Phone Story game banned by Apple

A GAME that exposes some of the less savoury elements in the Apple hardware manufacturing process has been banned from the firm's App Store, according to the developers.

The game, which is called Phone Story, was available briefly on Apple's online App Store before being "Banned" according to a message on the developers' web site. A tweet, also from the developers, complained that it was removed without warning. "Phone Story was removed from the app store without explanation," wrote Paolo Pedercini.

Later he added that Apple had complained about a trademark violation, as well as other things such as the depiction of the ill treatment of children. Since the game is about the Iphone manufacturing process, this gives us something of a clue to its content.

"Phone Story represents this process with four educational games that make the player symbolically complicit in coltan extraction in Congo, outsourced labor in China, e-waste in Pakistan and gadget consumerism in the West," reads the game's description.

"Keep Phone Story on your device as a reminder of your impact. All of the revenues raised go directly to workers' organizations and other non-profits that are working to stop the horrors represented in the game."

We did not manage to get a chance to play it, but players were asked to oversee the Iphone from its humble beginnings in mines in the Congo, through the Foxconn factory system and finally into consumer hands. It's a rather politically charged and controversial game, and it includes suicides, which do not paint the handset in the best light.

"We are currently considering two steps," wrote the firm in a blog post as it accepted the ban. "Produce 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. [and] release a version for the Android market and jailbroken ios [sic] devices."

The game cost 99c while it was available, and proceeds went to non-profit organisations. µ