Blizzard bans Hearthstone champion and strips his income for offending a prison.

[Viri]

It always surprises me when I hear about Americans buying food at Walmart, cos my mental picture of Walmart is a department store like Kmart here in New Zealand. In New Zealand, buying groceries and a games console in the same store is unheard of.

We do have lollies and soda at The Warehouse, but that's about it for food in a department store.

If it makes you feel better, Walmart is getting destroyed pretty hard by Amazon. Sadly, Amazon are as big of scum bags as Walmart though, and treat their employees like human garbage.

 

[Xzi]

If it makes you feel better, Walmart is getting destroyed pretty hard by Amazon. Sadly, Amazon are as big of scum bags as Walmart though, and treat their employees like human garbage.

True, but at least they pay $15/hour minimum to the employees they treat like shit. Wal-Mart treats employees like shit and pays as little as possible, which is around $7.50/hour in some states. Neither laughably low wages nor poor working conditions would be a problem if there hadn't been a concerted effort in this country to diminish the power of unions over the last forty years.

 

[SG854]

and treat their employees like human garbage.

R u sure? How does one treat their employees like human garbage? R they physically beating their employees? Many warehouses and stores each run by different bosses. They are really strict on safety too and will fire you on the spot for the most ridiculous small things and rules you break all in the name of safety, I know people that work at Amazon and say it's a easy job for $15 an hour in an air conditioned work environment. They also provide free water bottles to keep you hydrated so you wont collapse. The only thing really is health benefits lacking. And I know people that worked at mc donalds and bk, just about many stores. I think some of these big company jobs are over exaggerated in shittyness.

 

[Viri]

True, but at least they pay $15/hour minimum to the employees they treat like shit. Wal-Mart treats employees like shit and pays as little as possible, which is around $7.50/hour in some states. Neither laughably low wages nor poor working conditions would be a problem if there hadn't been a concerted effort in this country to diminish the power of unions over the last forty years.

They pay 15 dollars an hour or more in my city. I have a friend who works there.

R u sure? How does one treat their employees like human garbage? R they physically beating their employees? Many warehouses and stores each run by different bosses. They are really strict on safety too and will fire you on the spot for the most ridiculous small things and rules you break all in the name of safety, I know people that work at Amazon and say it's a easy job for $15 an hour in an air conditioned work environment. They also provide free water bottles to keep you hydrated so you wont collapse. The only thing really is health benefits lacking. And I know people that worked at mc donalds and bk, just about many stores. I think some of these big company jobs are over exaggerated in shittyness.

Nope, but you sure do feel like you took a beating if you work there. I worked in their warehouse a few years ago. They rush you like crazy, hardly give out breaks. They don't care about their workers at all, and only care about time and money. If you slow down, they'll axe you in a heart beat. And will remind you that you're easily replaceable. Surprising enough, the job was super easy to get. No interview, you just go to some orientation, and bam, you're working there. I would say working for Amazon and UPS was some of the hardest jobs I've ever had.

 

[Foxi4]

I normally try to see the issue from both sides when it comes to controversies like this. China is a developing market for video games and the ruling party is very particular about any form of commentary regarding their regime. Blizzard is a corporation, their primary obligations lay with their customer base and stock holders. Losing ground in China would mean diminished profit for the company and a dip in their stock price, those losses would automatically be passed on to the consumers, there's no question about that. I wouldn't characterise the move as necessarily siding with the Chinese government, rather choosing not to take a side at all, and taking extreme measures to remove anything political from their platform for fear of reprisal. It would be nice to see a company like Blizzard support what's right, but that's a principled stance, and you can't eat those - there are millions of dollars at stake. If the customer base is principled regarding this issue, I fully support voting with your wallet and not purchasing any Blizzard or Activision products - corporations react to their profit margins, not loud yet empty voices of criticism. If people truly want corporations to stop bending the knee to an obviously horrendous regime, they must necessarily punish the ones that do monetarily - that's how the free market works. It has to be more than just words, so boycott away.

 

[SG854]

They pay 15 dollars an hour or more in my city. I have a friend who works there.



Nope, but you sure do feel like you took a beating if you work there. I worked in their warehouse a few years ago. They rush you like crazy, hardly give out breaks. They don't care about their workers at all, and only care about time and money. If you slow down, they'll axe you in a heart beat. And will remind you that you're easily replaceable. Surprising enough, the job was super easy to get. No interview, you just go to some orientation, and bam, you're working there. I would say working for Amazon and UPS was some of the hardest jobs I've ever had.

That's what I heard it's the easiest job to get ever.

R u one of those lazy types that complains about working. Since you r working in the warehouse im guessing you are one of the sorters/working on the conveyor belt. Scanning bar codes and putting things in a bag, an easy job. From what my friends tell me they get a brake half way during part time shift, close to full time you get a longer lunch break. And if you r falling behind sorting packages there will always be someone to help you out. So either their standards have gotten better since you worked there, or you worked at a shitty location that's not like that at every location, or you r just a lazy complainer.

 

[Joe88]

In any case blizzcon is going to be a mess. Expecting protesters, people constantly yelling out when there is people on stage, it was one thing with the "dO yOu GuYs NoT hAvE pHoNeS?" comment but this is a whole different beast.

 

[Deleted User]

I wouldn't characterise the move as necessarily siding with the Chinese government, rather choosing not to take a side at all,

 

[Foxi4]

It's not about morality or taking sides, it's about PR and big money. If you're under the delusion that Blizzard or Activision care about the issue one way or the other, you should snap out of it - they care about the increasingly growing Chinese market that they don't want to be restricted from.

 

[Captain_N]

Blizzard just did not want to get a low social score in china's social scoring system. They might lose the ability to fly in their private jets to china. Remember Bernie sanders loves china's form of government. He has said that before.
I actully have not bought a blizzard game since starcraft brood war's initial release in the late 90's. It does not require an internet connection to play multiplayer and single player. Best feature of the game.

 

[billapong]

They pay 15 dollars an hour or more in my city. I have a friend who works there.

Nope, but you sure do feel like you took a beating if you work there. I worked in their warehouse a few years ago. They rush you like crazy, hardly give out breaks. They don't care about their workers at all, and only care about time and money. If you slow down, they'll axe you in a heart beat. And will remind you that you're easily replaceable. Surprising enough, the job was super easy to get. No interview, you just go to some orientation, and bam, you're working there. I would say working for Amazon and UPS was some of the hardest jobs I've ever had.

I guess if you don't like hard physical labor then you shouldn't work in a warehouse. Although, after you get a daily workout for some years you'll end up driving a fork lift or having some little office where you can sit and manage stuff all day long. I suggest if you don't like physical labor to not get a job based on it.

 

[Sakitoshi]

yeah, let's forget that pr managers more often than not do what they want with those accounts.
in this case the pr manager is obviously a china supporter, but that doesn't represent what is actually happening behind the scenes.

 

[Deleted User]

Apparently the Hearthstone Weibo account is managed by netease.

Funny how they use their discretion to ban a player who brings the company into disrepute and offends a group of people and fire the casters who inadvertantly hosted it, but netease is off the hook.

 

[Sakitoshi]

Apparently the Hearthstone Weibo account is managed by netease.

Funny how they use their discretion to ban a player who brings the company into disrepute and offends a group of people and fire the casters who inadvertantly hosted it, but netease is off the hook.

it's always like that.
the masses just like to have a single scapegoat, no matter who, and once you start rolling that ball there is no way back.
labeling someone a criminal will mark him for life even if later it's known that he really wasn't the culprit.

 

[Dax_Fame]

They already said once that a character is trans but they won't say who.
TBH, that's probably some of the most sensitive representation of trans people in video games because trans people don't like being outed.

They're actually just waiting a few years to really freak out whoever's been ganking it every night to D.Va!

...

Oh God, what have I done?!

 

[notimp]

I can understand how realizing how favoring communism can lead to problems. This is why I question people against the Chinese tariffs. If you're against Blizzard favoring China and then are against Trump for trying to make China less of an influence in our own country then you have personal issues that are causing confliction within yourself. I agree that China goes way too far with many things, but they are communists. What do you expect? If we adopt socialism we're one step closer to becoming them. Blizzard shouldn't be favoring communism nor should any other USA citizen.

Yes and no. Yes on on the emotional and superfluous front all the way.

You can use concepts like 'democracy', 'nationalism', 'human rights', 'communism' (McCarthyism), 'socialism', 'we against them' - and in your internal logic you are entirely correct.

Until you look and the edges.

- Nationalism was invented to get people over feudal structures to 'grow more'.
- Democracy was invented by the greek, and in the form we use today - has nothing in common with the original concept.
- Human rights were invented as moral values structure after another world war, and then used to further political goals also
- Communism was prepped up to be another 'our world view against theirs' battle - and was ultimately defeated. But this was more a struggle over world supremacy - not an ideological war. So China is also communism, but something 'different'? At least our rhetoric has changed by 180 degrees.
- Socialism is practiced by the majority of countries in the western world.
- 'We against them' is for morons. (Because its so easy.)

Here are a few stories for you. America in the recent decades always needed a 'boogieman' a villain to pacify their societies. This was a known political gambit. You can read about it mainstream political theory. It allows you to send your troops around the world for a narrative concept. It allows you to feel needed, important, exceptional...

And the only rebuttle to it up till today is 'yes, but villains do exist' ( https://arcdigital.media/america-needs-a-better-national-story-e391c71f8a69 ) until you withdraw from international relations and agreement, withdraw from military safekeeping, retract to nationalism and start to look to the rest of the world, like a villain yourself. Also you became oligarchical, way back when... ( https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/wal...rs-may-back-trump-if-warren-is-nominated.html )

So if, the plaque on the statue of freedom isnt enough to make you remember, america currently is the entire opposite of what the founding fathers intended. They lost. But the myth was great for pacifying, so people kept it up.

Now - this follows its own internal logic. If you are loosing importance as fast as the US does, you can prep this up by getting further into debt for one generation, to shift more gains to your ultra rich - while making sure to isolate your country more effectively (energy dependance), you can make a few straw fires for the manufacturing industries, or spy on the entire world - none of that is a long lasting perspective concerning the forces you are facing.

You can dust off McCartheyism once more and mobilize ideologically against China, but people already arent believing you anymore. Again, the developing world follows Chinas economic blueprints - america by no means is a thought leader anymore - in anything.

You are fighting a retracting battle. You pull all the 'fuck over others' gambits you can pull. In software (Huawai can kiss their smartphone business away), in international politics (Turkey can wipe out the Kurds), in international relations (bad deal, we moved the Ambassy to our satellite state israel), in economics (we caused the financial crisis), in economic relations (if our social media giants cant use tax loop holes, we want trade wars), in foreign policy ('it would be a shame if the dollar influx into your country stopped, because you can only buy certain goods in dollars'), in international politics (Paris Agreement, f.e.).

So yes to all your points. But what socialism and in todays world even communism 'means' will have a different outcome, than - what those ideas stand for in your mind. The first indicator. No one, and I repeat NO ONE, was interested in defending democracy in Hong Kong. The international stance is 'fuck democracy' in Hong Kong.

And a few lousy senators tweeting does nothing to change that.

So name all the words that make you proud for the identity you hold so dearly - but the outcome will be along those lines..
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=decline+of+empire

Now - america will come back to the international state eventually, but currently its fleeing every responsibility it had at double speed. Let the world go into turmoil a little - let it play out, then ravage the remains, kind of attitude.

America the beautiful.

 

[FAST6191]

I guess if you don't like hard physical labor then you shouldn't work in a warehouse. Although, after you get a daily workout for some years you'll end up driving a fork lift or having some little office where you can sit and manage stuff all day long. I suggest if you don't like physical labor to not get a job based on it.

While play to your strengths is generally part of a solid plan in life we did see some investigative journalists take a spin in there and reports from people that did fine in other warehouse jobs (or even building sites) before and after. Most of those had it seem like Amazon went a bit further than most, the time focus, targets and generally noting the eminent replaceability of the floor workers (which if you are a few missed pay packets from homelessness is not great) being consistent themes in all of those, fewer members of manglement have spoken out but those that did also tell similar stories.
I will note that several of those were 30-40 something women that had enjoyed the American diet and sedentary lifestyle (not necessarily to its fullest but visibly if you are at all versed in what to look for) but not all.

 

[Ev1l0rd]

Shouldn't this be in the general gaming news section? IDK seems more appropriate there (although granted, I don't think the discussion quality would fare any better outside of this abysmal board).

Anyways, fuck Blizzard for that move. Perphaps interesting is that people who are engaging in the Boycott are trying to use the Overwatch (a game also published by Blizzard) character Mei as their mascot.

https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/9/20906320/overwatch-mei-blizzard-hong-kong-protest-banned-memes

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I personally have a much greater issue with Blizzard firing the broadcasters. Like, okay, I can't agree with the ban of the champion, but the broadcasters? Really? This shit was conducted on a live camera. You can literally see the broadcasters get uncomfortable the moment the guy starts about the Hong Kong stuff and did what they could to cut to commercial. Like, you're firing these people because of something they literally were unable to control.

As to why I disagree to the ban of the champion; China has been trying to take over Hong Kongs sovereignity, and the Chinese government is somewhat known for its long track of human rights abuses and severely authoritarian rulership. As someone who sees himself as anti-authoritarian, that's just not acceptable to me. Activision Blizzard engaging in this behavior is basically saying they tacitly support the Chinese government on this issue.

Pro-tip I guess: If your desire is to be "apolitical" (which is a defense that I've seen some ActiBliz fanboys use), your resulting side often ends up being opposite to the side you first take action on. In short: it's functionally not possible to be apolitical.

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Also, can someone rename this thread? Branding China as a prison is very loaded language imho and it doesn't make clear to an outsider that it's about the Chinese government until they open the thread.

 

[notimp]

I personally have a much greater issue with Blizzard firing the broadcasters. Like, okay, I can't agree with the ban of the champion, but the broadcasters? Really? This shit was conducted on a live camera.

Those arent journalists.
Those are corporate employees, payed with PR/marketing funds.
If you work in PR/marketing, and on your job get caught ducking away from controversy under your desk - you are producing the biggest possible PR damage for the company.

You get fired for that, to serve as an image for the next two dozen mouth pieces.

Again - shed the perception, that something here should have happened more impartial, fairer, or more like in a proper society.

This is not your movement. This is not your culture. This is a corporate marketing ploy given any resemblance of importance by marketing spending. To entice more people to spend real money. Once you got that into your head - the entire story and company reaction will become much clearer to you.

Those people had the job to sell you on the believe of professionalism, and importance of a designed concept. As casters. Now you are sorry for them? You'd wanted for them to remain in their jobs, peddling you a fantasy?

On a side note, they are burned. If the most famous thing you've done in your public career was to duck under a table, when thing became controversial - you'll never loose that image again. Of course they were fired. You dont need your 'public officials' to be tainted that way.

Just because they 'talk like journalists' - they arent. (Things millennials or gen z'ers will never understand. Part 1 )

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Maybe I should post the video of Daigo (of Street Fighter fame) now living his dream as a care worker for the elderly again?

Everyone in the racket gets payed more than the actual talent. And they all know it. And they can joke about it? And then you feel sorry for them when they acted 'humanly' when they are payed not to?

This is how 'the tournament scene' on 'live experiences' economies works. If you are a caster, you are complicit. And help others to pray on minors. Basically. Because the entire sense of importance you create around a game where devs can change powerbalances, while yawning, with a mouseclick - is fake. You are faking others out. To spend money. And then you call it cerebral and entertainment.

 

[billapong]

Just because they 'talk like journalists' - they arent. (Things millennials or gen z'ers will never understand. Part 1 )

While I generally disagree with your position on the USA (because you're a foreigner) and socialism (because it sucks) this post was insightful, especially the part I quoted. Although, I think with some proper education into what proper journalism consist of they could learn a thing or two and actually contribute to things (if you want an example of bad journalism (or lack of proper journalism), just take a gander at CNN).

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This is how 'the tournament scene' on 'live experiences' economies works. If you are a caster, you are complicit. And help others to pray on minors. Basically. Because the entire sense of importance you create around a game where devs can change powerbalances, while yawning, with a mouseclick - is fake. You are faking others out. To spend money. And then you call it cerebral and entertainment.

That's simply entertainment. These online tournaments really don't mean much in the overall sense of things. They're just something to watch for fun. They're not serious things. They're simply games.