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Postal 2: Share the Pain for Mac OS X. The FPS (first-person shooter) is powered by the Unreal engine and features an open-ended storyline, where players have the option to use as much, or as little violence as they wish to finish the game. The controversial game has been given a M-rating (Mature audiences) along with a first-ever "Intense Violence" sublabel from the ESRB. Apple (as well as CompUSA) has declined to carry the controversial Postal 2: Share the Pain title in its online and physical retail stores,
according to the developer. Postal 2 offers both single and multi-player modes (Snath, Grap. Deathmatch, Team DeathMatch) as well as 25 characters, 14 multiplayer levels, a built-in server browser, and a level editor. It is available exclusively online for $20.
"The company that brought us the famous '1984' Superbowl commercial has obviously become Big Brother," remarked Desi. "The Mac market is regarded as the most mature, sophisticated demographic in the home computer world. But Apple obviously doesn't feel its users should be able to make their own choices when it comes to the software they buy for their Macs."
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Apple should be supportive of ANYONE who wants to make games for this platform.
You completely misunderstand the idea of censorship. This game is not being suppressed at all. According to your way of thinking, if you asked me to advertise your product on my web site and I refused, I would be censoring you. That is illogical. No one has the right to force anyone to sell or advertise their products.
Postal2 does come across as a gratuitously violent title and concept, regardless of the merits of its developer. Apple doesn't have to endorse this or any other product, and for the time being probably no longer has to pander to game developers imploring them to support their platform. Strategically, Apple most likely made the right call here. A scant percentage of their computing hardware income is derived from the target market for this game, so there was little to lose in taking a stand.
The controversy behind this story will fade only slightly faster than the sales of this title.
jvputten, Monstermind answer these questions: do you think a store should be forced to sell any product that is available? Do store owners not deserve freedom to choose what they sell?