China would not like one bit for me to even consider forgiveness.
Until that happens, these words are toothless at best, and most likely empty.
Until that happens, these words are toothless at best, and most likely empty.
He needed to mention the actual subject the apology was about, that's one of the first rules of writing a good apology. I don't doubt Brack's sincerity, but ultimately this needs to be more than just words and so far that is all it's been from Blizzard
*insert commentary on capitalism here*
Pulling out of China is a disproportionate response to what Blizzard actually did here.
As a consequence, they'd probably breaching some contracts, jeopardize their future ability to operate, hire, or contract in China, and have to lay off a lot of people. This would also inevitably hurt their existing employees who own company equity.
Where am I saying Blizzard shouldn't face consequences?
I'm OK with them facing consequences--as are they, I think. They know what they did and they stand by it, because keeping that Chinese business is more important to them than the alternative.
Last edited:
Why do some of you always do this? It's like you're stepping over what actually caused this. Just because you are involved with China doesn't mean you need to support the Chinese Oppression and actually support and involve yourself in that oppression.
Instead of being China's sock puppet and being against freedom and trying to oppress, this is what Blizzard initially had to do: NOTHING, Ignore it and just try to suss the situation.
Accepting accountability means nothing though if there's no consequences.
Of course you can show compassion for them, but you should still blame Blizzard for it. Remember when blizzard reported record profits and then laid off 800 employees earlier this year? Show compassion for THOSE employees please.
piss-weak apology it's looked like it was made up on the spot, nothing really better than the statement they released like a month ago
It's impossible to do buisness in China wihout being a sockpuppet of the CPC. Especially if you're a media company that has the Chinese censors riding your ass. That's why Blizzard reacted so harshly to Blitzchung. They were afraid of being banned from China like the NBA was.
They are talking to the faithful, you don't go there to exactly boo so it's hardly a surprise. I do hold out hope some brave souls make a stand.