Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

April 30, 2009 -

Pacific Islanders are expressing outrage over a popular iPhone game which they say encourages the torture and killing of characters who resemble them.

The Brisbane Times reports that the Pacific Women's Information Network has targeted Pocket God, which puts the player in a deity-like position of power over "primitive islanders." Group spokesperson Elaine Howard - who lives in the United States - told the newspaper:

How do you think people would react if you created a game where you were God and you could create and kill as many Mexicans as you wanted? Or Asians? People would be outraged.

I hope you don't decide to advertise your application in New Zealand or Australia because you will get a backlash of the same intensity.

Dr. Malakai Koloamatangi of New Zealand's Canterbury University added:

To claim [the characters] are not Pacific islanders is ridiculous. Everything about them is Polynesian. How can they justify encouraging the torture of a race in this way? It's disgusting.

I'm not saying let's bring in the thought police but there needs to be limits on what is acceptable, and this surpasses those.

Bolt Creative, which developed the 99-cent app, denied that it intended to depict any actual ethnic group in the game.

Comments

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by JB on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:44.

"Lisa, vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins, and eskimos."

 - Homer Simpson

"I'd far rather be happy than right any day."

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by GoodRobotUs on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:15.

LOL

In truth, I would probably annoy someone who lives in the United states, who's last contact with Antartic weather was a holiday in Canada and who's great grandfather was an Eskimo, which therefore gives them the right to represent the entire race ;)

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:19.

Yeah, this seems much more likely!

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Zerodash on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:06.

I want all games that have you kill white people to be banned.  They offend me. 

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:09.

I'm offended you're implying it's ok to kill anyone that isn't white in a game. Duel at dawn?

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Stealthguy on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:21.

I'm offended by the fact you're both offended. Move the duel to high noon and I'll join in.


Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by MaskedPixelante on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:25.

I'm offended that you're all offended by stupid little things you find offensive.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Michael Chandra on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:47.

*Shoves MP towards the duel*

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Shadow D. Darkman on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 09:24.

IT'S TIME TO D-D D-D... D-D-D-D-DUEL!!!

Sorry, couldn't resist. At least I didn't react like Haruhi did that one time.

-----------------------------



"The sun will always rise tomorrow. We can only live for today, and hope more days will come." -Unknown

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"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Monte on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 09:16.

I'm offended that you are still refering to the combat as a duel as that is a combat between two indiviuals... at this rate it's becoming some kind of a battle royal.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 09:38.

Oh man, does it? But I've run out of explosive collers!

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Cerabret100 on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:04.

The "primal Islander" depiction stereotype has been around for, i'm guessing a long time, and that this game is in no way the first to do it.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 06:59.

I guess Black & White passed these guys by. Hell, I guess POPULOUS passed these guys by.

 

I'm not saying let's bring in the thought police but there needs to be limits on what is acceptable, and this surpasses those.

So you don't think we should call in thought police, but you ARE trying to say what the thought police should police.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by sortableturnip on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 12:07.

So did Utopia

*******

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1907543

Sortableturnip's Law: As an online discussion of video game violence grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Jack Thompson approaches 1

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by MechaTama31 on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 09:26.

While I agree with you, Black & White did this to white european-sounding people long before this game came around, I doubt that would change this person's mind even if they knew about it.  You notice what every group listed (islanders, mexicans, asians) is?  That's right, a minority.  And in the minds of chuckleheads like this, anything negative about a minority is instantly and completely evil and wrong, while anything bad about white people is perfectly legit.  Hypocritical?  Of course.  But that's their stance, and good luck changing it.

And of course, this stance also ignores the fact that, globally, white people are a minority.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by Untouchable on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:02.

Beat me to it. Black & White is more than enough to make their complaints look foolish.

 

IMA FIRIN MAH LASER!!! 

IMA FIRIN MAH LASER!!!

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by GoodRobotUs on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:12.

Black and White 2 was the same, Greek, Japanese, Inca or Norse, at the end of the day, they are all equally flammable ;)

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by DarkSaber on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:12.

I raised my creature to eat people and use their fields as a toilet. Good times!

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by GoodRobotUs on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:22.

Multi-Grab+People+Cliffs.

Worth it for the sound effects alone ;)

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by MaskedPixelante on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:01.

Thanks, now I wanna play Populous again...

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by SimonBob on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 07:56.

I always thought of that game as "Race To Armageddon."  Then again, I owned the SNES version (probably still do, come to think of it) and it was heck of annoying trying to control it, plus I got owned when I reached a level that denied me the final-battle option.

---
The Mammon Philosophy

---
Fangamer

Re: Pacific Islanders Protest iPhone Game

Submitted by GoodRobotUs on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 06:54.

Wow, these people must have pretty low opinions of themselves if they liken themselves to Video Game characters, what's next I wonder, complaints about 'Tropico' from Cuba?

 
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Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am
Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm
Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm
Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm
Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm
Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm
Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm
Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm
Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm
ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm
MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm
Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm
MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am
Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am
quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm
Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm
Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm
Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm
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