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Tropico 5 Banned in Thailand Because It Could "Affect Peace and Order"
Recently released PC sim game Tropico 5 has been banned in Thailand, as the country's military junta says the game could negatively affect "peace and order" in the nation. Thailand's film and video censorship office has stopped sales of Tropico 5 because it feared "some part of its content might affect peace and order in the country," a spokesperson for distributor New Era Thailand told the Associated Press today.No further explanation regarding the decision was provided. We have reached out to the game's worldwide publisher, Kalypso Media, for further information about the case. We will update this story with anything we hear back.
In Tropico 5, you play as the leader of a nation and have the ability to create a constitution by which to rule your country. As the Associated Press points out, you can even control the media in the game. Thailand itself has been under a military dictatorship since May, when soldiers overthrew the government.
New Era Thailand marketing manager Nonglak Sahavattanapong said her company previously had licenses to distribute Tropico 3 and Tropico 4. However, "in the fifth installment, the storyline has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation" in Thailand, she said, adding that New Era Thailand does not plan to appeal.
It's not just games being censored in Thailand. According to the Associated Press, Thailand's censorship groups blur out cigarettes and alcohol on TV and "crack down" on scenes that are determined to be "immoral, pornographic, or critical" of the local government.
Tropico 5, developed by Haemimont Games, launched in May for PC and broke franchise sales records. The game is also coming to consoles later on, including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4.
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