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Popular mobile game Plague Inc. has been banned in China after the coronavirus outbreak caused a rush of digital downloads.
In Plague Inc. players have to create and evolve a deadly pathogen with the aim of wiping out the entire human race.
The Cyberspace Administration of China has deemed the game to be “illegal”, prompting its removal from the Chinese app store.
The game’s producers, UK-based independent studio Ndemic Creations, posted a statement on their website, saying the situation was “out of [their] control.”
“Plague Inc. stands out as an intelligent and sophisticated simulation that encourages players to think and learn more about serious public health issues”, they wrote.
Show all 20 1 /2020 most controversial video games 20 most controversial video games Death Race (1976) One of the earliest games to cause a stir for its violent content, this black-and-white arcade game saw players score points by running over crudely-rendered pedestrians.
Exidy
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Mystique
20 most controversial video games Mortal Kombat (1992) Although it was praised for its slick fighting gameplay, Mortal Kombat scandalised the general public in 1992 with its excessively gruesome violence. The game was directly responsible for the introduction of an age-rating system for video games.
Midway
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Sega
20 most controversial video games Doom (1993) Seminal shooting game Doom made headlines when it was released because of its gory violence and hellish imagery. It is now considered one of the most important video games of all time.
List
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BMG Interactive
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Rockstar Games
20 most controversial video games Ethnic Cleansing (2002) Created by the US white supremacist organisation National Alliance, this despicable FPS let players control a member of the Ku Klux Klan and commit a spree of racially motivated murders.
Resistance Records
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Rockstar Games
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Rockstar Games
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2K Games
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Activision
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Sega
20 most controversial video games Bulletstorm (2011) With a puerile sense of humour and a penchant for extreme violence, first-person shooter Bulletstorm seemed almost custom-designed to generate outrage. Fox News duly took the bait and started a contentious debate over the game's dubious moral influence.
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Desk Plant
“We have a huge amount of respect for our Chinese players and are devastated that they are no longer able to access and play Plague Inc .”
The coronavirus has now killed more than 2,800 people around the world and more than 82,000 people have been infected.
Plague Inc. has over 130 million players, and is the number one strategy and simulation game worldwide. It has been praised in the past for its value as an educational tool.
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