News

Palestinian indie's war-themed game rejected by Apple, available on Google Play

"Not appropriate" for the games category

Palestinian indie's war-themed game rejected by Apple, available on Google Play

Apple's approval policy for apps and games has come under scrutiny once again, after Palestinian developer Rasheed Abueideh was told that his game, whch tackles life in a war zone, was unsuitable for the App Store's games category.

Instead, Apple ordered, Liyla and the Shadows of War would be better placed in News or Reference categories.

Furthermore, it was stipulated than any mention of it being a game should be removed from the description.

Apple's messge to Abueideh

Lucas Pope's Papers, Please is a past example that struggled to navigate Apple's confusing approval standards when it comes to political content. The platform holder's approach to themes such as suicide, guns, and the Confederate Flag have also been questioned.

Twitter users have also observed the inconsistency of Apple's process, given that a game featuring a Israeli missile has emerged unscathed to become available on the App Store.

Liyla and the Shadows of War is available on Google Play.

 

Features Editor

Matt is really bad at playing games, but hopefully a little better at writing about them. He's Features Editor for PocketGamer.biz, and has also written for lesser publications such as IGN, VICE, and Paste Magazine.