Saturday, October 19th 2019
U.S. Legislators Including AOC Come Down Hard on Activision-Blizzard on Blitzchung Ban
Three Congresspersons and two Senators, in a letter to Activision-Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick, came down hard on the company's decision to ban and withdraw prize winnings of Hong Kong gamer Ng Wai Chung aka "Blitzchung." In the letter, the legislators unleashed scathing criticism of the company's decision to place its market-access to China above its expectations as an American business to spread the core American values of freedom and liberty around the world. Among these legislators are Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Congressmen Mike Gallagher and Tom Malinowski; and Senators Marco Rubio and Ron Wyden.
"Your company benefits from China's growing market for e-sports, along with an investment from Tencent, one of China's largest technology firms. As you and your company are no doubt aware, the Chinese government uses the size and strength of its economy to suppress opinion with which it disagrees. Last week alone, the Chinese government targeted Apple for hosting an app to help peaceful demonstrators evade repression and the NBA because one team's general manager tweeted in support of Hong Kong protests," the letter reads.
"Your company claims to stand by 'one's right to express individual thoughts and opinions,' yet many of your own employees believe that Activision-Blizzard's decision to punish Mr. Chung runs counter to those values," the letter continues, referencing the silent protest by Blizzard employees by covering up a floor decal in the company's Stateside office. "Indeed many gamers around the world have taken notice of your company's actions, understandably calling for boycotts of Activision-Blizzard gaming sites," the letter continues, referring to the recent wave of established gamers either downright deleting their accounts, or cancelling their subscriptions to Activision-Blizzard MMOs.
Buckling under intense pressure in its home market, Blizzard last week reduced its ban. Bliizzard announced that it would be returning Blitzchung his prize money and reducing his ban from 1 year to 6 months. "Anger is still bubbling in the Blizzard communities, and with BlizzCon just around the corner, things are only going to continue to heat up," comments E-Sports Talk.
"As China amplifies its campaign of intimidation, you and your company must decide whether to look beyond the bottom line and promote American values - like freedom of speech and thought - or to give in to Beijing's demands in order to preserve market access. We urge you in the strongest terms to reconsider your decision with respect to Mr. Chung. You have the opportunity to reverse course. We urge you to take it," the letter concludes.
Sources:
United States Senate, E-Sports Talk
"Your company benefits from China's growing market for e-sports, along with an investment from Tencent, one of China's largest technology firms. As you and your company are no doubt aware, the Chinese government uses the size and strength of its economy to suppress opinion with which it disagrees. Last week alone, the Chinese government targeted Apple for hosting an app to help peaceful demonstrators evade repression and the NBA because one team's general manager tweeted in support of Hong Kong protests," the letter reads.
Buckling under intense pressure in its home market, Blizzard last week reduced its ban. Bliizzard announced that it would be returning Blitzchung his prize money and reducing his ban from 1 year to 6 months. "Anger is still bubbling in the Blizzard communities, and with BlizzCon just around the corner, things are only going to continue to heat up," comments E-Sports Talk.
"As China amplifies its campaign of intimidation, you and your company must decide whether to look beyond the bottom line and promote American values - like freedom of speech and thought - or to give in to Beijing's demands in order to preserve market access. We urge you in the strongest terms to reconsider your decision with respect to Mr. Chung. You have the opportunity to reverse course. We urge you to take it," the letter concludes.
62 Comments on U.S. Legislators Including AOC Come Down Hard on Activision-Blizzard on Blitzchung Ban
This is Not right and simply takes everybody's time. What about a Freedom of Speech and next time I will ask you for a permission to make a comment...
As for the article, meh. It's up to the company to change. We can vote with our wallets if we don't want to support them...then they'll change their tune.
In fact loot boxes fall below their radar, and EU commission are first to questioning these "mechanics". I could only guess this is all about money :D
Cause Orange man bad, and everything they do is exactly what they don't want you to do.
Democratic republic for Hong Kong would be great, no laws to extradite protestors to the internment camps, Tibet, Pollution, corruption, and blatant racisim of China. Blizzard can kiss my ass, I have thought about trying their games, and now I'm not going to unless they prove the support freedom and individual human rights above the status quo they have been placating people with.
Also, don't bother about facts, most people who post about politics don't care about facts. You see these random sinophobic comments all over the place where people probably learned them from textbooks written in the cold war era. All these blatant fake news everywhere about China. I would have believed them and make those comments too, but having actually lived and work in China for the last couple of years, I realized how much stupid **** I used to get fed with.
Also, politics is generally not allowed most topics here, only in The Lounge sub-forum. Hope you enjoyed today's class snugglebears.
No one actually read what blizzard respond for that ban? He violate the rules, it has nothing to do with China money.
If you don't appease the Chinese government, you risk losing access to the Chinese market, players start boycotting Blizzard games thus revenues fall and so do profits.
Just ask the NBA how well it's going for them.
sgtalk.org/mybb/Thread-An-American-living-in-HK-submitted-the-below-email-to-websites-of-US-Senator-Hawley
Also look up Jaron Lines. A US citizen and college student actually going to HK to see for himself. His youtube channel was blocked simply because it does not fit the narrative.
All this is just part of the ongoing huge political shit slinging between US and China.
At the high up positions there is no “morale” “human rights” or “freedom” There is only profit and interest.
So who you linked there...What the hell is he talking about? Hong Kongers are doing this themselves because they don't like their government. There's context missing here. Senator Hawley did something that annoyed the author.
That said, I don't think this is the correct thread to be talking about that.I did and I'm convinced this person doesn't exist and is a propaganda account. For example, the Twitter account was created June 2019 with the byline "Sojourner for Wisdom, Justice, Truth, and Peace." YouTube probably deleted the channel because it was connected to Chinese propaganda sources. Ever since the Mueller investigation started, tech firms have actively sought and silenced accounts connected to foreign government agents. China for sure had thousands of Facebook accounts but only actively used about 10% of them. What used to be done by spies is now being done on social media by influencers (formerly spies). We are experiencing the cyber cold war: information warfare.
Yes, Hong Kong is caught in the crossfire between USA and China but, keep in mind that China only had administrative control of Hong Kong since 1997. The people driving the protesting were the first to grow up entirely under China's management. These extended protests are the direct result of a generational shift in Hong Kong. They likely would have happened regardless of the US-China spat.
Speaking of traveling, think I might fly to Cozumel for my vacation this winter, no Xi Jinping approval needed, hell yea baby.
Believe what you believe. I'm done arguing here.
It is that certain player who bring politics into E-sports game, not Blizzard.
I can understand Blizzard's action as "defending the E-sports environment" rather than "benefit more from China"
Maybe ban the account without warning is bit too much, but aren't too many people's ( and due to this post, government) misinterpret or even deliberately let so many people think the banning as a political action.
And according to the letter provided, "you and your company must decide whether to look beyond the bottom line and promote American values - like freedom of speech and thought - or to give in to Beijing's demands in order to preserve market access"
Apparently it is the GOVERNMENT who want the company to TAKE SIDES.
Why the GOVERNMENT cares so much about the action of a HK e-sports player whose action was taken on FOREIGN LAND。