Mac News Network View: Standard | Headlines | Categorized | Slim
Mac News Network
Mac News iPod News Reviews Forums
425.66 ( -6.11 )
 



RSS/XML Feeds | More



Desktop Headlines
Apple rejects game about Syrian war from App Store
Tuesday, January 8, 2013 @ 4:30pm

Apple has blocked a game about the Syrian civil war from appearing at the App Store, developer Auroch Digital says. Called Endgame: Syria, the title is meant to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict, and is already playable on Android and the company's website. In its rejection, Apple cites a guideline banning apps that "solely target a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity."



"This decision is a shame really as it makes it hard to talk about the real world," reads a statement from Auroch's Tomas Rawlings. "We had hoped that Apple would be more nuanced in how they applied this rule but we got a bit worried when it had been in submission for around two weeks without a decision — we then figured that because of the controversy of using the gaming medium to cover an ongoing war meant passing the game had become an issue for them. "Our aim is to use games as a format to bring news to a new audience and submission processes such as this do make it a lot harder for us," he continues. "I get that Apple want to make sure really offensive titles don't pass into their store, but ours is far from that." Auroch is making changes to the game for the sake of resubmission, but Rawlings notes that in the process, some of the game's meaning and context will be removed. Apple has been criticized for taking a heavy hand with politics in the past. The company once briefly blocked an app by a political cartoonist, for instance, and in another incident was forced to reverse course on a wallpaper app featuring Shepard Fairey's famous "Hope" poster for Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign.



Comments on this Article
Print Friendly Version
Email to a Friend
Add MacNN to Your RSS Feeds
Buy from the Apple Store


Related Stories:

Today's MacNN Stories:
  • Apple wins $30M iPad contract with LA Unified School District - 1:43 PM EST
  • Apple patent head Boris Teksler leaves for French firm - 12:10 PM EST
  • Briefly: Twentieth Anniversary Mac auction, Photo Slideshow for Mac - 12:05 PM EST
  • Red starts shipping 4K-capable Redray media player, iOS remote app - 12:02 PM EST
  • Apple TV 5.3 update adds HBO Go, Sky News, other networks - 11:15 AM EST
  • Schematics allegedly show dimensions of low-cost iPhone, iPhone 5S - 10:42 AM EST
  • LinkedIn integration could be coming to iOS 7, code shows - 9:30 AM EST
  • A closer look: iOS 7 Siri and iOS in the Car - 8:29 AM EST
  • Cloudmark debuts Mac version of DesktopOne anti-spam filter - 1:48 AM EST
  • Max Payne 3 coming to Mac App Store June 20; price unknown - 12:39 AM EST

    Today's iPodNN Stories:
  • LG Display confirms flexible display manufacturing starts Q4 2013 - 1:25 PM EST
  • Dish gives up on Sprint merger attempt, continues for Clearwire - 10:49 AM EST
  • Briefly: Netflix heading to the Netherlands, Google Drive languages - 7:58 AM EST
  • Report claims Microsoft switching to Qualcomm for Surface RT processor - 7:24 AM EST
  • Budget-friendly Samsung Galaxy Ring reaches Virgin Mobile - 6:10 AM EST
  • No comments posted on this story yet. Please post yours.
    Your Comments
    In order to post comments, you must be a registered member of the MacNN Forums and logged in. Please login with your MacNN Forums username and password.

    MacNN Forums Login:

    MacNN Forums Password:

    Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

     
    Contact Us: News Tips | About/Advertising | Feedback

    XML | RSS | Slim | Avantgo | Mobile/PDAs | Headlines | JavaScript Feed
    Desktop Headlines
    | Search | Archives-

    Buy from The Apple Store, iTunes.com, Amazon.com,
    Buy.com, TechDepot, OfficeDepot, Computers4Sure, or donate.

    Copyright ©1995-2005 MacNN (Mac News Network). All rights reserved. Privacy Policy