September 13, 2011, 2:40 pm Game That Critiques Apple Vanishes From App Store By JENNA WORTHAM NY Times
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/game-that-critiques-apple-vanishes-from-app-store/?partner=MYWAY&ei=5065 Is Apple back on the banning bandwagon? On Tuesday, a group called Molleindustria released a 99-cent game for the iPhone that, in a cartoony way, critiqued the cost, both to the environment and to humanity, of producing mobile devices like the iPhone. It was not available for very long. The game, called Phone Story, followed the life cycle of a smartphone, from the mining of metals in Africa that are needed for the chips in the phones, to factories in China, where the devices are manufactured. BLN, a business blog, posted screenshots from the app, one of which indicates that in part of the game the objective was to catch factory workers who are attempting to commit suicide. The description on the group’s Web site said that “Phone Story is a game for smartphone devices that attempts to provoke a critical reflection on its own technological platform. Under the shiny surface of our electronic gadgets, behind its polished interface, hides the product of a troubling supply chain that stretches across the globe.” The Web site also said that all of the revenues from the game would be donated to organizations dedicated to protecting labor rights and other groups that “are working to stop the horrors represented in the game.” The application was released into iTunes on Tuesday and almost immediately removed from the store’s virtual shelves, say its creators. Earlier this morning, the group posted a celebratory tweet about the release of the application that read: “Announcing Phone Story: the anti-iPhone game for iPhone.” Roughly three hours later, the company posted another message that said the app had been removed from the App Store. Indeed, the iTunes link to download the application does not appear to work. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Molleindustria said on its site that Apple had cited stipulations in the App Store guidelines that any apps that depict crude and objectionable content, or the abuse of children, will be rejected. If Apple has indeed pulled the app, it wouldn’t be the first time it has cracked down on apps that it deems offensive. Last February, the company began pulling racy applications that featured women in swimsuits and lingerie. Apple said it was responding to complaints from customers who were upset by the sexually suggestive material. The company has also removed apps with political content. The developers of Phone Story say on their site that they are considering releasing their application for Android-powered devices. -- ================================================= George Antunes Voice (713) 743-3923 Associate Professor Fax (713) 743-3927 Political Science Mail: antunes at uh dot edu University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-3011 _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
