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When it comes to iPhone apps, Apple has received bad press aplenty for its policy of strictly regulating the application market. From competitive browsers to “offensive” apps like a South Park app, the iPhone App Store may have millions of apps, but is still relatively closed.
However, Apple is in the unusual situation this time around for being in hot water for an app it approved. Apple approved an interesting title — Baby Shaker — on the App Store Monday. This video game, authored by Sikalosoft, looked to channel the inner English au pair in some people, making shaking a baby (as the name implies) into a videogame.
The game consisted of multiple levels. Each level had a drawing of a baby, which crying loudly. You would shake the phone until the baby stopped crying and red X’s appeared over its eyes (apparently signifying the baby’s death). The app was available from Monday to Wednesday night for $0.99.
Child advocacy groups pitched a fit, demanding Apple remove the app and stating unequivocally that killing babies was unacceptable. Apple caved in, ruling that there is no longer a place in the world for Baby Shaker. However, many are noting the curiousness that the company, which is usually so strict with offensive content (like the South Park app) would approve the app in the first place.
Apple Heads will by anything Steve tells them to.
tasteless is not the same as illegal :0)
Sorry meant CrunchGear.
Whenever you buy a closed, proprietary system, such as anything Apple, you are governed by their conditions.
I have no idea why Apple would allow this app.
Apple customers would never shake their infants. When they cry they just get the illegal immigrant nanny to take care of it so they have more time to bask in the glory of their upwardly mobile lifestyle.
Cursor_
Congrats Sikalosoft. They have tons of free advertising for their product now.
#5 has a very good point.
The app seems pointless and stupid. I’m sure some 15 year old kids who lack parental love would get off on shaking their pod for this.
Think what would happen if the pictures of the babies were real pictures.
Obviously this is sick and never should have been approved in the first place.
Now, “shake a fanboi” app would be OK. The gist of it would be to shake the money tree (AKA Apple fanbois)…
Well, perhaps it’s because most Apple workers are self centered shit-heads with no kids, no responsibilities, and no morals.
“…and stating unequivocally that killing babies was unacceptable”
Did anyone explain to them that you aren’t killing babies? You’re shaking a damn phone!
Now maybe if the developer pledged to kill a real baby for every 1000 fake ones you shook to death – that could be a problem.
I guess my hard work on the club-a-baby-harp-seal game is all for naught now.
Tasteless – definitely. Pointless – certainly. Funny – ummm…no comment. But banable? – please, give me a break.
This is a case of the lights are on and no one is home at Apple. It should have been obvious by the title alone that it simply shouldn’t have been published and yet they failed to make the proper call.
I am in no way advocating censorship not that Apple would listen anyway, but honestly…even I wouldn’t have approved the app just based on the message it was apparently sending and I am extremely open-minded. We even refused to publish the press release at GDN.
something tells me that this sikalosoft company isnt a real big player in the software business. the website is now devoted to a definition of shaken baby syndrome and the top 10 apps on the app store. i was involved in a jury for a murder trial where a baby was shaken to death. trust me, the people at 1 Infinite Cash Loop need to get their head out of their ass and start auditing the software that comes in a little better than they are. what baffles me is this program in HORRIBLE taste was ok’ed, but by god if you put a GPS program up, oh HELL NO!!
meh, lighten up. Its not like its a real baby. I actually laughed a little bit at the video. You gotta admit, it was kinda funny.
Followed by the “Raping Babies” game!!! Of course you won’t “really” be raping babies, just fake ones. Good call Apple.
I don’t think it looks fun, but I wouldn’t ban it.
Its a game. It doesn’t harm children or encourage people to harm children. The last thing I want is corporate and/or government police state nannies deciding what I should think is tasteful.
I agree with #13 that the video is a little funny. I personally would not have purchased it even if I did have a an iPhone, which I am glad to say I do not. It is just a pice od software and someone tried to make some money, isn’t that the name of the game in this or any country?
#5 Cursor,
“Apple customers would never shake their infants.”
That’s because they’re all gay and the only thing that comes out of a manhole is a poo baby.
I guess making an app that involved the user kissing and cradling wouldn’t have gotten press for the company.
Lame. They should show the baby flopping around.
On the other hand, if anyone cares to see what their other hand is doing, the game also raises awareness on SBS which by the way, the definition is not without it’s critics. There are those doctors and scientists who say babies deaths are not from shaking at all, rather from prescribed medicines, and other causes, that are not related to shaking or abuse.
Kids joke around about stuff like this all the time, what’s next, ban them from playing or watching anything animated? It’s on an iPhone for game’s sake, it doesn’t harm anyone. Then what ban a game that crucifies Jesus? Ban games with guns, like that game called cowboys and indians? Indians? Or that has already been banned, not politically correct.
If you want to live in non-free society in a fantasy world go get a room at Disneyland where they don’t have such animation of killings, whoops, ignore Pirates of the Carribean and the Haunted Mansion, etc…..
Thanks for reading.
Strikes me that anyone who has spent hours, say, in a plane listening to crying babies would appreciate the app.
Just to get the frustration out of the system.
J/P=?
# 17
I thought you just claimed “asians are the last bastion of get away with it mockery in America”. So I figure maybe you are not in America (and therefore technically it doesn’t apply to yourself) or maybe something changed your opinion in the 6 minutes between comments.
I can’t believe this got the nod from Apple. But what’s more unbelievable is that people actually pay for this crap. Its ringtones all over again.
Now, you replace the pictures with, say, Nancy Pelosi or Steve Balmer or something, it would be funny and maybe worth 25 cents.
Ummm, Isn’t a game that publicizes the fact that shaking babies may kill them a GOOD THING?
I would guess that most of the people that have killed babies by shaking them were not trying to kill them. They were trying to shut them up. This stupid game may reach the very people (stupid people) most likely to shake babies in the first place.
How could this game possibly hurt anyone?
Some posters are upset with apple because they let this app in the itunes store. Some posters are upset because apple banned it from the itunes store. I guess when it comes to apple they can’t do anything right. Of course with over 1 billion app downloaded they must be doing something right.
#25,
And me, I am dissapointed with the iPhone because it continues to be a sucky phone. Sure all this other stuff is great, but the iPhone fails at phonage.
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