Thailand's military junta blocks sales of Tropico 5
http://www.joystiq.com/
Tropico 5 won't appear on store shelves in Thailand thanks to fears that the game's themes of iron-fisted dictatorship might spark unrest in a country that lost its civilian government to military coup less than three months ago.
According to Nonglak Sahavattanapong, marketing manager at Thai publisher New Era Games, censors employed by the country's junta government banned Tropico 5 due to fears that "some part of its content might affect peace and order in the country." Sahavattanapong says the government offered no further explanation for its decision, but New Era Games will not attempt to seek an appeal.
This isn't the first time Thai censors have blocked politically incendiary creative works - a 2012 Thai production of MacBeth was shuttered over similar fears - but it is the first time they've blocked a Tropico entry due to the series' freeform themes of ruling a small banana republic. "[Tropico is] a good game with positive reviews," Sahavattanapong told the Associated Press. "We've had licenses to distribute Tropico 3 and 4 before, but in the fifth installment, the story line has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation."
Tropico 5 made its PC debut on May 23, and is expected to reach consoles and mobile devices later this year.
http://www.joystiq.com/
Tropico 5 won't appear on store shelves in Thailand thanks to fears that the game's themes of iron-fisted dictatorship might spark unrest in a country that lost its civilian government to military coup less than three months ago.
According to Nonglak Sahavattanapong, marketing manager at Thai publisher New Era Games, censors employed by the country's junta government banned Tropico 5 due to fears that "some part of its content might affect peace and order in the country." Sahavattanapong says the government offered no further explanation for its decision, but New Era Games will not attempt to seek an appeal.
This isn't the first time Thai censors have blocked politically incendiary creative works - a 2012 Thai production of MacBeth was shuttered over similar fears - but it is the first time they've blocked a Tropico entry due to the series' freeform themes of ruling a small banana republic. "[Tropico is] a good game with positive reviews," Sahavattanapong told the Associated Press. "We've had licenses to distribute Tropico 3 and 4 before, but in the fifth installment, the story line has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation."
Tropico 5 made its PC debut on May 23, and is expected to reach consoles and mobile devices later this year.
