Apple Removes Afghanistan ’11 From the App Store
Apple has removed game developer Slitherine’s Afghanistan ’11 from the iOS App Store for using a “specific person or real entity” as the enemy of the game, even though it is touted as being entirely historically accurate in depicting the US war in Afghanistan.
Slitherine, a small UK based game developer, specializes in accurate war simulation games. With a strong emphasis placed on learning, rather than gameplay, further paired with the fact the app has been available for well over a year, it comes as a surprise that Apple chose to pull the plug here rather than giving Slitherine an outright rejection from the get-go.
The guidelines say:
Realistic portrayals of people or animals being killed, maimed, tortured, or abused, or content that encourages violence. “Enemies” within the context of a game cannot solely target a specific race, culture, real government, corporation, or any other real entity.
World War II and other historically based games remain in the store. Is that because they let you target both sides? Or because the historical enemies are no longer considered real? Or simply inconsistent reviewing?
Apple is in the censorship business. Every game from GTA to Golden Axe "violates" these "guidelines" but a game where you have to persuade and use conflict resolution to "win hearts and minds" gets (retroactively) rejected?
Again, who is going to develop for a company with such capricious rules? Where you can be "curated" at any time?