1. China accounts a small fraction of their income

2. The government's demands are only going to get more onerous from here.

3. The Chinese government isn't going to let an American company have open access to their markets for long. I guarantee they have a plan to replace Blizzard (and the NBA and every other foreign company) with domestic companies.

> China accounts a small fraction of their income

100% probability that Blizzard is making more keeping Chinese customers than angering a few angry people on the internet.

> The government's demands are only going to get more onerous from here.

Proof?

> The Chinese government isn't going to let an American company have open access to their markets for long.

I see. "They" have a "plan." Sure. These are just empty words.

The last 20 years are littered with examples of China allowing foreign companies in, forcing them to share IP with domestic partners, and then shutting out those foreign companies once domestic companies no longer need their foreign partners.

There's even huge knockoff Blizzard theme park in China.

It's not some hypothetical concern, it's standard practice. The Chinese market is not a good bet for foreign companies.

>100% probability that Blizzard is making more keeping Chinese customers than angering a few angry people on the internet.

Even if you're right, so what? Is profit the only thing that should motivate us?

Right, because 1 billion in China uses Blizzard products, while in the US it is only 17 people who are paying customers and are outraged.

If those “17 people” in the US bring more revenue than a billion in China, then Blizzard might want to be concerned.