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> This is a very awkward situation for blizzard, one they have ultimately created, no real way they will win. I don't think they created it per-say. I think th
by taurath 7y ago
> This is a very awkward situation for blizzard, one they have ultimately created, no real way they will win.
I don't think they created it per-say. I think they, and probably most of the executives in the industry, missed just how much a powder-keg chinese censorship is, and how political doing live international (or even national) sporting events can get. Everyone in the west is pissed at blizzard for cowing to China. China is obviously in the wrong here, because they're the ones threatening to kick Blizzard out of China unless Blizzard does what they say.
This is a risk that no matter how Blizzard execs managed it, if China pushes that lever all of their profits turn to zero. I think now any company should start to think twice about the risks of operating in China. I think ultimately this will fizzle out, unless the players don't stop protesting, at which point they'll have to stop broadcasting to China, and probably stop operating there.
- ben_jones 7y agoI wonder if the initial decision was made by Chinese Executives and Event staff without consulting corporate HQ, then corporate backed them since they have no obvious strategy for backpedaling.
- taurath 7y agoExtremely unlikely, especially given the response afterwards. Blizzard runs things, despite the corporate setup as it is force to be in China.
- cjbprime 7y agoBut you just described the obvious strategy: say that corp should be involved in punishments that transcend a particular event (I'm sure they were already) and that corp has decided on punishment X instead.
- willhslade 7y agoPer se.
- taurath 7y agoPer kay!