The truth about all this is this; Everyone deserves freedom. Anyone who says otherwise is part of the problem.
That all being said. Blitzchung was bound to a contract that he signed before the start of the tournament. Regardless of freedom of expression, he agreed to a per-conceived notion that he wouldn’t use the platform to further his own agendas or at the discretion of blizzard if their actions bring them into disrepute.
Blitzchung agreed to this, he knew (because he stated) that he could get into trouble for it. He did it anyway, he breached the contract. He should be punished at the discretion of the sole-owners of the digital content in question. Doesn’t matter if you have freedom of expression, if you willfully waive those rights in order to play a competition, then that’s what the contract says, and if you fail to abide by those terms, then the other party involved has a right to carry out those consequences therein.
People want freedom of speech, but they also want their entitlement. You can’t have it both ways. If you willfully break the rules, then don’t be shocked with Blizzard willfully punishes you.
As for the conscientious objectors who deleted their accounts? Who do you think you’re kidding? You’re only doing this to seem validated in your disgust of a decision you don’t agree with. Everyone knows that about 75% of the people that deleted their accounts will go and make new accounts later on after blizzard is out of the news. Everyone knows this, because everyone knows that the internet offers a lot of anonymity when doing things. So yeah you say you’re deleting your account out of solidarity, but everyone knows that when the dust settles, you’ll register under a new handle to appear rebellious, but still using the products of the company you so despise. Everyone knows it will happen, because it’s happened before.
Ive been playing Overwatch since the drop of this story, and since its begun, I havent seen any drops in Comp play. I havent seen any extended waiting for games in arcade or QP. I havent seen any major wait times for anything. So it seems that the vast majority of people who are registered either don’t care about whats happening, or don’t seem to think that everyone’s negative attitude is justified. A contract is a contract is a contract. If you dont like the terms of the contract, then don’t sign it. Its that simple.
And whats even more sad is the way society chooses to respond to hot-topic issues like this. Its not enough that blizzard’s name is being dragged through the dirt, they have to pile on. That story all the way back from 2016 where WoW made a gay guild change their names to something acceptable? Yeah that crap is all over the news now because Blizzard is a hot topic, but where were all the gay rights activists when that crap actually happened? Yeah exactly, no where to be found, because organizations like that only care if there’s money or a sympathy for a cause to made. That is the only reason other companies and stories are jumping on the hate-blizzard-train, its because they’re big in the news, and other people see that as an opportunity to capitalize on blizzard’s downfall.
I think that people dragging blizzard’s name through the dirt, while secretly continuing to play their games are the problem. I think news organizations jumping on this story without all the information and with very little understanding of both sides’ arguments are the problem. I think a generation of cry-babies and entitlement issues have made society less about what is right and more about what i can get if I complain loud enough.
To the players who left the community for your precious morality. I say good riddance to you. I say good riddance to anyone who signs a contract and then tries to weasel out of it because the outcome isn’t in their favor. If you don’t like the rules, then don’t agree to them. Its that simple.
Why are people posting about Hong Kong? [Explanation]