Games News

Google has banned a controversial game called Slavery Simulator (Simulado de Escravidao) from its app store, after it caused a bit of an outrage in Brazil.

The game, which allowed players to buy and sell slaves, was launched by Magnus Games on 20 April. The game was downloaded about a 1,000 times before it was banned.

In a description of the game, the developer boasted that users could exchange, buy and sell slaves. It also allowed players to inflict various forms of torture on them. According to images of the game, users were offered a choice to either liberate the enslaved characters or use slaves for your own enrichment.

Social media users in Brazil expressed their 'fury' over the game, and a number of prominent politicians urged officials to hold tech companies to a higher standard. Brazil's Ministry for Racial equality said it had arranged a meeting with Google to help build anti-racist content moderation policies. It added that the developers would be held legally responsible.

Australia's government is moving to require an R18+ rating to all video games that contain simulated gambling as part of a proposal targeted at restricting children's access to popular casino-style games.

It will also seek to change classification rules to require all games with paid loot boxes --  where players can purchase a box with a randomised in-game item -- to carry at least a mature M-rating. The M rating is an advisory 15 rating like a PG-15 in US terms.

Due to adverse publicity some game developers have already phased out loot boxes, including in the popular game Fortnite.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says the proposals will require the agreement of states and territories to proceed and are designed to address concerns that these games can encourage players to migrate to gambling.

There is a little hype brewing for a new shooter game suggesting that it be heavily censored for younger players on the grounds that it is simply too realistic and also glorifies police brutality.

French game developer Studio Drama has unveiled the first trailer for its latest body-camera shooter game, Unrecord . The game is a single-player first person shooter that tells the story of a tactical police officer from the perspective of his body camera.

In the newly-released footage, we see the officer heading towards an abandoned building covered in graffiti, before checking his weapon and inspecting the scene. As the officer walks around the vacated lot, he hears commotion from the other side, leading them to kill seven armed suspects roaming the building.

The graphics on display in the trailer proved so realistic that it left gamers doing a double-take, but while the visuals are being widely praised, the game is also being met with criticism. Twitch streamer Trainwreck said:

 I'm going to get a lot of hate for this - but this level of realism in video games should be heavily moderated in *shooters* for anyone *under a certain age*, I hope parents do their job. This level of realism for shooting and killing makes *me* feel uncomfortable as if I'm watching a real leak from a military or police operation.

In its press deck, Studio Drama said it understands that people may feel disturbed by the game's footage:

As a French studio addressing a global audience, the game does not engage in any foreign policy and is not inspired by any real-life events. Unrecord is a single-player FPS that tells the story of a tactical police officer from the perspective of his body camera.

The game will obviously avoid any undesirable topics such as discrimination, racism, violence against women and minorities. The game will have no biased or Manichaean take on criminal acts and police violence. We also respect and understand people who may feel disturbed by the game's images. Art cannot fight against interpretation.

The public generally trusts film, series, and novel writers on the intelligence of the point of view when it comes to detective, gangster, or police stories. Why not for a video game? If the game presents political messages, they will be made consciously or in your interpretation. If the game aims to be subversive in certain countries, we will assume the label.

Studio Drama said the game is currently in pre-production and is unlikely to release this year.