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

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



"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?

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
MechaTama31: I mean, of the groups being bullied here, which of the two would you refer to collectively as "nerds"?10/19/2014 - 11:30pm
MechaTama31: But that's the thing, it doesn't sound to me like he is advocating bullying, it sounds like he is accusing the SJWs of bullying the "nerds", who I can only assume refers to the GGers.10/19/2014 - 11:21pm
Andrew Eisen: Interesting read. Unfortunately, too vague to form an opinion on but at least now I know what faefrost was talking about in James' editorial.10/19/2014 - 10:39pm
Neo_DrKefka: Breaking GameJournoPros organized a blacklist of former Destructoid writer Allistar Pinsof for investigating fraud in IndieGoGo campaign http://blogjob.com/oneangrygamer/2014/10/gamergate-destructoid-corruption-and-ruined-careers/10/19/2014 - 8:57pm
Neo_DrKefka: Only good thing I seen come out of the Biddle incident was the fact a professional fighter offered to give 10k to an anti bullying charity for a round in the ring with Biddle.10/19/2014 - 7:49pm
Neo_DrKefka: Even after all the interviews she is still on twitter making fun of people with disabilities (Autism) yet she is a part of the crowd that is on the so called right side of history...10/19/2014 - 7:48pm
Neo_DrKefka: Which #GameGate supports are constantly being harassed and bullied. Brianna Wu who I told everyone she was trolling GamerGate weeks ago with her passive aggressive threats was looking for that crazy person in the crowd.10/19/2014 - 7:47pm
Neo_DrKefka: I believe the problem #GamerGate has with Sam Biddle is he is apart of this blogging group that in a way hates or detests its readers. Also being apart of the crowd that claims its on the right side of history isn't helping when he is advocating bullying10/19/2014 - 7:45pm
MechaTama31: Of course, I'm looking at these tweets in isolation, I don't know a thing about the guy.10/19/2014 - 7:06pm
MechaTama31: If anything, the sarcastic implication seems to be that the SJW crowd is bringing back the bullying of nerds. But it's the GGers who are out for his blood? I'm lost...10/19/2014 - 7:01pm
MechaTama31: I don't really get this Sam Biddle thing. The reaction to his tweets seems to be taking them at face value, but... they're tongue in cheek. Right?10/19/2014 - 7:00pm
Andrew Eisen: I have it. The problem, so far as I can tell, is neither of them allow me to overlay my webcam feed or text links to my Extra-Life fundraising page.10/19/2014 - 4:08pm
quiknkold: and yes, its free10/19/2014 - 4:05pm
quiknkold: should grab Hauppauge capture. has mic support and can upload directly to youtube10/19/2014 - 4:05pm
Andrew Eisen: The former.10/19/2014 - 4:00pm
quiknkold: was it StreamEez, or the StreamEez feature in Hauppauge Capture? cause I know Capture has alot more support from the devs.10/19/2014 - 3:54pm
Andrew Eisen: I actually tried StreamEez last week. Flat out didn't work.10/19/2014 - 3:53pm
quiknkold: I use the Hauppauge Capture software's StreamEez. Arcsoft showbiz for recording. I just streamed a few hours of Persona 4 Golden with zero problem using the program. Xsplit is finniky when it comes to Hauppauge10/19/2014 - 3:40pm
Andrew Eisen: Trying to capture console games and broadcast with Open Broadcaster System because I've had technical difficulties using XSplit 3 weeks in a row.10/19/2014 - 3:37pm
quiknkold: and what are you trying to capture?10/19/2014 - 3:31pm
All shouts
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician