I dont know what people expect blizzard to do, like, they are a video game company, their job is to make money and make games for people. They are nto a political power, they are not a military orginizaation, they are not a humanitarian relief operation. What the hell do people think they are going to be able to do? They are jsut here to make money, they are trying to keep their market, its business.
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Careful this type of logic isn’t allowed here on GD where right now they only want to hate Blizzard for being just that a game company who has no stance on another country political system.
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I did not know that. And I’m not entirely sure what that has to do with the discussion, but I appreciate the tip. 
This is the only pervasive change I know of that was made to the game specifically at China’s insistence.
And just pointing out that you can use these models as well – and it’s optional.
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The last time Blizzard did not cave to government censorship was when they refused to change the Diablo I artwork and accepted an ESRB “Mature” rating instead, way back in 1996.
CoolCoolCool.
Optional is the key word there, I agree. I’m fully open to players having the option to choose between the differing in-game assets. As long as they remain just that, options.
If Blizzard start changing the game for everyone, just to placate a single market…
I don’t care for that.
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Activision-Blizzard used its corporate power to suppress speech from their company in the United States. No company in the United States should be doing this, ever. If you or your company are in the United States and hate freedoms we stand for…that’s fine…leave the country. Nobody would care Blizzard and you could work with whatever governments you want and abuse human rights and stand against freedom from a different country.
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Its part of the contact, the guy willingly agreed to it. If you willingly agree not to have a public political stance when representing the company, then go back on that, you cant call that you are being suppressed.
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What are you talking about? What you write has nothing to do with Activision-Blizzard, AN AMERICAN COMPANY BASED IN THE UNITED STATES, using their authority and power to suppress basic freedoms, speech and human rights that the U.S. fights and stands for in order to save face with another countries government. Want carte blanche to censor? Go to China and do it.
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Except they are not? how exactly, is blizzard, the company they makes world of warcraft, using its authority to suppress freedoms and human rights?
I see this a lot, but i never see anyone actually say how.
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Plenty of big news channels do it on a consistent basis IN THE US. And the Government do it as well. Free speech goes both ways. Its not without consequence.
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Blizzard, you’re an AMERICAN company, not a Chinese company! For one you could have stopped with saying making a political statement was prohibited in your hearthstone community, and that would have been it! But you focused on the pride of China and their overly sensitive and fascistic government feeling sad over a policy.
Here’s how you can make it up to us.
1: give the Hearthstone champ his prize money! I don’t play it, but he won the tournament, so he earned his prize money. I don’t care!
2: CANCEL Diablo Immortal! and tell the Chinese they can stick their tears where the sun don’t shine! Nobody wanted, needed, or deserved to have a Blizzcon where a phone game was announced!
3: Support Freedom of Speech!
Why do I call for the cancellation of a Diablo phone game? Because it was HATED at announcement! I don’t have a mobile phone personally, because I don’t need one! If I DID have a phone, I’d be using it as a phone, and not to play games on it! Except for maybe Pokémon GO and Sailor Moon drops, but that’s a different story… Mainly for the exercise. 
Seriously, if you REALLY want to salvage Diablo Immortal, make it a FREE DLC story WITHOUT THE UNWANTED TRANSACTIONS!
These “microtransactions” are anything but micro! And we don’t want them in games! Focus on making a good game instead of a cash-leeching parasite from a phone!
Tyrael could be cast as the protagonist for a Diablo prequel to see from the side of the heavens of the rise of the prime evils!
Blizzard… You’re an AMERICAN company! You’re Americans, side with free speech and liberty over China’s fascistic governments’ overreaching censorship.
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People are using that Chinese Overwatch character to make Free Hong Kong memes. The hope is that China will ban Blizzard games.
We could do that with Pandarians…
That’s the kind of online protest that might go somewhere. Better than only a few complaints, anyway.
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List of bad ideas to do,
Number 1) Get your game banned in a market that makes up the lions share of your companies profits.
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Actually a player was kind enough to post information that shows China/Asia is comprising about 12% of Acti-Blizz revenue. The 411 is only current to 2018 and I can’t vouch for its accuracy but for what its’ worth:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/269665/activison-blizzards-revenue-by-region/
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If you want special privileges, you need to be a happy, free Chinese citizen. (You are a happy free Chinese citizen, aren’t you? Just need to remind you that if you don’t say yes, minus 50 social points! Now harvest those human organs - slowly! VERY SLOWLY!)
11 people is hardly a walkout.
The person that made the ban decision clearly does not know what the 8 guiding principles of blizzard are.
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In the Chinese press release they did reference that the violation was “against our country” from an official blizzard release. Blizzard called themsevles a Chinese company if essence.
Yeah, why bother trying to change anything. It’s all or nothing, apparently.
Dude, capitalist countries often put profits over people unless you can make some sort of benefit tugging on heartstrings. You want Chinese money, you sell out faster than 50 Cent.