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Blizzard Suspends Professional Hearthstone Player for Hong Kong Comments

(playhearthstone.com)
2525 points hownottowrite | 3 comments | 08 Oct 19 09:23 UTC | HN request time: 0.612s | source
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diveanon ◴[08 Oct 19 10:17 UTC] No.21190558[source]▶
Can we please start a cultural movement that forces large corporations to choose between appeasing Chinese censors and looking like fools to the rest of the west or getting banned in China.

Really seems like a win win scenario.

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ianleeclark ◴[08 Oct 19 10:22 UTC] No.21190604[source]▶
> Can we please start a cultural movement that forces large corporations to choose between appeasing Chinese censors and looking like fools to the rest of the west or getting banned in China.

But what about the share-holder value?

replies(1): >>21190665 #
diveanon ◴[08 Oct 19 10:30 UTC] No.21190665[source]▶
That's the best part, there is no correct choice.

Corporations love sitting the moral grey area on issues like this, but putting them in a position of having to choose between looking like Chinese stooges or getting banned from China will break their minds.

replies(2): >>21190722 #>>21190748 #
1. TeMPOraL ◴[08 Oct 19 10:39 UTC] No.21190722[source]▶
I don't think it will, really, because as a Chinese stooge with access to Chinese market, you have ample money to spend on PR & marketing that makes you not look like a Chinese stooge.
replies(1): >>21190853 #
2. HenryBemis ◴[08 Oct 19 10:57 UTC] No.21190853[source]▶
USA population is close to 330m. I was reading that NBA has 500m "followers" (I will translate it to consumers). Assuming that only half the US population follows (consumes, pays) for NBA related products, then Chinese market is every NBA official's wet dream. Unless this becomes a binary choice (dictatorship Vs freedom) all the money making sharks (FIFA, NBA, etc) will pretend that they "were not aware of such events taking place in China/do not comment on internal affairs of other sovereign nations" as long as the money rolls in.

I was glad to see earlier on CNN a 'super' writing "NBA Commissioner: we are no apologizing..."

But the first 24h the reactions went from not existing to laughable. Good to see that freedom is more important than revenue.

replies(1): >>21191798 #
3. lotsofpulp ◴[08 Oct 19 13:05 UTC] No.21191798[source]▶
>Assuming that only half the US population follows (consumes, pays) for NBA related products

I would say at most, 10% of the US consumes/pays for NBA related products. NBA finals are estimated to have 15M viewers last year, so even doubling that you're only getting to 10%.