Blizzard Criticized By Bipartisan Group of US Lawmakers (Including Ron Wyden, Marco Rubio, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) (forbes.com) 32
"If Blizzard wanted to keep politics out of its eSports scene, the Hearthstone publisher has failed miserably in just about every regard," reports Forbes.
After suspending a player for his pro-Hong Kong protest, Blizzard faced a backlash which Forbes describes as "swift," "fierce," and "almost universal. From across the political spectrum, from socialist left to alt-right, gamers were incensed." Earlier today, Ron Wyden (D, Oregon) and Marco Rubio (R, Florida) signed a bipartisan letter addressed to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, urging the company to reverse its decision to ban Blitzchung. The letter was co-signed by Co-signed by Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY), Mike Gallagher (R, WI) and Tom Malinowski (D, NJ)...
The Blizzard backlash could have been avoided entirely if Blizzard had placed principles over profits, according to Fight For The Future Deputy Director, Evan Greer, who said in statement: "Decisions about how to moderate online content are some of the most important decisions that humans are making right now. Full stop... I've seen a lot of Internet outrage in my time. This feels different. People are setting aside their differences and working together to organize protests at BlizzCon, reach out to gaming companies and demand that they take a stand for free expression, and put pressure on companies generally to not cave to authoritarian demands. It's a good reminder that the Internet still knows how to fight for freedom."
It's great to see Congress and other community leaders outside the gaming community weigh in on this matter, though whether any of it will have any impact on Blizzard's decision remains to be seen. The real question is whether boycotts will hold enough sway over the company to alter its course. After all, there's plenty of money to be made in China.
VentureBeat notes that the same group had also sent a separate letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook criticizing Apple's decision to remove an app from its store at the request of China.
After suspending a player for his pro-Hong Kong protest, Blizzard faced a backlash which Forbes describes as "swift," "fierce," and "almost universal. From across the political spectrum, from socialist left to alt-right, gamers were incensed." Earlier today, Ron Wyden (D, Oregon) and Marco Rubio (R, Florida) signed a bipartisan letter addressed to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, urging the company to reverse its decision to ban Blitzchung. The letter was co-signed by Co-signed by Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY), Mike Gallagher (R, WI) and Tom Malinowski (D, NJ)...
The Blizzard backlash could have been avoided entirely if Blizzard had placed principles over profits, according to Fight For The Future Deputy Director, Evan Greer, who said in statement: "Decisions about how to moderate online content are some of the most important decisions that humans are making right now. Full stop... I've seen a lot of Internet outrage in my time. This feels different. People are setting aside their differences and working together to organize protests at BlizzCon, reach out to gaming companies and demand that they take a stand for free expression, and put pressure on companies generally to not cave to authoritarian demands. It's a good reminder that the Internet still knows how to fight for freedom."
It's great to see Congress and other community leaders outside the gaming community weigh in on this matter, though whether any of it will have any impact on Blizzard's decision remains to be seen. The real question is whether boycotts will hold enough sway over the company to alter its course. After all, there's plenty of money to be made in China.
VentureBeat notes that the same group had also sent a separate letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook criticizing Apple's decision to remove an app from its store at the request of China.
Oh isn't that nice (Score:1)
A feel good, non-binding, letter. Im sure blizzard will change their mind now.
This isn't meant to change Blizzard's mind (Score:2, Insightful)
Will you keep voting for pro-corporate oligarchs that make you feel good about yourself (Trump) or will you seek out principled people who campaign on issues (Bernie, AOC, Justice Democrats, etc, etc).
That's what this is about.
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will you seek out principled people who campaign on issues (Bernie, AOC, Justice Democrats, etc, etc).
Come on man, I'm all for a good joke but you might have gone a bit far on this one.
Re: This isn't meant to change Blizzard's mind (Score:3)
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I didn't just pull those names out of the air to rile people up.
No, although (and I don't mean this as criticism) you know that those names will rile people up... people who are easily riled.
I was watching Bill Maher this morning and there was a woman on (I don't remember who she was, but she was full of shit anyway so I'm not exactly eager to follow her or anything) claiming that part of the problem with the parties today is that instead of meeting in a smoky room and picking the candidate with the best chance to win, now that decision is left up to The People. Except.
I don't want them to rile you up (Score:3)
To wit: Medicare for All works in every country it's been tried in, so far they appear uncorruptible and the Green New Deal being championed will fight climate change and also let us get out of these damn wars (8 and counting) by making us energy independent.
We've been conditioned to treat politics as something dirty, especially policy heavy politics. That is not an accident. The
Re: (Score:3)
I agree with literally every word of your comment.
I will vote for Sanders in the primary. If given the opportunity to vote for him for president, I will do that as well.
If Sanders is not available, I will still vote against Trump.
My reasons are the same as yours.
I'll vote for whatever isn't Trump as well (Score:2)
But the Independents? Put a guy like Biden up for election and after 12 months of his dirty laundry [politico.com] being aired they'll stay home out of disgust. And blam, four more years of Trump. No more
Also never forget this is a primary (Score:2)
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What joke? Sanders had a heart attack and his first response was to call for Medicare for All.
Want the short answer? This is medicare in Canada: If Sanders had his heart attack here, he would have been treated locally, then be put on medications until an available slot came available. If his condition could be managed without any type of surgery including angioplasty he would wait, and he'd keep waiting unless his situation came worse. These are the wait times under medicare in Ontario. [ontario.ca] Which has 40% of the population of Canada(look by cities, I suggest London, Kitchener, Waterloo, Toronto Gene
Damned if you do, damned if you don't (Score:2)
Not exist? (Score:2)
Raping art is not a business, but a crime.
They shouldn't (Score:2)
As long as it's NSFW and doesn't disrupt the actual gameplay it should be left alone. Just like when the football players took a knee.
Blizzard's free to do this, BTW. And we're free to call them out on it. Yes, that includes a non-binding resolution by members of Congress (since it's non-binding, e.g. has no force of law).
On another note If this was somebody protesting SJWs getting a gamer fired for an awkwa
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If they want to support repression, the simple answer is to stop livestreaming. Networks run a delay if they're concerned about potential profanity (etc.) By failing to prevent these messages from going out in the first place, and reacting to them after the fact, they are themselves taking a public political stance.
Or, they could just not react to it, and pretend it didn't happen. And that would not be taking a political sta
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For one thing, if you decide to give a cash prize to someone, you give it to them immediately.
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"Freedom and democracy are good. Repressive police states are bad."; constitutes politics you want to keep out of gaming?
Have you paid attention to the plots of games lately? It'd be ease to come up with a list of games as long as your arm whose plot lines are basically elaborations on my first sentence, above. Hell... you could even make a decent case that the Raynor/Kerrigan/Mengsk plot line from the Starcraft series is a political statement to that very effect. Gaming ceased be be apolitical a LOOONG
Hong Kong (Score:2)
And the people of Hong Kong seem to be quickly approaching the Patrick Henry decision.
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
First, congratulations on your new pay check. How many rubles have they paid you to spout fantasies.
Are you a mind reader? Have you at least AOC? Or did you just guarantee something that you have no information about, except for stuff the media told you?
Yeah, I thought so. You seem very angry for someone whose candidate won the election and spent 2 years with control over the House, Senate, and the Supreme Court.
I wonder why? ;-D
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I see no evidence of that (Score:3)
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I believe I have seen people banned in WoW for making their character name political, likely because that's
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I've seen Guild names banned in Classic WoW for being political.
That being said, my pet Turtle has a political name (guess his name). No issues to date.
It's a freaking game! (Score:1)
The fact that somebody is making profit (as opposed to earning income or doing something good to improve the world) on it, is already sick and perverse enough!
Politicising it, even just the attempt, deserves what in the US would equal a death sentence!
Zone of Danger (Score:3)
If Rubio, Wyden, and AOC agree on something, then Blizzard should be concerned. They may not be breaking any laws (yet) but with both wings of Congress closing in, that can change... fast.
Un American (Score:3)
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American corporations don't believe in America. Henry Ford could have built his cars in Mexico, but chose not to. He wanted the best cars built by the best people.
It's entirely possible he didn't produce vehicles in Mexico because of racism. He talked a good game about racial equality, but he was an anti-semite. Why not a hater of Mexicans?
What’s good for the goose (Score:1)
Is good for the gander.
Enjoy your esport games with players showing protest signs for feminism, diversity, climate change, Antifa, Catalonia, Chile, yellow vests, or whatever social justice of the week was.