Confusion at Apple: the company gave wargame a rating of 17+
For some inexplicable reason, the Apple company really dislikes wargames (turn-based strategies in which the player controls a limited number of combat units). This time, Frontline: Road to Moscow from Slitherine came under attack.
The game, dedicated to the Wehrmacht's offensive against the Soviet Union and covering the period from the summer of 1941 to the winter of 1944, was banned in Brazil and Korea because of the "realistic depiction of violence."
For those who do not understand the irony: wargames, as a rule, are characterized by poor / conditional graphics: small models of military equipment (often without animation), a battlefield divided into hexes, a minimum of effects. And Frontline: Road to Moscow is no exception.
In other words, giving a high age rating to such a project is about the same as giving it to chess.
Actually, neither Frontline nor other Slitherine projects, which are also wargames, had similar problems before. It all started after sending the first update to the game to the Frontline for approval. Along with the app, Apple announced that the project needs to set an age limit of 17+, including due to "content related to the presence of weapons in the game." Such a rating is automatically cut out by the application from conservative markets such as Brazil, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Slitherine decided not to argue with Apple. As noted Marco Minoli, Marketing Director of Slitherine: "Previously, challenging Apple's decisions not only did not give any result, but also led to serious delays in approval." So now Frontline is sporting an adult rating.
Marco explained the reason for the new rating by a very vague evaluation policy in the App Store. There are many applications, reviewers too, and everyone has their own understanding of the rules.
Previously, Apple has repeatedly banned wargames: Pacific Fleet, Tank Battle: East Front 1942, as well as the strategic game Endgame Syria were among the losers.
Sources: http://www.pockettactics.com, http://venturebeat.com
