Google has eliminated a extremely controversial recreation referred to as Slavery Simulator from its app retailer, after it prompted outrage in Brazil.
The app, which allowed gamers to “purchase and promote” black characters, was launched by Magnus Video games on 20 April.
The sport was downloaded greater than 1,000 occasions earlier than it was eliminated on Wednesday, native media reported.
Brazil is a rustic nonetheless coming to phrases with its legacy of slavery, which was solely abolished in 1888.
In an outline of the sport, the developer boasted that customers might “alternate, purchase and promote slaves”. It additionally allowed gamers to inflict numerous types of torture on black characters.
In line with photographs of the sport, customers have been provided a option to both liberate the enslaved characters or “use slaves on your personal enrichment. Stop the abolition of slavery and accumulate wealth”.
On the time of its removing, the sport had a ranking of 4 out of 5 stars, with one evaluate studying: “Nice recreation to go the time. However I feel it lacked extra torture choices.”
Social media customers in Brazil expressed fury over the sport, and numerous outstanding politicians urged officers to carry tech corporations to the next normal.
“Blatant racism,” tweeted Renata Souza, a black activist and regional politician from Rio de Janeiro.
“The picture illustrating the sport has a white man surrounded by black males. It’s absurdly violent. Google and the developer should reply for this crime of hatred and racism.”
And Denise Pessoa, a lawmaker with the governing PT political occasion, wrote on Twitter: “IT IS ABSURD {that a} recreation that spreads cruelty and hate speech towards black individuals is accessible. Our nation was constructed with the blood of the black inhabitants. Individuals have been killed, tortured. A ‘Slavery Simulator’ is not any joke.”
The workplace of Brazil’s Public Prosecutor mentioned it had opened an investigation into how the sport – referred to as Simulador de Escravidão in Portuguese – was allowed to be positioned on the Google Play Retailer, native media reported.
In the meantime, Brazil’s Ministry for Racial equality mentioned it had organized a gathering with Google to assist construct “anti-racist content material moderation” insurance policies. It added that the builders could be held legally accountable.
In an announcement to the BBC, a Google spokesperson mentioned that the Play Retailer doesn’t enable “apps that promote violence or incite hatred towards people or teams primarily based on race or ethnic origin, or that depict or promote gratuitous violence or different harmful actions”.
“When violations are discovered, we take acceptable motion,” it added.
Magnus Video games didn’t reply to a BBC request for remark, however in its description of the sport the corporate mentioned it was “created solely for leisure functions. Our studio condemns slavery in any kind.
“All recreation content material is fictional and never tied to particular historic occasions. All coincidences are unintentional.”