Crude and objectionable?

An iPhone game that alleges that Apple and other electronics manufacturers have encouraged a range of unethical practices has been removed from the App Store. As reported by Giant Bomb, Phone Story implies that Apple has been complicit in the exploitation of child labour, the promotion of mindless consumerism, the enforcement of brutal working conditions and the proliferation of environmentally unfriendly materials.

Has the game been banned merely because it criticises the platform holder? According to the developer of the game, Italian activist studio Molleindustria, Apple offered an entirely different justification. The company’s publication guidelines preclude games that “depict violence or abuse of children” or “present excessively objectionable or crude content”. Molleindustria has since made the (presumably tongue in cheek) claim that it may attempt to create a version of the game “that depicts the violence and abuse of children involved in the electronic manufacturing supply chain in a non-crude and non-objectionable way.”

Molleindustria also ran into trouble for pledging to donate revenue from the game to labour organisations and other groups that are “working to stop the horrors represented in the game.” According to Apple’s guidelines, “Apps that include the ability to make donations to recognised charitable organisations must be free” and “collections of donations must be done via web site in safari or an SMS”. According to Molleindustria, these rules are irrelevant to Phone Story, as no donations are collected via the program itself. “Molleindustria simply pledged to redirect the revenues to no-profit organizations.”

Do you believe Apple’s stated reasons for pulling the game from the App Store or do you suspect that it is acting primarily to protect its public image?

Phone Story remains available for download to Android platforms.

Developer Playlist is The Black Panel’s occasional column devoted to industry figures and the games that inspire them. Each instalment features a ‘playlist’ of influential titles hand-picked by a talented creator.

Platform exclusives often hold their own special appeal with gamers and the PlayStation’s Resistance series is no different. With the recent release of its third instalment, the first person shooter has once again found a place amongst fans of its fast combat, flashy weaponry and horror element. When writer Jon Paquette came onboard the project, he brought with him a plethora of writing experience in the FPS genre, as demonstrated by his work on the Medal of Honor franchise and the lesser known (but frightening) Clive Barker’s Undying. Resistance 3 marks Paquette’s first project with Insomniac Games.

—– Jon Paquette’s Playlist —–

Paquette’s playlist is interesting in its variety and unexpected choices, but each chosen game reflects on an important feature which every title should possess.

Valve has developed a reputation for innovation and dedication to its player base and it can be argued that it all began with HALF-LIFE. First released on PC in 1998, the FPS was revolutionary in many ways and it comes as little surprise that it is the first to be named by Paquette as a source of inspiration – “When Half-Life was created they threw away most of the game and started from scratch. That to me takes a lot of balls. It kind of shows you how dedicated [Valve] is to the concept of iteration in games and how that’s the key to quality.”

Since its debut in 1986, the Zelda series has gained many a loyal follower and it would appear that Paquette is one of them as he expresses a fondness for Nintendo’s original fantasy adventure THE LEGEND OF ZELDA. He reflects on the game as an experience that “people have a very fond memory of, especially if you were younger when it came out. It was one of those formative experiences.”

Paquette’s last named game is a little more traditional and requires naught but a player’s own hands to participate – ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. Its perfectly balanced technicalities ensure that players “never feel cheated” and he stresses it’s dependable mechanics as its selling feature. “Rock Paper Scissors is one of those things that people do all the time, and it always works.”

Jon Paquette on Resistance 3

With Resistance 3 hitting shelves last week to a mainly positive reception, this third instalment marks a strong addition to the series. The game has been particularly noted for its horror elements and satisfying gunfights against the alien Chimera. Set in the 1950s, the story takes a turn from its predecessors, with events centring on the conflicted Capelli as the main character this time around, something Paquette was enthusiastic about. “I’m excited about the turn that Capelli has taken and the complex character that he’s become. I feel he’s kind of become a haunted character because of what he’s had to do to Hale. At the beginning of Resistance 3, he’s the pariah; everybody kind of looks at him and says ‘You’re the reason why we’re losing against the Chimera.’”

Other editions of Developer Playlist: John Halloran (PopCap)

NanoBITES captures those small but important morsels of gaming information that otherwise might slip between the cracks.

ITEM! Deep Silver isn’t letting the recent controversy surrounding Dead Island get in the way of its DLC plans. As reported by Eurogamer, Bloodbath Arena will add a wave based survival mode to the game when it arrives for 360, PS3 and PC later this month.

ITEM! Four year old PC show pony Crysis is about to join its sequel on consoles. According to EA and Crytek, the new version will feature “optimised Nanosuit controls, fine-tuned combat and full stereoscopic 3D support”. Look for it on XBLA and PSN in October.

ITEM! The multiplayer component of Insomniac’s PS3 exclusive Resistance 3 is to be expanded on Tuesday 4 October. All players will receive two new maps free of charge, while a new game mode and four additional skins will become available as paid DLC.

ITEM! Atari is set to revive one the most offbeat construction sims of the 90s. Daredevils and engineers will be pleased to hear that RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D is scheduled for release on (you guessed it) the 3DS in 2012.

ITEMS! Blizzard Entertainment has revealed plans to release six products over the next three years. As reported by GameSpot, fans can look forward Diablo III, an expansion pack for same, and multiple expansions for both World of Warcraft and StarCraft II.

Recent instalments of nanoBITES: 07.09.11 l 01.09.11 l 25.08.11 l 18.08.11 l 11.08.11

Does this look like a healthy working environment to you?

Polish developer Techland has apologised to gamers offended by content found in an incomplete build of its action horror game Dead Island. As reported by Stuff Tracey Writes, a version of Dead Island erroneously published on Steam last week contains a line of code reading “FeministWh*re”. The offending edition of the game has since been replaced, but the slur will do little to assuage the perception that the industry hasn’t done enough to address its ‘boys club’ culture.

Techland has reacted strongly. Attributing the mistake to a solitary employee, it labelled the line “inappropriate”. According to the developer, the programmer responsible will “face professional consequences” for breaching the company’s “standards and beliefs”. Dead Island’s publisher, meanwhile, appears keen to distance itself from the controversy. Deep Silver has stated that these “unfortunate actions were of one individual at developer company Techland and do not in any way represent the views of publishing company Deep Silver.”