Blizzard bans HS Pro for political statement - Page 27

On October 12 2019 08:04 Xlancer wrote:


I don't think you understand how sensitive the Chinese are about Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and the South China Sea. I tried talking to my Chinese father-in-law about why the Chinese decided to support North Korea over South Korea in the 1950s and he was instantly offended by the question. Trying to talk about Hong Kong and Taiwan are even worse. The Chinese have a very strong sense of national pride and are extremely sensitive to any perceived slight to their national identity. (Just look at their reaction to the NBA) This is a BIG deal to the Chinese, despite the fact that you could care less about it...

On October 12 2019 08:55 Pangpootata wrote:
I don't remember who it was, but a Starcraft player once did a political victory ceremony regarding some island (disputed by china/japan?), declaring it belonged to korea.

Nothing happened to him.

Rules regarding political statements are unclear and inconsistent.

On October 12 2019 08:04 Xlancer wrote:


I don't think you understand how sensitive the Chinese are about Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and the South China Sea. I tried talking to my Chinese father-in-law about why the Chinese decided to support North Korea over South Korea in the 1950s and he was instantly offended by the question. Trying to talk about Hong Kong and Taiwan are even worse. The Chinese have a very strong sense of national pride and are extremely sensitive to any perceived slight to their national identity. (Just look at their reaction to the NBA) This is a BIG deal to the Chinese, despite the fact that you could care less about it...

On October 12 2019 08:59 Wombat_NI wrote:

MKP if I’m remembering correctly.

It is important to note that in that era SC2 had a lot of tournaments run by third parties, now the landscape is very different and Blizzard are bankrolling and running a whole circuit and are basically the only entity in the scene.

On October 12 2019 09:16 Danglars wrote:

Well, I get you on one level. I observe a pattern of a certain nationality bristling at some of the most mundane shit. Someone accidentally says the country of Taiwan, and some major Chinese figure takes out every form of leverage he can muster and demand an immediate retraction. Some protest or rally happens in Tibet, and the Chinese government calls the Dalai Lama a wolf and a monster and possessing no human heart. I observe this pattern of behavior. Wow, are Chinese in positions of power or influence touchy!

That part's old. The second part is just as old. Someone with a hierarchy over them will fear firing if they say anything critical of the Chinese system or actions. Unless you're the highest boss of a private organization and/or independently wealthy, you're vulnerable. The CPC takes this to an extreme, and will even jail or disappear your family or send thugs to warn them, if you're overseas with family back home.

This is the behavior of thugs and tyrants. Their power preserves their insane foibles. Unless the Chinese government is directly wielding power over your friends and relatives, why are you here complying with the most insane shit? Why are you rationalizing? You're on this forum justifying the most idiotic CPC policy drawing from lines like the Opium Wars and colonialism? Am I missing something? The old standbys of brainwashing, idiocy, or myopic nationalism are explanations, but I don't want to go to them unless I've really rejected all the other ones. God knows my minority viewpoints on religion and civil rights are relentlessly strawmanned into those categories on the internet.

So my hypothesis is the myopic nationalism. China is the largest extent to their historical empire, and any threats to redefine that or break off from it by force must be opposed with every cell in one's body. Any explanation, however frail, should be conjured to confuse the issue or waste time. The US and allies are the major global hegemon, so might as well make that the only struggle that matters.

On October 12 2019 00:17 Yurie wrote:


Being allowed to think that is a freedom. Catalonia has political elections where they people you can vote for is not appointed from the central government (for China that is against a treaty but being done). If they want to they can vote for a party that wants to get out from Spain and implement a vote for that action. If done Spain would release them but hate having to do it. Spain would also use its political power to not let them into EU and punish them for moving out of their union.

Hong Kong can't vote to get out of China. The vote will not be allowed to be held. Stop of process.

Spain would of course use soft power and (sadly) even some hard power to effect the vote but not stop the movement forcefully. Chain would if it got to that stage.

On October 12 2019 11:03 CraigWT wrote:


You just imagine about China and believe in your imagination. Talking about Dalia Lama issue, Chinese government never said he is evil/monster etc, all Chinese people just know he want the Tibet’s independence. In fact, from the public report from Chinese Official Media, they declared many times that they are willing to talk and welcome Dalai Lama if he gives up his appeal on the independence of Tibet. The CCP just don’t accept the independence and nothing else. Please don’t think Chinese people are all dumb like pig and you are the smartest.

The East Asians share similar culture and we are very sensitive about the territory issue, that’s why MVP did his announcement in the past and Chinese people are easy to be offended when talking about independence/territory issue etc. If NBA declares that they support Diaoyu Island belongs to China, Japanese will definitely have a strong response. Yes indeed after Xi became the chairman, his internal policy have made people become even more sensitive (which is not a good sign), but it doesn’t mean that people are stupid and know nothing.

Hello Blizzard Community . . .

I want to take a few minutes to talk to all of you about the Hearthstone Grandmasters tournament this past weekend. On Monday, we made the decision to take action against a player named blitzchung and two shoutcasters after the player shared his views on what’s happening in Hong Kong on our official broadcast channel.

At Blizzard, our vision is “to bring the world together through epic entertainment.” And we have core values that apply here: Think Globally; Lead Responsibly; and importantly, Every Voice Matters, encouraging everybody to share their point of view. The actions that we took over the weekend are causing people to question if we are still committed to these values. We absolutely are and I will explain.

Our esports programs are an expression of our vision and our values. Esports exist to create opportunities for players from around the world, from different cultures, and from different backgrounds, to come together to compete and share their passion for gaming. It is extremely important to us to protect these channels and the purpose they serve: to bring the world together through epic entertainment, celebrate our players, and build diverse and inclusive communities.

As to how those values apply in this case:

First, our official esports tournament broadcast was used as a platform for a winner of this event to share his views with the world.

We interview competitors who are at the top of their craft to share how they feel. We want to experience that moment with them. Hearing their excitement is a powerful way to bring us together.

Over the weekend, blitzchung used his segment to make a statement about the situation in Hong Kong—in violation of rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action.

Every Voice Matters, and we strongly encourage everyone in our community to share their viewpoints in the many places available to express themselves. However, the official broadcast needs to be about the tournament and to be a place where all are welcome. In support of that, we want to keep the official channels focused on the game.

Second, what is the role of shoutcasters for these broadcasts?

We hire shoutcasters to amplify the excitement of the game. They elevate the watchability and help the esports viewing experience stay focused on the tournament and our amazing players.

Third, were our actions based on the content of the message?

Part of Thinking Globally, Leading Responsibly, and Every Voice Matters is recognizing that we have players and fans in almost every country in the world. Our goal is to help players connect in areas of commonality, like their passion for our games, and create a sense of shared community.

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.

We have these rules to keep the focus on the game and on the tournament to the benefit of a global audience, and that was the only consideration in the actions we took.

If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same.

OK, what could Blizzard have done better, and where do we go from here?

Over the past few days, many players, casters, esports fans, and employees have expressed concerns about how we determined the penalties. We’ve had a chance to pause, to listen to our community, and to reflect on what we could have done better. In hindsight, our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly.

We want to ensure that we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all our players, and that our rules and processes are clear. All of this is in service of another important Blizzard value—Play Nice; Play Fair.

In the tournament itself blitzchung *played* fair. We now believe he should receive his prizing. We understand that for some this is not about the prize, and perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. That is not our intention.

But playing fair also includes appropriate pre-and post-match conduct, especially when a player accepts recognition for winning in a broadcast. When we think about the suspension, six months for blitzchung is more appropriate, after which time he can compete in the Hearthstone pro circuit again if he so chooses. There is a consequence for taking the conversation away from the purpose of the event and disrupting or derailing the broadcast.

With regard to the casters, remember their purpose is to keep the event focused on the tournament. That didn’t happen here, and we are setting their suspension to six months as well.

Moving forward, we will continue to apply tournament rules to ensure our official broadcasts remain focused on the game and are not a platform for divisive social or political views.

One of our goals at Blizzard is to make sure that every player, everywhere in the world, regardless of political views, religious beliefs, race, gender, or any other consideration always feels safe and welcome both competing in and playing our games.

At Blizzard, we are always listening and finding ways to improve—it is part of our culture. Thank you for your patience with us as we continue to learn.

Sincerely,

J. Allen Brack
President of Blizzard Entertainment

On October 12 2019 09:16 Danglars wrote:
So my hypothesis is the myopic nationalism. China is the largest extent to their historical empire, and any threats to redefine that or break off from it by force must be opposed with every cell in one's body. Any explanation, however frail, should be conjured to confuse the issue or waste time. The US and allies are the major global hegemon, so might as well make that the only struggle that matters.

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.

We have these rules to keep the focus on the game and on the tournament to the benefit of a global audience, and that was the only consideration in the actions we took.

In the tournament itself blitzchung *played* fair. We now believe he should receive his prizing. We understand that for some this is not about the prize, and perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. That is not our intention.

One of our goals at Blizzard is to make sure that every player, everywhere in the world, regardless of political views, religious beliefs, race, gender, or any other consideration always feels safe and welcome both competing in and playing our games.

On October 12 2019 11:33 Emnjay808 wrote:
I’m okay with that statement by the Blizz President.

On October 12 2019 12:54 LG)Sabbath wrote:

It appears that it might actually have been written by a Chinese person, which would be quite revealing

https://mobile.twitter.com/sgbluebell/status/1182817588147052544

On October 12 2019 12:54 LG)Sabbath wrote:

It appears that it might actually have been written by a Chinese person, which would be quite revealing

https://mobile.twitter.com/sgbluebell/status/1182817588147052544

On October 12 2019 11:33 Emnjay808 wrote:
I’m okay with that statement by the Blizz President.