Apple Rejects Unpleasant Horse

[vansau]

Apple Rejects Unpleasant Horse

​

Said Apple to 4th & Battery: "F#©K you and that unpleasant horse you rode in on!" (Ok, not really)

It seems like only yesterday that we were all giggling over that <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109012-PopCap-Mounts-the-Unpleasant-Horse>charming little trailer 4th & Battery released for its upcoming title Unpleasant Horse. Oh, wait, it was two days ago. Apparently, though, Apple wasn't all that big a fan of the game: the developer has revealed that Unpleasant Horse was rejected for the App Store due to "mature content."

4th & Battery made a <a href=http://twitter.com/#!/4thandBattery>good-natured tweet about the whole thing earlier today: "WTF? Apple rejected Unpleasant Horse cuz of 'mature content'? We thought horses dying in meat grinders was wholesome family entertainment!"

Shortly after it was made, the studio took said tweet down, but explained (via two more posts) that it's still hoping to get the game published without having to cut any content:

"We're appealing, though (with a higher rating) and we'll hopefully have good news for y'all soon!"

"Anyhoo, we still love Apple. Honest. We even had (and liked!) a Newton back in the day. Hope we get an appropriate rating for the game!"


For those of you who haven't heard about it before this, Unpleasant Horse is an iOS game that has players controlling a winged pony that jumps from cloud to cloud and stomps its fellow flying ponies out of the sky and down to a (presumably) gruesome death. Personally, I think that sounds like a fine way to while away a slow afternoon, so hopefully we'll get to see the full version of the game on the App Store soon.

Source: <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-07-apple-rejects-popcaps-unpleasant-horse>Eurogamer

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[Mahorfeus]

*waves hands hypnotically*

Release it on the 3DS stoooore! Oooooh...!

Shame though, given Popcap's reputation for making addicting games, I was kinda hoping to see this subsidiary hit off without a hitch.

 

[fulano]

Apple is unpleasant. Can't 4th & Battery release it on Steam, or something? Maybe bill it as "Too Hardcore for iPhone!" Tell me you guys wouldn't but it.

 

[mew4ever23]

Apple is unpleasant. Can't 4th & Battery release it on Steam, or something? Maybe bill it as "Too Hardcore for iPhone!" Tell me you guys wouldn't but it.

Who knows, maybe Popcap's marketing team are listening.. That's a great slogan though, if they end up not being given permission from apple.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

"We're appealing, though (with a higher rating) and we'll hopefully have good news for y'all soon!"

"Anyhoo, we still love Apple. Honest. We even had (and liked!) a Newton back in the day. Hope we get an appropriate rating for the game!"


Evidently not very appealing

I'm guessing this is trying to ride the coat tails of super robot unicorn...thingy, right?

 

[Scars Unseen]

What an unpleasant decision. Maybe try Android?

 

[Logic 0]

That game sounds awesome come on apple be cool.

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

I don't have an iPhone, but can I take a guess that there is probably an app to turn the phone into what is essentially a vibrating sex toy?

This has me thinking back about that comment (I think it was from the Angry Birds Dev) that essentially the portable phone-type games are the way of the future. This instance of Apple rejecting a game based on "Mature content" shows a limitation that, until possibly rectified, will continue to separate console/PC/"hardcore" games from the portable/"casual" market. The later group has no way to divide or rate (e.g. ESRB) games at the moment, so all games cannot exceed a certain age appropriateness, whereas consoles enjoy M rated freedom with Gears of War, Call of Duty, God of War, Mortal Kombat, so on and so forth.

 

[subtlefuge]

Hey, at least it got rejected for a BS reason that actually makes sense, unlike all of the apps that essentially got rejected for future idea infringement or offering alternatives to Apple's software.

Anyways, the app store is as close to crooked as anything in the industry gets.

 

[Something Amyss]

Looks like they sent this horse...
*puts on sunglasses*
to the glue factory
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That was goooooood.

Maybe we'll see it on other platforms even if Apple doesnt'approve it.

 

[ampzero66]

How about trying for an Android release?

 

[Xanthious]

I still say the name of the bloody game should be Unpleasant Pegasus . . . . ya know winged horse being a Pegasus and all.

As for the actual game, well just move the bugger over to Android, they will gladly accept it as/is and could give fuck all that it has horses in meat grinders.

 

[Eldarion]

How about trying for an Android release?

^This

Market would be better anyway I would think.

 

[subtlefuge]

Also, a quick comparison of market influence/control.

Apple: Platform, OS, Development, Approval, Ratings, Publishing, Distribution

Steam: Approval, Distribution

 

[The Apothecarry]

This is like Fox News and Duke Nukem: Make a little dark humor and someone gets mad at you. I though Apple liked having a broad market.

 

[subtlefuge]

This is like Fox News and Duke Nukem: Make a little dark humor and someone gets mad at you. I though Apple liked having a broad market.

Considering that Apple has a clause in their TOS that bans satire in the App store, I'm thinking "broad" just means that they like what they like.

 

[Bon_Clay]

I don't have an iPhone, but can I take a guess that there is probably an app to turn the phone into what is essentially a vibrating sex toy?

This has me thinking back about that comment (I think it was from the Angry Birds Dev) that essentially the portable phone-type games are the way of the future. This instance of Apple rejecting a game based on "Mature content" shows a limitation that, until possibly rectified, will continue to separate console/PC/"hardcore" games from the portable/"casual" market. The later group has no way to divide or rate (e.g. ESRB) games at the moment, so all games cannot exceed a certain age appropriateness, whereas consoles enjoy M rated freedom with Gears of War, Call of Duty, God of War, Mortal Kombat, so on and so forth.

Argry Birds is a fun game and all, but iPhone games will never be the way of the future. Puzzle kinda games and the like are fun and work well with the touch screen, but a lot of games need buttons. The virtual d-pad in the corner deal is pretty terrible and annoying, and shooter games are also complete crap on it. Having your hands all over the screen you're watching in order to play the game is pretty limiting as well.

To the OP, seems pretty dumb, there are games where you kill human enemies already approved. They really need to work out a better way allow games onto their store. They already have access to safari on the same device and can look up violent videos or porn all they want, whats the point of this.

 

[Braedan]

I don't have an iPhone, but can I take a guess that there is probably an app to turn the phone into what is essentially a vibrating sex toy?

This has me thinking back about that comment (I think it was from the Angry Birds Dev) that essentially the portable phone-type games are the way of the future. This instance of Apple rejecting a game based on "Mature content" shows a limitation that, until possibly rectified, will continue to separate console/PC/"hardcore" games from the portable/"casual" market. The later group has no way to divide or rate (e.g. ESRB) games at the moment, so all games cannot exceed a certain age appropriateness, whereas consoles enjoy M rated freedom with Gears of War, Call of Duty, God of War, Mortal Kombat, so on and so forth.

Argry Birds is a fun game and all, but iPhone games will never be the way of the future. Puzzle kinda games and the like are fun and work well with the touch screen, but a lot of games need buttons. The virtual d-pad in the corner deal is pretty terrible and annoying, and shooter games are also complete crap on it. Having your hands all over the screen you're watching in order to play the game is pretty limiting as well.

To the OP, seems pretty dumb, there are games where you kill human enemies already approved. They really need to work out a better way allow games onto their store. They already have access to safari on the same device and can look up violent videos or porn all they want, whats the point of this.

Here here. I like my Angry Birds, and Gem Miner, but controls will never ever be up to par with even the simplest handheld. Unless of course they specialize the phone like the Xperia Play, but that's basically a PSP with a phone added onto it...

OT: how could it possibly be worse to kill horses than people? I'm pretty sure I've seen some games on the app store that have human targets....