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Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

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Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#1

Post by LukaszO »

Hey i heard about the Podcast Addict app, this is sad news for all of us, because the bots are banning everything that could be a reference to COVID-19 which is quite a hyprocrytical move. They changed their whole Google Hangout app to become Google Meet to profit of the virus.

I designed a game about the Pandemic in January 2017, i was slowly developing it being inspired by Reigns and Plague Inc.

After the COVID happened i continued my work on the game and released the game on 5th of April 2020 after successfull appeal to pre-release ban. I even successfully ran Google and Facebook ads for the game Pre-Register period.

Then after a week the game was banned. I appealed again couple of times but without a success. Now Google Play don't even reply to my emails. Finally i decided to release the game on Steam, it will be available on 20th May. I put almost a 6 months of work on this game and i felt that i lost all this time because of this unfair ban, but i'm glad i can release the game on Steam without any problem or censorship attempts.

Also i want to emphasize that the game does not contain any COVID-19 references, nor any medical advices nor any propaganda. I designed it to be an universal pandemic/virus game. There are no words like corona, covid, or anything similar.

Screenshots with proofs that i'm saying the truth: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1RGfllIgAS5hJ2cHhWsmhaotb8H0FgrHy

Source Code from 2018 https://bitbucket.org/PassengerMan/samples/src/master/Cpp/PANGameplayTypes.h

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#2

Post by Awelton »

The heavy hand of Google strikes down another. Don't you know that you aren't allowed to say wrongthink words or think wrongthink thoughts? Please try again, but this time try a little harder to please the Google. Only CDC approved persons are allowed to allude to or speak of the single largest thing people happen to currently be talking about. Pick up that can.

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#3

Post by tetromino_ »

IMHO, releasing a new pandemic game (where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus) in the middle of a real-life pandemic is tone-deaf. It also very much looks like "appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims" which is an example of banned content at https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/inappropria...

If you really want to release this right now on a different platform, maybe follow the example of Plague Inc's developer: https://www.ndemiccreations.com/en/news/175-plague-inc-gives...

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#4

Post by JacksonGariety »

tetromino_ wrote: post #3

IMHO, releasing a new pandemic game (where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus) in the middle of a real-life pandemic is tone-deaf. It also very much looks like "appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims" which is an example of banned content at https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/inappropria... If you really want to release this…

Aren't a lot of people profiting off of coronavirus? Zoom, Nintendo, Netflix, etc.? And what about viral apocalypse movies like 'Contagion'?

This stuff helps people cope with stress.

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#5

Post by LukaszO »

tetromino_ wrote: post #3

IMHO, releasing a new pandemic game (where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus) in the middle of a real-life pandemic is tone-deaf. It also very much looks like "appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims" which is an example of banned content at https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/inappropria... If you really want to release this…

"where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus" Game goal is the opposite. I can't imagine i can run funds or donate anything, i am a single private person, ndemic creations is a professional company.

You can check out the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1305370/Pandemia_Virus_Ou...

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#6

Post by rnotaro »

LukaszO wrote: post #5
tetromino_ wrote: post #3

IMHO, releasing a new pandemic game (where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus) in the middle of a real-life pandemic is tone-deaf. It also very much looks like "appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims" which is an example of banned content at https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/inappropria... If you really want to release this…

"where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus" Game goal is the opposite. I can't imagine i can run funds or donate anything, i am a single private person, ndemic creations is a professional company. You can check out the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1305370/Pandemia_Virus_Ou...

Your main trailer when I open the steam store page is not in english. You should present the english trailer first.

Does steam allows different screenshot / videos for different languages?

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#7

Post by arsenide »

tetromino_ wrote: post #3

IMHO, releasing a new pandemic game (where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus) in the middle of a real-life pandemic is tone-deaf. It also very much looks like "appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims" which is an example of banned content at https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/inappropria... If you really want to release this…

"releasing a new pandemic game"

Developed across the last 3 years? This seems like an inapt description of what OP described here.

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#8

Post by LukaszO »

rnotaro wrote: post #6
LukaszO wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus" Game goal is the opposite. I can't imagine i can run funds or donate anything, i am a single private person, ndemic creations is a professional company. You can check out the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1305370/Pandemia_Virus_Ou...

Your main trailer when I open the steam store page is not in english. You should present the english trailer first. Does steam allows different screenshot / videos for different languages?

Thanks for the info, i changed videos order. You can set the language for the video and screenshots but it somehow displays for everyone.

Re: Tell HN: Google bans my game for referencing Covid-19, which I designed in 2017

#10

Post by runawaybottle »

tetromino_ wrote: post #3

IMHO, releasing a new pandemic game (where I assume your goal is to kill as many people as possible with a virus) in the middle of a real-life pandemic is tone-deaf. It also very much looks like "appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims" which is an example of banned content at https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/inappropria... If you really want to release this…

I’ll argue that it is not tasteless because it is a natural phenomena.

Tone deaf would be a Columbine FPS (which the shooters I think made themselves).

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