Pixelated nudity FTW after Apple reverses stance on Papers, Please

By

Photo: Papers Please
Photo: Papers Please

The latest App Store rejection controversy has surrounded a critically acclaimed game called Papers, Please. When developer Lucas Pope finally brought the title to iPad, he was forced by Apple to remove all nudity, no matter how pixelated.

Never mind that the nudity in question was not “pornographic content” as Apple billed it, since it only showed when people went through body scanners in the game. After talking with Apple, Pope said the decision was chalked up to a “misunderstanding,” and he’s been allowed to add nudity back to Papers Please in the App Store.

“The initial rejection for porn was a misunderstanding on their [Apple’s] part,” tweeted Pope on December 12. “They suggested I resubmit with the nudity option.”

In a new update, Papers Please has changed its rating to 17+ and adding the option to enable nudity in the game’s settings. It’s the same option that’s existed in the Mac version of the game, which makes Apple’s rejection all the more surprising.

The App Store has been no stranger to controversy among third-party developers lately. Multiple high-profile rejections for widget and iCloud Drive implementations in iOS have been reversed after outcry within the developer community. The lesson to be learned from Papers, Please: nudity is fine, just keep it tasteful.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.