Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's AppStore Frustration?

May 5, 2009 -

A shaken baby game gets cleared for sale, but an official Nine Inch Nails app is rejected because users might hear some bad language from the 1994 album The Downward Spiral. Never mind that the album itself is readily available from the music side of the iTunes house.

Such are the vagaries of life on the iTunes AppStore, where an ESRB-like app rating system seems increasingly preferable to the hodgepodge system now in place.

While NIN frontman Trent Reznor (left) is not the first to vent about the AppStore situation, he may be the best-known celebrity to call Apple out. In his rant, Reznor even managed to pull Wal-mart and Grand Theft Auto into the mix:

Thanks Apple for the clear description of the problem - as in, what do you want us to change to get past your stupid... standards?

And while we're at it, I'll voice the same issue I had with Wal-Mart years ago... Wal-Mart went on a rampage years ago insisting all music they carry be censored of all profanity and "clean" versions be made for them to carry...

NIN refused... My reasoning was this: I can understand if you want the moral posturing of not having any "indecent" material for sale - but you could literally turn around 180 degrees from where the NIN record would be and purchase the film "Scarface" completely uncensored, or buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto where you can be rewarded for beating up prostitutes. How does that make sense?...

Come on Apple, think your policies through and... get your app approval scenario together.

Thanks to: Longtime GP reader ZippyDSM...

Posted in

Comments

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 20:22.

If I have to explain how inconsequential the "reward" is and how substantial his gaffe is then you're not bright enough to understand its a statement that can easily be misused and further misinformation.

Gain a clue plz.

I am a criminal because I purchase media,I am a criminal because I use media, I am a criminal because I chose to own media..We shall remain criminals until Corporate stay's outside our bedrooms..

http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com

---

http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's

Submitted by GoodRobotUs on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 21:14.

You get a graded increase for killing small creatures, a small boost to your XP, and, on occasion a specific item, you won't, e.g. get bearskins from rabbits, so different creatures produce different drops depending on the creature itself. In GTA, it doesn't matter which civilians you kill, they will drop the same thing, so there's no impetus whatsoever, no compulsion to kill prostitutes, which is what a lot of censors would have you believe that there is.

I think that is the point people are trying to get at, however, I still suspect it was a slip of the tongue.

Edit: Meant to be a reply to Pinworm

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's

Submitted by Pinworm on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 21:02.

Right, and any regular units in WoW isn't rewarding because the XP you get is so low and the money negligable. That's why no one every kills NPCs in wow, they go straight for the raid bosses at level 1

*rolls eyes*

This is such a stupid argument and it's mind boggling that people are heckling Raznor for this

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's ...

Submitted by Aurontsubaki on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 15:12.

Trent has a point, if Wal-Mart is allowed to carry violent movies such as Scarface, Hostel, Braveheart for example & not have them censored, why not sell music with explicit content uncut along the way. The same goes with they're obsession of selling pan & scan dvds only. Trent is protecting his art from being butchered

What we got here is failure to communicate!

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's

Submitted by Icehawk on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 14:59.

What is it about GTA (4 I guess) that carries such a bad rep?

Also what does Apple and Wallyworld have to do with each other?

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's

Submitted by Yuuri on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 15:08.

He was pointing out how Wallyworld was being hypocritical, and how Apple is now doing the same thing. For Wallyworld, it was how the demand that artists provide/make a 'clean' version of a 'naughty' album was hypocritical, cause if a shopper turned around or around a corner, they could by an unrated copy of 'scarface' or a copy of one of the GTA's. For Apple, it was how the shaken baby app initally got cleared, but because of the lyrics, from songs that are sold in iTunes, used in his game, his was not.

Re: Would a Rating System Have Prevented Trent Reznor's ...

Submitted by lumi on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 14:51.

He's got a point.

Shout box

Matthew Wilson: https://soundcloud.com/totalbiscuit/weaponised-charity a interesting audio log.10/19/2014 - 12:04pm

prh99: Also there is no story in rational and respectful discussion (where you can find it).10/19/2014 - 10:44am

prh99: Well they are probably doing it on Twitter and probably the GG hashtag so any voice reason gets drowned out by idiocy. Also it's far easier to broad brush a group.10/19/2014 - 10:41am

Wonderkarp: dont fool yourself, Technogeek. Remember Mass Effect 3? How about the ferver against Phil Fish?10/19/2014 - 10:18am

MechaTama31: None of which is the fault or responsibility of the people who are not trolling, harassing, threatening, doxxing, etc. So why is their opinion hostage to the people who are?10/19/2014 - 10:06am

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

All shouts

<< Return To Top

Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :