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>Sounds like they were scared into actually overdoing the censorship. More than 1 billion with a B, US dollars worth of deals was signed at Chengdu convention.

>Sounds like they were scared into actually overdoing the censorship. More than 1 billion with a B, US dollars worth of deals was signed at Chengdu convention. Why incentivize with fear when that much money is on the line. Western media/businesses selling out to PRC is not new.

mulmen 3y ago
Whats the marginal benefit of hosting in Chengdu? Presumably deals would have been signed at other locations too.
- maxglute 3y ago
  More graft/kick back opporunities. Also a billion dollars? Seems unlikely considering scale of typical Hugo (as far as I'm aware).
eviks 3y ago
That's easy - because there is not enough money in the world for that, there are also more people with a B, and western media not selling out is also not new
- maxglute 3y ago
  Let's be real, incentives from being around a billion dollars is almost always enough money. Most sell out for much less. US gov has to resort to export controls to prevent folks from caving to that kind of financial incentive.
justinclift 3y ago
> More than 1 billion with a B, US dollars worth of deals was signed at Chengdu convention. Where are you getting that figure from?
- maxglute 3y ago
  >Investment deals valued at approximately 8 billion yuan ($1.09 billion) were signed during the 81st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, last week at its inaugural industrial development summit, marking significant progress in the advancement of sci-fi development in China. https://www.china.org.cn/arts/2023-10/23/content_116768150.htm https://www.china.org.cn/arts/2023-10/23/content_116768150.h... 10%2F23%2Fcontent_116768150.htm There's reporting from other write ups behind the scenes from apparent Chinese organizers talking about how the event got rapidly captured by commercial interests.
  - justinclift 3y ago
    Interesting, thanks. :) --- Weirdly, that link is showing an invalid https cert. The non-https version of the page seems to load ok though.
  - denton-scratch 3y ago
    What are these investment deals? Why are they being signed at a scifi convention? > marking significant progress in the advancement of sci-fi development in China. Since when did scifi need investment for development?
    - maxglute 3y ago
      It's in the article but if certs freak ppl out: >The deals included 21 sci-fi industry projects involving companies that produce films, parks, and immersive sci-fi experiences. Others were related to the development of melodramas, games, and the metaverse. Additionally, various service platforms for sci-fi franchise incubation projects and sci-fi cultural and creative funds will be developed. For example, with a 2-billion-yuan investment, the "Chinese Stories - Sci-fi Situation Drama Incubation Base Project" aims to establish a platform using a program-park-base-academy model, consolidating top resources in the sci-fi industry chain. Moreover, with a 1-billion-yuan investment, the "Three-Body Universe Global Headquarters" project plans to develop games, films, TV shows, brands, and merchandise. Works by renowned sci-fi writer He Xi are also set for commercialization, facilitated by a strategic partnership between the author, Eight Light Minutes Culture, and Shanghai Film Group. "Chinese science fiction is evolving from a solely text-based medium to a diverse range of formats encompassing comics, movies, games, VR, XR, toys, and film merchandise," said Ji Shaoting, the founder and CEO of the sci-fi cultural company Future Affairs Administration. "As the genre integrates into daily life and attracts a younger audience in China, it signifies a potential upsurge in its future influence. This rise also reflects a more inclusive approach, drawing inspiration from sci-fi from around the world."

mulmen 3y ago

Whats the marginal benefit of hosting in Chengdu? Presumably deals would have been signed at other locations too.

maxglute 3y ago
More graft/kick back opporunities. Also a billion dollars? Seems unlikely considering scale of typical Hugo (as far as I'm aware).

eviks 3y ago

That's easy - because there is not enough money in the world for that, there are also more people with a B, and western media not selling out is also not new

maxglute 3y ago
Let's be real, incentives from being around a billion dollars is almost always enough money. Most sell out for much less. US gov has to resort to export controls to prevent folks from caving to that kind of financial incentive.

justinclift 3y ago

> More than 1 billion with a B, US dollars worth of deals was signed at Chengdu convention. Where are you getting that figure from?

maxglute 3y ago
>Investment deals valued at approximately 8 billion yuan ($1.09 billion) were signed during the 81st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, last week at its inaugural industrial development summit, marking significant progress in the advancement of sci-fi development in China. https://www.china.org.cn/arts/2023-10/23/content_116768150.htm https://www.china.org.cn/arts/2023-10/23/content_116768150.h... 10%2F23%2Fcontent_116768150.htm There's reporting from other write ups behind the scenes from apparent Chinese organizers talking about how the event got rapidly captured by commercial interests.
- justinclift 3y ago
  Interesting, thanks. :) --- Weirdly, that link is showing an invalid https cert. The non-https version of the page seems to load ok though.
- denton-scratch 3y ago
  What are these investment deals? Why are they being signed at a scifi convention? > marking significant progress in the advancement of sci-fi development in China. Since when did scifi need investment for development?
  - maxglute 3y ago
    It's in the article but if certs freak ppl out: >The deals included 21 sci-fi industry projects involving companies that produce films, parks, and immersive sci-fi experiences. Others were related to the development of melodramas, games, and the metaverse. Additionally, various service platforms for sci-fi franchise incubation projects and sci-fi cultural and creative funds will be developed. For example, with a 2-billion-yuan investment, the "Chinese Stories - Sci-fi Situation Drama Incubation Base Project" aims to establish a platform using a program-park-base-academy model, consolidating top resources in the sci-fi industry chain. Moreover, with a 1-billion-yuan investment, the "Three-Body Universe Global Headquarters" project plans to develop games, films, TV shows, brands, and merchandise. Works by renowned sci-fi writer He Xi are also set for commercialization, facilitated by a strategic partnership between the author, Eight Light Minutes Culture, and Shanghai Film Group. "Chinese science fiction is evolving from a solely text-based medium to a diverse range of formats encompassing comics, movies, games, VR, XR, toys, and film merchandise," said Ji Shaoting, the founder and CEO of the sci-fi cultural company Future Affairs Administration. "As the genre integrates into daily life and attracts a younger audience in China, it signifies a potential upsurge in its future influence. This rise also reflects a more inclusive approach, drawing inspiration from sci-fi from around the world."