{"id":19328,"date":"2013-01-09T19:13:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-09T18:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/apple-rejects-endgame-syria-644\/"},"modified":"2013-01-09T19:13:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-09T18:13:00","slug":"no-game-app-on-bloody-syrian-conflict-raises-ethical-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/no-game-app-on-bloody-syrian-conflict-raises-ethical-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"No Game: App on bloody Syrian conflict raises ethical questions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Apple won\u2019t back the \u201cEndgame: Syria\u201d app, saying it is \u201ctargeting a real government.\u201d Questions remain on how ethical it is to simulate an ongoing conflict, with RT\u2019s Egor Piskunov- who\u2019s tested the game- saying it lacks objectivity.<\/p>\n

\u00ad\u201cEndgame: Syria\u201d has been rejected by Apple\u2019s App Store as it violates the company\u2019s guideline policy, which prohibits games to \u201csolely target a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The game, launched by UK\u2019s Auroch Digital in December, simulates situations in the Syrian conflict with regime\u2019s forces on one side and the rebels\u2019 forces on the other.<\/p>\n

The player is allowed to take the rebels\u2019 side only.<\/p>\n

The developers have argued that the product offers a unique medium for understanding the situation in Syria as it \u201creflects events happening in the real world.\u201d<\/em> The game, which the developers claim is \u201cbased on research from a wide range of sources\u201d<\/em>, is also said to have multiple endings depending on player\u2019s choices.<\/p>\n

It is \u201cdefinitely unethical\u201d<\/em> to make a computer game out of an ongoing conflict, where thousands lives have been lost, RT\u2019s Egor Piskunov said on completing \u201cEndgame: Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Auroch Digital team has a different opinion, as they plan to resubmit the game to Apple. It possibly involves changing the actual term \u201cgame\u201d to \u201csimulation,\u201d<\/em>\u201cexploration,\u201d<\/em> or \u201cinteractive guide\u201d<\/em> to make people \u201cmore comfortable,\u201d<\/em> as the team\u2019s creative director said in a launch trailer.<\/p>\n

It is questionable, though, if the game has really been based on objective media reports, as some aspects of the game play contradict such a statement, Piskunov said.<\/p>\n

In an effort to simulate the political picture around the Syrian conflict, the game puts countries like Russia among those who openly support the regime.<\/p>\n

\"Still
Still from YouTube video\/gamethenewsnet<\/small><\/p>\n

Back in the real world, Russia has repeatedly said that it is not taking any sides in this conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the points which make you doubt how objective this game really is,\u201d<\/em> Piskunov stated.<\/p>\n

Another point is that the peaceful solution is not really \u201cpopular\u201d with the side the player is playing for.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe game itself says that even if the player takes this option, does go for this peace treaty then he wouldn\u2019t really gain that much respect points from the \u2018rebels\u2019 \u2014 and you\u2019re always playing one side. You can\u2019t take the side of the regime,\u201d<\/em> Piskunov explained.<\/p>\n

However, you can freely supply weapons to the \u2018rebels\u2019 from some virtual Western states, he added.<\/p>\n

While the gamers are trying out a virtual interpretation of the conflict, Syrians face a much grimmer reality with a total of 60,000 killed and nearly 600,000 having had to flee their land. At least 1 million people are also said to be starving, with UN humanitarian aid unable to reach them.<\/p>\n

The real life international community is struggling to find a solution to the Syrian conflict and a trilateral meeting of Russian and American diplomats, along with the UN and Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, is scheduled for Friday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n

Apple won’t back the “Endgame: Syria” app, saying it is “targeting a real government.” Questions remain on how ethical it is to simulate an ongoing conflict, with RT’s Egor Piskunov- who’s tested the game- saying it lacks objectivity.<\/p>\n

­“Endgame: Syria” has been rejected by Apple’s App Store as it violates the company’s guideline policy, which prohibits games to “solely target a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The game, launched by UK’s Auroch Digital in December, simulates situations in the Syrian conflict with regime’s forces on one side and the rebels’ forces on the other.<\/p>\n

The player is allowed to take the rebels’ side only.<\/p>\n

The developers have argued that the product offers a unique medium for understanding the situation in Syria as it “reflects events happening in the real world.”<\/em> The game, which the developers claim is “based on research from a wide range of sources”<\/em>, is also said to have multiple endings depending on player’s choices.<\/p>\n

It is “definitely unethical”<\/em> to make a computer game out of an ongoing conflict, where thousands lives have been lost, RT’s Egor Piskunov said on completing “Endgame: Syria.”<\/p>\n

But Auroch Digital team has a different opinion, as they plan to resubmit the game to Apple. It possibly involves changing the actual term “game” to “simulation,”<\/em>“exploration,”<\/em> or “interactive guide”<\/em> to make people “more comfortable,”<\/em> as the team’s creative director said in a launch trailer.<\/p>\n

It is questionable, though, if the game has really been based on objective media reports, as some aspects of the game play contradict such a statement, Piskunov said.<\/p>\n

In an effort to simulate the political picture around the Syrian conflict, the game puts countries like Russia among those who openly support the regime.<\/p>\n

\"Still
Still from YouTube video\/gamethenewsnet<\/small><\/p>\n

Back in the real world, Russia has repeatedly said that it is not taking any sides in this conflict.<\/p>\n

“This is one of the points which make you doubt how objective this game really is,”<\/em> Piskunov stated.<\/p>\n

Another point is that the peaceful solution is not really “popular” with the side the player is playing for.<\/p>\n

“The game itself says that even if the player takes this option, does go for this peace treaty then he wouldn’t really gain that much respect points from the ‘rebels’ – and you’re always playing one side. You can’t take the side of the regime,”<\/em> Piskunov explained.<\/p>\n

However, you can freely supply weapons to the ‘rebels’ from some virtual Western states, he added.<\/p>\n

While the gamers are trying out a virtual interpretation of the conflict, Syrians face a much grimmer reality with a total of 60,000 killed and nearly 600,000 having had to flee their land. At least 1 million people are also said to be starving, with UN humanitarian aid unable to reach them.<\/p>\n

The real life international community is struggling to find a solution to the Syrian conflict and a trilateral meeting of Russian and American diplomats, along with the UN and Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, is scheduled for Friday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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