Yesterday, Apple pulled a number of games that contained the US Confederate flag from the app store without warning. Today, one of those games is highlighted on Steam’s front page — and players are rallying around it.
If you visit Steam store right now, you should be able to see this:
Fun fact: Ultimate General: Gettysburg, a Civil War tactical battle simulator, is not a new game. It was released in October 16, 2014. The game’s last update hit on June 11th — a couple of weeks ago. It couldn’t really be considered a ‘hot game’ right now. There is, as far as I can tell, no particular reason for it to suddenly be featured so visibly on the Steam store out of the blue. Unless of course you take into account that Ultimate General Gettysburg was also one of the games that Apple pulled from the App Store yesterday:
Then it kiiiiind of comes across as Valve taking a shot at Apple for pulling down a game for arguably poor reasons. Whatever may have prompted this sudden visibility, Gettysburg is certainly enjoying the limelight. Currently, you can find it on the top 50 games on Steam. But, more importantly, players are populating the reviews page with evaluations that either support the game, or the idea that it might offend people for having the Confederate flag:
While there are certainly some reviews that are misguided in their support of the game, the result is still that Gettysburg is getting more attention and support right now from Steam players in light of its unfortunate removal from the App Store. Which is great and all, but hopefully civil war games like Ultimate General: Gettysburg can be reinstated in the App Store itself too.
Comments
8 responses to “Civil War Game Pulled From Apple Store Now Doing Great On Steam”
It’s things like this that really highlight the problems with Apple’s dictatorial iron grip over its software ecoysystem. This isn’t the first time they’ve done blanket bans, either. Even if they revise their decision, this directly harms the livelihood of innocent developers by denying them income on nothing more than a whim. This game is fortunate enough to have a cross-platform release, others are not so lucky.
This is one reason why I will NEVER own an Apple (i)device.
I kind of get the flag ban but you cant ban the confederate flag from a civil war game and you cant ban the nazi flag from a WW2 game…………….I’ve been thinking of getting this game since 2014 cause i like slow paced strategy games, I also like sticking things to the man, i might buy it.
I was one of the people that bought this game yesterday, not because I wanted to support the game, but because I didn’t know the game existed untill the flag controversy, and wanted to play it. It’s a really great strategy game.
Is that the game that total war mod guy Darth did?
As @boogoose said, it’s a civil war game. Just because it has the confederate flag in it doesn’t mean you’re for slavery or a white supremacist. Same with the Swastika, they’re happy to have games like Call Of Duty 2 and Wolfenstein (which as far as I know feature Swastikas heavily) available on the itunes store.
Bloody hypocrites.
I think they’re going with the ‘player agency’ excuse there again, since CoD and ‘Stein don’t have you play as the Nazis.
The whole thing’s cringe-inducingly stupid at this point, is all I can say. Especially those “I heard this game was banned and edgy so I had to get it” Steam comments.
When you ban something for accurately depicting history in a fair context, regardless of whether it’s a Swastika or Confederate flag, it’s just embarrassing and down right cringe worthy. Like Germany and it’s ban on Swastikas in video games, the irony is priceless!
The Nazi’s tried to control everything and everyone with an iron fist – and modern day Germany bans the flag in an attempt to right the wrongs of the past. But in the end it’s a mere image which actually pre-dates WW2 and has it’s origins (also ironically) in an African symbol of peace. Soo by banning it they’re engaging in censorship and in reality repeating the past by censoring something they deem offensive or detrimental to society. They should be embracing the freedom to display any symbol and therefore showing a distinct respect for freedoms of all sorts; doing the exact opposite of the Nazis they’re still trying to sweep under thge rug.
Same thing with the confederate flag – US society ain’t gonna implode due to the display of a poxy flag! America, land of the free my ass! They’re some of the most easily offended people in the Western world. Get over it and move on ffs.
Whats next? pedo’s marrying children? children marrying puppies? PUPPIES SMOKING CIGARETTES?! OH WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!?!?!? PC GONE MAD!!!!! etc.