Developer of iPhone Drug-Dealing Game Fears Apple Banhammer
Developer of iPhone Drug-Dealing Game Fears Apple Banhammer
July 10, 2009
The top dog at U.K developer A-steroids, creator of Underworld: Sweet Deal for the iPhone, is worried that his company's game is going to be rejected by Apple over its drug-dealing theme.
As readers may recall, this is a bit of an ongoing saga. GamePolitics reported in December, 2008 that A-steroids had renamed the game, originally called DrugLords, in an effort to avoid an App Store ban. A few days later, an Englishwoman who lost her daughter to heroin abuse called upon Apple to ban the game, whatever its title.
Apparently the issue is still up in the air, based on an e-mail GamePolitics received today from Andrey Podoprigora, Head of Studio for A-steroids:
We have recently released our first game on the AppStore - Underworld: SweetDeal. The game was previously known as DrugLords, location-based MMO about dirty trade...
This week, we have submitted the game in it's original drug-trade setting to the AppStore. We were hoping that after the iPhone 3.0 came out with it's parental controls improved, there is a chance for the game to finally come through.
Now, we have got an update from Apple, saying they require "unexpected additional time for review". Which is sort of bad because we are already familiar with responses like that - in December, 2008 this led to months of silence and then ended up as a reject. Would be sad if it means nothing changes in Apple's app reviewing policy.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGIN / REGISTER
Crispy Gamer
GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 09/01/10 at 11:40pm
ZippyDSMlee: Got an Ipod touch need a MP3 app with seeking ability...
ZippyDSMlee: Got an Ipod touch need a MP3 app with seeking ability...
Posted 08/30/10 at 03:44pm
JDKJ: AE: Thanks. That cured my head-scratching. They're actually making money the good, ol'-fashioned, American way: stealing it.
JDKJ: AE: Thanks. That cured my head-scratching. They're actually making money the good, ol'-fashioned, American way: stealing it.
Posted 08/30/10 at 10:41am
E. Zachary Knight: A Trademark/Media lawyer reviews the DigiPen IP ownership issue and proposes a change to their ownership policies. Good read.
E. Zachary Knight: A Trademark/Media lawyer reviews the DigiPen IP ownership issue and proposes a change to their ownership policies. Good read.
Posted 08/30/10 at 10:13am
Andrew Eisen: JDKJ - Doesn't appear that it did refuse the ad revenue. "Stingray Sushi says that it already paid for the ad and that a refund is not an option."
Andrew Eisen: JDKJ - Doesn't appear that it did refuse the ad revenue. "Stingray Sushi says that it already paid for the ad and that a refund is not an option."
Posted 08/30/10 at 09:20am
PHX Corp: Sensitive files For the Sony PlayStation 3 have been stolen by hackers
PHX Corp: Sensitive files For the Sony PlayStation 3 have been stolen by hackers
Posted 08/29/10 at 03:55pm
JDKJ: What leaves me scratching my head is why any municipality or authority would be interested in refusing advertising revenues while crying that they're flat-ass broke, raising fares, and reducing services. Go figure.
JDKJ: What leaves me scratching my head is why any municipality or authority would be interested in refusing advertising revenues while crying that they're flat-ass broke, raising fares, and reducing services. Go figure.
Posted 08/28/10 at 02:38pm
Andrew Eisen: Agreed. If aiming guns in a mildly threatening manner and short skirts are not okay, fine. But you have to be consistent. I've seen too many underwear ads and action movie posters with characters in the same pose not to call BS on this decision.
Andrew Eisen: Agreed. If aiming guns in a mildly threatening manner and short skirts are not okay, fine. But you have to be consistent. I've seen too many underwear ads and action movie posters with characters in the same pose not to call BS on this decision.
Posted 08/28/10 at 02:10pm
Mad_Scientist: "violent" and "obscene"... because the character has guns and a short skirt? Guess they've been taking lessons in double standards from the Chicago Transit Authority.
Mad_Scientist: "violent" and "obscene"... because the character has guns and a short skirt? Guess they've been taking lessons in double standards from the Chicago Transit Authority.
Posted 08/28/10 at 02:09pm
Mad_Scientist: Phoenix Public Transportation Department bans an ad for a restaurant that features an anime-style character, claiming it's "viol
Mad_Scientist: Phoenix Public Transportation Department bans an ad for a restaurant that features an anime-style character, claiming it's "viol
Posted 08/27/10 at 12:52am
Dante: @gellymatos thats just your avarage yellow press article.
Dante: @gellymatos thats just your avarage yellow press article.
Posted 08/26/10 at 10:19pm
gellymatos: @Dante: Last I checked, you don't do any of what is decribed by the article in the game.
gellymatos: @Dante: Last I checked, you don't do any of what is decribed by the article in the game.
Posted 08/26/10 at 04:28pm
Andrew Eisen: Especially absurd are the spambots that put a lot of time and effort into disguising their spam as legitimate comments, hiding the links in multi-paragraph posts that specifically comment on the story at hand (again, stories from ’09 and earlier).
Andrew Eisen: Especially absurd are the spambots that put a lot of time and effort into disguising their spam as legitimate comments, hiding the links in multi-paragraph posts that specifically comment on the story at hand (again, stories from ’09 and earlier).
Posted 08/26/10 at 04:12pm
Andrew Eisen: Seriously, what are the odds that someone who's actually interested in your spam will stumble across it while reading the comments of stories from well over a year ago?
Andrew Eisen: Seriously, what are the odds that someone who's actually interested in your spam will stumble across it while reading the comments of stories from well over a year ago?
Posted 08/26/10 at 04:08pm
Andrew Eisen: I don't understand you spambots. Even if our users were interested in clicking on your links, how do you expect them to do so when you bury your spam in the comments section of articles that are over 18 months old?
Andrew Eisen: I don't understand you spambots. Even if our users were interested in clicking on your links, how do you expect them to do so when you bury your spam in the comments section of articles that are over 18 months old?
Posted 08/25/10 at 09:16pm
jedidethfreak: Zippy, it's an 8-hour playtime before fatigue kicks in, then 7 before they shut down XP gains
jedidethfreak: Zippy, it's an 8-hour playtime before fatigue kicks in, then 7 before they shut down XP gains
Posted 08/25/10 at 11:09am
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: A couple of idiots fight over a PS3 online match in NY. Both face charges.
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: A couple of idiots fight over a PS3 online match in NY. Both face charges.
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
Boohoo for them.
--------------------------------------------------
I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Now, we have got an update from Apple, saying they require "unexpected additional time for review". Which is sort of bad because we are already familiar with responses like that - in December, 2008 this led to months of silence and then ended up as a reject.
That is the worst. The fact that Apple takes their sweet time and ignores the developer until the app is approved or denied. Apple really needs to step up their approval process.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
A few days later, an Englishwoman who lost her daughter to heroin abuse called upon Apple to ban the game, whatever its title.
*Sigh*, another instance of someone letting their emotions destroy rational logic. Sure, it's an attempt to 'protect the children', but it's misguided.
I figure anytime that someone is trying to get something done, and their sole argument is that it's 'for the children' or to 'protect the children', they should be written off right away.
I remember Drug Lords in its original. It is an Apple app? No one really. Obscene? No not really. But there the potential for Apple to leave themselves over to criticism is Defiantly there. This game Will offend some people (trust me). Methinks Apple needs an Adult app. channel (as well as a sense of humor and some gonads).
Why make a game about drug dealing, and then bitch and whine when it gets banned?
If you're going to take on controversial subject matter, you'd better be ready to potentially be banned or sidelined. That the developer is crying about this is absurd and childish.
That's not to say Apple's approval process couldn't be refined, it certainly has a long ways to go...but these guys are just being idiots.
[i]Why make a game about drug dealing, and then bitch and whine when it gets banned?
If you're going to take on controversial subject matter, you'd better be ready to potentially be banned or sidelined. That the developer is crying about this is absurd and childish.[/i]
Maybe because people want to get that changed?
A game about drug dealing that mimics setting up a brokerage for illegal drugs ... srsly folks if we want to protect gaming freedom ya think this might be shooting out selves in the foot?