The first couple of months of 2015 have been kind of strange when it comes to Apple’s App Store regulatory practices. They have a set of fairly clear developer guidelines for creating iOS apps, but they’ve been famously inconsistent in how and when they enforce them. So far this year we’ve seen several instances of Apple suddenly deciding to strictly enforce developer guideline 3.6 which states “Apps with App icons, screenshots, and previews that do not adhere to the 4+ age rating will be rejected."
First was an issue with Gunslugs 2 ($2.99) getting its update rejected due to one of its screenshots depicting “violence against a human being." Strangely the game was originally approved just a couple of weeks prior with that exact same screenshot. As most people figured it looked like just a mistake on Apple’s side, and indeed they pushed that update through without requiring any changes. But that did show that Apple was looking more closely at the front-facing parts of its App Store.
The next incident was earlier this month when the action game Tempo ($1.99) arrived with its characters holding blurred-out weapons in the App Store screenshots. It looked quite silly, and even weirder is that Tempo was one of Apple’s Editor’s Choice features for that week. The drama surrounding those blurred-out guns caused several other developers to come forward with their own experiences of Apple requesting that they change aspects of their App Store media assets so as not to display violence or weapons. The developers of the upcoming Overkill 3 even tried to get ahead of the whole situation by completely omitting the weapons from characters’ hands in their promotional trailer.
So with all that groundwork laid out, what the hell is this all about?
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I see an RPG, an Uzi, a knife, a cannon, dynamite and a tank all pointing at/shooting at a caricature of Adolf Hitler. On the decidedly less-violent side, I also see Cupid shooting an arrow of love at him, and a magnet shooting off a, er, “magnetism bolt?" at him, and on closer inspection the tank barrel may actually be a fountain pen and the tank itself is being driven by a brain. So… yeah. I guess the weird things cancel out the violent things?
I mean, I get it, this is meant as a totally silly, over-the-top game with cartoonish visuals and violence. Still, given the types of things Apple has taken issue with previously, it seems surprising that they wouldn’t have a problem here. Not just with the issues of weapons or violence, but Apple has been notoriously cautious with games that are political in nature. Even the name–Beat the Dictator – Funny Torture Game–seems in incredibly poor taste. I mean, it doesn’t matter how awful some of these world leaders are/were, there just isn’t that much that’s “funny" about torture, you know?
The thing about all this is that I totally understand Apple wanting to make sure their public storefront is safe for everyone to navigate. I personally think that targeting people holding weapons is a bit too overboard, but that’s their choice. What’s driving me crazy is just the wild inconsistency of how they’re enforcing their policies. As people have noted on these stories before, there are currently plenty of games on the App Store that show people holding guns in their screenshots.
It may just be that moving forward Apple will request developers change those screens, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens to a game like Modern Combat 5 (Free) when its next update arrives. With Beat the Dictator, is it the slapstick-nature of its violence that makes it OK? Apple is free to police their App Store however they want, but it sure would be nice if they could be more clear and consistent with their policies. As of right now, I’d be pretty nervous if I was a developer working on a new shooter game.
Happy Born Day Eli, appreciating your site all these years later and hopefully many more years to come! 🍰🍰🍰🍰
The Maglor man-cat didn't wish you a Happy Birthday. That should be a sign to you, maybe be nicer to Maglor this year.
Erm is there a reason you wrote that comment to me? Or was it an attention seeking ploy to make your comment get seen at the top just so you can troll your lonely lil heart out? Also if you are aiming that at Eli...i have never seen a comment where he is rude to maglor? So go troll someone where else you 2-bit little shit, and go get your creepy kicks somewhere else 👹👹👹👹👹
Big deal dude. Just chill.
No one said its a big deal duuuude lol you might be a troll lover, but this was an article for elis birthday, so we dont want those sort of negative troll comments when its meant to be us wishing happy birthday, so yeah i dont think its acceptable, posts like that make me respect the ta staff a whole lot more so they deserve a thread without nonsense for once.
Ahoy Eli!! Happy Birthday and god bless you :D
hope you give a free i6 to TA community today lol jk :P
Happy Birthday Eli!
happy birthday
Happy birthday
Happy Birthday, dude! Thanks for all you do. Here's to another awesome year of it!
Where's the heads up on this? I would have put my game for sale...
I guess it happens every year haha. Anyways hope you have a good one. Thanks for all your work here this site literally changed my life.
Another trip around the sun...happy birthday to you Eli Hodapp!!! 🎉🎊🎈🎂🎁
Happy Birthday Eli! And thank you for the best mobile gaming site in existence!
Nice Happy birthday to you Eli, thanks for all the information you are giving to us about ios gaming I love it :)
HAPPY B DAY ELI WE IN THE 30 and OLDER CLUBS NOW 😎😎😎😎😎
Happy Birthday, Eli! I'm gonna grab Ow! My Balls just for you! Seriously though, thanks for keeping this awesome place running!
Happy Birthday Eli!
Happy Birthday!!🎂🍰🎁🎊🎉🎁Feliz Cumpleaños ... 🎉🎊🎁🍰🎂🎂
Happy bday dude! Youre old now! Eeewww!
Happy birthday, Eli!!! And thank you!!!
If Apple had any balls they would label their "Amazing Indie Games" sale "Amazing Hodapp Games". Oh well, Happy Birthday Eli. We all know the real reason behind all the incredible sales this week.
Have a great bday and I hope your wishes come true. I really appreciate the work you and the others put in this site. I can't even imagine mobile gaming without this site. I really mean that!
Happy birthday to the only guy who I read and believe. Some authors have shaken my trust in Internet story writers. Example, that guy who said that horrible thing about the Cap. Go back and look for the articles on Captain America you will see. I'm sure the other guys agree that a public apology was in order. Oh! Not to us of course, but to Captain America!
Keep up the good work Eli! May the ketchup light your day with virgins and PC speaker components! Luv ya bro!
All the best!
happy birthday
Wish I knew sooner, I would have RAISED the price on my game "Spore Cubes" in honor of the high value Eli brings to iOS gaming! ;)
Have a great birthday!😎
Birfs Eli!
Happy birthday Eli! Thank you to you and your team for all your efforts in making TA the destination location for all this mobile gaming.
Where the Ef is Maglor with a birthday cat? Gawd!
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＼( 'ㅅ' ) Oh! That imposter!!
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Happy Birthday Eli and thanks for being born awesome!
Happy Birthday!!
It's your birthday!?!? Well happy birthday, Eli! Now, where were we? Oh, yes, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive.
What a great screwball article. We need more of these. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Eli!
Happy birthday, Eli! Here's to many more!
Happy birthday, Eli! I could say a thousand great things about this site, but the biggest compliment is that I read it. And that's crazy that games go on sale for your birthday, but it's well deserved, because toucharcade is a huge reason that these games are successful.
Happy bday Eli!!!anyone know of any other good TD games? Sent4 was great fun and I'll have to reDL it when I have room but I love TD games or Tower Offenae games where you select a particuale character too to use third person style, like that old xbox live indie game I can never remember the name of....
!!!!!!!!!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
🌞🎈🎁🎂
Thank You
Too bad that Planet Minesweeper actually wasnt free :( It looked intesting. Happy birthday btw!