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Note: This is a translation of a blog entry.
Someone posted a snippet of a blog post on PGR21.com, of a guy who posted a first person account of a meeting between Mike Morhaime and the Department of Culture's vice Minister. Due to its sensitive nature, the blog post was quickly deleted by the writer. However, small portions were recoverable by using search engines, and me being a curious little bugger google searched everyline and used the preview to recover the entire post 8)
Gives you a little bit of an idea of what's truly going on, huh
+ Show Spoiler +
"블리자드에 정부가 흔들리면 안돼"- 지난달 블리자드 MM 사장이 우리 문광부 차관을 만났습니다. 관련기사는 죄다 "화기애애한 분위기""계혹 협의하기로 해""진전 보여"같은 식으로 났습니다만.- 실상은 조금, 아니 많이 달랐죠. 만나자마자 MM사장은"한국이 국제 룰을 지키지 않고 있다능!""저작권 안지키는거 어칼거냐능!!"이라고 '항의'를 했습니다. 그리고 우리네 차관은 당연한 반응"일개 업체 사장이 주제를 모르고 감히 차관님하께!!!"라고 역정을 내셨죠 orz...- 싸해진 분위기를 주변에서 수습하고 다음에 다시이야기하자고 헤어졌지만 이미 블리자드는 한국과 어떤 협상이 될거라는 기대를 버렸다는 관측이 지배적이었습니다.케스파가 뒤늦게 돈줄테니 합의하자고 했지만(3~5억 제시설) 콧방귀도 안꼈고. 어제는 급기야"GSL 해외로 나갈 수도…"라는 이야기가 나왔습니다. 제 개인적인 생각으로도 정부와 싸워가며, 이미 밉보인 건 확실해졌는데 남아있을 필요가 없는 거 아닌가 싶은데 야당의원의 저 발언을 보니 블리자드가 스타2 안될 때 하던 하소연"외국계 기업이라고 너무한다"가 생각나는군요 orz 어제 국감자료로나온"샨다가 우리기업 막 사는 등 중국 게임계의 한국침략이 심해지고 있다능!!"가 생각나 실소도 나오고 이래저래 늘 그렇듯 올해도 개그국감은 계속되는 것 같습니다.- MM사장은 뭐랄까; 오바마를 만나도 저런 말은 안 들을 텐데, 평생 못해볼 진귀한 경험을 했으니 그걸로 만족하면 되겠죠(응?!)
Rough Translation:
"The Government Shouldn't be shaken by Blizzard" -
Last Month, Blizzard's President Mike Morhaime met with the Vice Minister of Korean Department of Culture. The related articles were published saying "A Warm, Accepting Atmosphere", "Promise to continue negotiating", "Progress Seen", but reality was a little, no, a lot different.
As soon as they met, Mike Morhaime started "protesting", exclaiming "Korea isn't following international rules, huh!" "What are you gonna do about people not respecting intellectual property rights!!!". The Vice Minister of course responded angrily, saying "Who do you think you are to say these things to the Minister? You're just a president of an ordinary corporation!!!" [T/N: lines are said in a much angrier tone on statements from both MM and Minister]. orz....
So the people around recovered the demolished atmosphere and disbanded after agreeing to talk about next time, but the dominating viewpoint that Blizzard has already given up any hopes of being able to negotiate with Korea. KeSPA has offered money to settle rather late (3~500 million won), but Blizzard didn't even flinch, and yesterday there was people talking about "GSL may be going overseas...".
Personally I think they have no reason to stay when it's now certain that they're looked upon scornfully especially when they have to fight against the Government, but after looking at the statement said by the opposing party, I was reminded of when Blizzard vented "You guys are going too far just because we're a foreign company" orz... I'm reminded of the materials released yesterday about how China is buying a lot of Korean companies and how China's gaming industry is invading Korea, and as always, I think the comedy is continuing.
About President MM... It's something he won't hear even if he meets Obama, so because he just had a very unique experience he will never have again, he should be satisfied with that? (huh?)
Apparently the Government's stance is that while the game isn't communal property, it's hard to see it as a completely private property, according to this guy's follow up posts.
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Blizzard vs Korea
Good luck blizzard.
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United States25691 Posts
Honestly don't know if this is good or bad...
Does the korean government really have KeSPA's back? And even so, it's a judiciary matter if it goes to trial anyway, so will that even matter? This thing does seem more and more likely to go to court at this pace.
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The Vice Minister of course responded angrily, saying "Who do you think you are to say these things to the Minister? You're just a president of an ordinary corporation!!!"
I like this line.
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I really don't think it would be wise for Blizzard to bad mouth a government organization. The government generally has the power to screw you over if they don't like you.
The Ministry of Culture is directly connected to this scene, I don't think they should've said this.
As soon as they met, Mike Morhaime started "protesting", exclaiming "Korea isn't following international rules, huh!"
What exactly is this line supposed to accomplish?
The Vice Minister of course responded angrily, saying "Who do you think you are to say these things to the Minister? You're just a president of an ordinary corporation!!!"
Ouch.
So the people around recovered the demolished atmosphere and disbanded after agreeing to talk about next time, but the dominating viewpoint that Blizzard has already given up any hopes of being able to negotiate with Korea.
Does this mean they'll stop business in Korea? That's a damn terrible idea.
yesterday there was people talking about "GSL may be goin goverseas..."
That may sink any popularity it ever had...
I think they have no reason to stay when it's now certain that they're looked upon scornfully especially when they have to fight against the Government
In no small part their own fault.
"You guys are going too far just because we're a foreign company"
Even if true, saying this is just gonna piss the other party off. When the other party is the government, you don't want this.
orz... I'm reminded of the materials released yesterday about how Chin
Apparently the Government's stance is that while the game isn't communal property, it's hard to see it as a completely private property, according to this guy's follow up posts.
This is as good as it could possibly get considering international laws.
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United States238 Posts
Considering KeSPA is related to some of the biggest corporations in Korea, yes, they have a hand or two into the Korean government system in more ways than just gaming.
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This just in, Blizzard after signing with Activision and releasing SC2 finally feels ready in their newly-found arrogance to.. take on... a fliping country...
Really? -_-'
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I wish Blizzard would just take the money. While I've never really approved of Kespa's way of handling things I am reminded of Peter's decision (in family guy) making of whether or not to take the boat or the mystery box. "The boat is a boat, but the box could be anything, even a boat!".
It really seems like Blizzard just want to push and push this until they get some unknown quantity of benefits (or lose their position altogether) It's an interesting gambit, but it's certainly not something anyone interested in both SC2 and BW can take as a good sign. I want BW to survive in Korea more than I want SC2, so taking the GSL somewhere else could potentially not be a bad thing. But damnit I want to have my cake and eat it too!
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That doesn't sound like MM at all.
The ministry sounds like Kespa a while ago with the "Who do you think you are" rebuttle. I'm just going, what is this block of text?
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gogo korea!
stuff gsl overseas please! and broodwar will liiiiive!
+ Show Spoiler +ok fine gsl will die miserably if it goes overseas. but AT LEAST BW WILL LIIIVE
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The more I hear about this case the less I like Blizzard. Honestly at this point I regret buying StarCraft 2.
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Can't see GSL moving out overseas from Korea.
Not only will they not be able to find sponsors to organize tournaments of the size of GSL 1 or 2, Korean pro-gamers wouldn't join in making it a amateur-level tournament at best.
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I'm not surprised. I've been saying from the beginning of this debacle that SC programing in Korea is an incredibly effective means of advertising for some of Korea's largest commercial entities. Chaebol don't have as much influence of the government as they did back before the Asian Financial Crisis, but they're still immensely powerful, and most of them utterly dwarf Activision/Blizzard. If this goes beyond negotiations and the government, either through courts or legislation, is forced to get involved, Blizzard will lose ... badly.
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On October 07 2010 15:07 ComusLoM wrote: I want BW to survive in Korea more than I want SC2, so taking the GSL somewhere else could potentially not be a bad thing. But damnit I want to have my cake and eat it too!
If GSL goes overseas it will die.
1. I don't think GOM is big enough to sponsor overseas operations like that(confirm/deny?)
2. Korea is the most pop.-dense supporter of e-sports
3. They lose a lot of credibility if people know the government got rid of them.
In all honesty the only way to keep them both running is if they resolve this peacefully.
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On October 07 2010 15:09 overt wrote:
The more I hear about this case the less I like Blizzard. Honestly at this point I regret buying StarCraft 2.
QFT. Blizzard looks like they are trying to boss around a country (like Nike does with Indonesia, etc) because they are a multi-national corporation. If the translation and the news is correct, it was very disrespectful to talk to a Minister like that, just because it is a foreign country. I'm sure he would not talk to any departmental secretaries in the US like he did in that meeting.
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Its not blizzard fighting against the government though.... its a fight against the corporate interests that back the Korean government. Kespa also happens to be a representative of said interests in the circle jerk that is politics.
Im more surprised at Mike flipping out and pulling the racism card. That is kind of taboo but it was pretty obvious that Blizzard wouldnt get the same backing from the government as a local company would.
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On October 07 2010 15:12 Lightwip wrote:Show nested quote +On October 07 2010 15:07 ComusLoM wrote: I want BW to survive in Korea more than I want SC2, so taking the GSL somewhere else could potentially not be a bad thing. But damnit I want to have my cake and eat it too! If GSL goes overseas it will die. 1. I don't think GOM is big enough to sponsor overseas operations like that(confirm/deny?) 2. Korea is the most pop.-dense supporter of e-sports 3. They lose a lot of credibility if people know the government got rid of them. In all honesty the only way to keep them both running is if they resolve this peacefully.
GSL would most probably die, yes, but if it could survive outside of Korea it would set a huge precedent for E-Sports in the Foreign scene (not a bad thing_. But as I said, I want both BW and SC2 to run alongside each other in harmony (like volleyball and beach volleyball) in Korea.
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Cmon, Blizzard look down on people some more, and try and boss them around more.
They seriously need to get their head out of their asses.
GSL will definitely die if it goes overseas. Maybe, they should learn to actually follow the rules of the place instead of trying to boss everyone around.
Looks like it might be GG soon 
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United States238 Posts
Bad news for Korea:
http://www.clubcity.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=64339
In addition to Michael Morhaime, in attendance were: Members of USA FTA agency, as well as US embassy.
If it did go down as bad as the eyewitness says it were, it might cause very negative impact in upcoming USA FTA policy as well as relations with USA. Since Korean government is very pro-USA and would do anything to be on good side with them, they might find themselves to be between a rock and a hard place, as they must find a way to appease both Korean chae-bols and interests of USA.
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