Apple cracks down on Korean game developers
updated 10:35 am EST, Wed January 13, 2010
Company complies with game censorship
Apple is taking hard action against games slipping into the Korean App Store, reports the Korea Herald. The Korean version of the storefront is affected by local censorship laws, which make it illegal for games to be sold without having first been vetted by the Game Rating Board. As a shortcut to meeting government requirements, Apple completely removed the Games category from the Korean App Store.
Some developers are said to have worked around this by submitting games under the Entertainment category. Apple turned a blind eye for a time, which led the Game Rating Board to consider "stronger measures," according to the Herald. To avoid problems Apple is now removing unapproved games, sending notices to developers as needed.
There are currently over 3,000 Korean-language apps available, and approximately 100 more are being uploaded each day. Roughly 100 were available for the iPhone's launch in Korea on November 28th. Since then about 240,000 iPhones have been sold, a significant penetration in a market dominated by local phone makers LG and Samsung.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 1999
Lame
I bet those Koreans sure feel lucky their government is protecting the children by censoring all game software. It's a good thing Korean adults don't play any games... freedom of expression is overrated.
/s