Thailand's Military Junta Bans Tropico 5

Video games and some Governments have never really got along and in Thailand, given the recent military junta that affected the country, another game has become a casualty of politics.

Kalypso Media, publisher of dictator-simulator Tropico confirmed that Thailand’s Board of Film and Video Censors has banned the local release of Tropico 5. Its Asian distributor, New Era Thailand, stated in its announcement that was because ‘some contents of the game are not appropriate for the current situation’.

New Era Thailand’s marketing manager, Nonglak Sahavattanapong went on to say that the film and video censorship office had blocked sales of the game because they were fearful that ‘some of its content might affect peace and order in the country’.

Given the volatile state of the country just a few months ago, it’s understandable that the military would take steps to not give the local populace any insurgency ideas.

Tropico 5

Thai fans of Tropico are likely bristling at this news, though previous games had all been released in Thailand without issue. Nonglak had agreed that Tropico 5, released in May, ‘is a good game with positive reviews’ but it is unfortunate that at least for now, the game will not see a release in Thailand. However, if history is any indicator, Tropico 5 may end up becoming one of the most pirated games in the country.

With this move, Thailand joins a long list of countries that have banned games over the years. Late last year, China banned EA’s Battlefield 4, following the allegedly politically insensitive expansion, China Rising. Left 4 Dead 2 was banned in Australia due to gore and violence but was later released with all the blood and gore stripped from the game.

Pakistan had also banned games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Medal of Honor: Warfighter for portraying Pakistanis in a negative light. Singapore recently banned South Park: The Stick of Truth a few months after it has been on the shelf due to certain ‘sensitive’ scenes.

[divider]

Source 1 Source 2

Share this article:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on tumblr
Tumblr
Share on email
Email
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp

Recent Posts

Master Chief holding his helmet. Halo Infinite Features

What Halo Infinite Should Have Been

https://youtu.be/Cagxj2RchQI?si=_fFf3fs_fsh7d0Fq Many people have a gaming franchise that changed their life in some way. I have life-long friendships that have been formed while playing games like Mario Kart and Golden …

Gaming News

Should You Buy A Meta Quest 3S?

https://youtu.be/EVSbA2Yxx2k?si=G2KXmPguAB_45u5n Meta recencetly heald their Meta Connect conference and announced some excited things if you’re into VR and AR. The Meta Quest 2 was once the hottest item in their …

Halo Project Foundry Gaming News

What Is The Future of Halo?

https://youtu.be/a2CCRgycbLI?si=3juhSUwirUTpKWoJ There have been rumors for years about what is next for Halo. Today during the Halo World Championships, we got our answers. 343 Industries will now be known as …

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind Gaming News

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind | Developer Interview

It may surprise many, but there has never been a Power Rangers arcade beat ’em up game. (I know right!?!?!) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a passion project …

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch Gaming News

Jay and Silent Bob: The Chronic Blunt Punch | PAX West 2024

Going into PAX West 2024, I knew that I was going to enjoy ‘Jay and Silent Bob: The Chronic Blunt Punch’, but I did not know it was going to be …

Gaming News

Undisputed at PAX West 2024

Ash Habib has a true passion for boxing and Undisputed is his love letter to the sport. ‪@PlayUndisputed‬ aims to be both a technical and fun boxing game. The game …