Thailand bans dictator simulator game Tropico 5 to preserve 'peace and order'
Thailand’s military government has blacklisted a satirical dictator simulation videogame called Tropico 5 over fears its content may be detrimental to the nation’s security.
The censor, which has clamped down upon all forms of media which may harm the newly formed government's stability, has blacklisted the city-building game which requires players to siphon public service cash into a private Swiss bank account while maintaining an oppresive regime.
Meanwhile, players will have to supress uprisings through the use of propaganda and secret police.
Nonglak Sahavattanapong, marketing manager of New Era Thailand, the game’s distributer said: “Some part of [Tropico’s] content might affect peace and order in the country”.
The junta has forbidden sales of the game created by Kalypso Media, although it did say there was no prohibition on previous instalments of the game.
The government stated that elements of the latest game’s storyline hit too close to the bone for the country and could be detrimental to the safety of the state.
It is unclear as to which part of the storyline the junta was referring to in a narrative featuring eccentric dictators, kooky new world order plots, clones and time travel.
Kalypso Media has said it will not appeal the decision.
The Thai censorship scheme banning a whole range of social and political issues explored in movies, books and video games has been in place since the military government was established on 22 May this year. It has focused on quelling future civil revolts.
Yesterday, Google was thrown back into the centre of the internet censorship debate after it blocked searches to a Wikipedia page under the European 'right to be forgotten' legislation.