Apple Bans 'Phone Story' From App Store

Phone Story, an iOS game that depicts the heavily criticized production cycle of the iPhone, has been unsurprisingly pulled from the App Store by Apple.

Well, who didn't see that coming?

Apple has just banned Molleindustria's Phone Story, a game that depicts the alleged production cycle of the iPhone, from the App Store, "without explanation" according to the developers.

However, it doesn't take an Apple Genius to figure out why. Not only does the game depict the Foxconn Suicides, but several mini-games also reference overseas slavery and sweatshop conditions of which critics claim Apple is a knowing participant. In addition, the developer's main website for Phone Story goes into extremely informative detail about every alleged aspect of iOS production (and several other electronic devices), including slavery conditions in the Congo, labor practices in Chinese factories, and the impact of electronic waste.

As a side note, even the game's title and art style are a slight spin on popular Kairosoft titles like Game Dev Story, which would have been likely to pop up in some App Store searches.

According to IndieGames.com, 70% of the profits from the sales of Phone Story would have been pledged to grassroots organizations, but Apple eventually pulled the trigger on the mobile game earlier today. How this game even passed the approval process is strange, but several other apps of more questionable content regularly seep through the cracks. Of course, the issue of free speech may come up, but Apple does retain the right to reject App Store submissions on a wide variety of red tape.

Some gamers might remember Molleindustria from Every Day The Same Dream, an incredibly artistic and thought-provoking flash game that won the attention of many people inside and outside the gaming industry.

Per an update to their website, Molleindustria says Apple later explained that Phone Story violated the following guidelines:

• 15.2 Apps that depict violence or abuse of children will be rejected
• 16.1 Apps that present excessively objectionable or crude content will be rejected
• 21.1 Apps that include the ability to make donations to recognized charitable organizations must be free
• 21.2 The collection of donations must be done via a web site in Safari or an SMS

Regardless, Molleindustria seems determined to reintroduce the game to App Store. Per Apple's guidelines, the developers indicate they will submit a new version of Phone Story that "depicts the violence and abuse of children involved in the electronic manufacturing supply chain in a non-crude and non-objectionable way" -- or it'll just be submitted to the Android Store. Still, given the game's content, it's probably a safe bet to assume that Apple won't be approving anything from Molleindustria any time soon.

Judging from the team's Twitter, the turnaround only took about four hours:

[Source: Gamasutra, IndieGames.com, PhoneStory.org]

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