The Guardian reports:
Thailand's military government has banned a computer game that allows players to declare martial law and run a dictatorship or alternatively suffer a coup if they fail to keep the military happy deeming the game a public threat to peace and order, the game's distributor has said.
Tropico 5 allows players to run a country through the colonial era through to the present day. Assuming the role of "presidente" on a tropical island, the player can colonise new lands, draft constitutions and, in a series of options, can in effect choose to declare military rule and shut down democratic processes.
It is unclear why exactly the game is considered a threat to national security in Thailand, although it could be argued that it hits too close to home. Thailand's military has been ruling the country since General Prayuth Chan-ocha staged a coup in May the country's 18th in 80 years effectively overthrowing a democratically elected government and holding a series of detentions in secret locations for activists, politicians, lawyers and journalists.
(Score: 0) by jasassin on Sunday August 10 2014, @07:28AM
Lightning guns, grenades, rails and rockets! OMFG!
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2) by gallondr00nk on Sunday August 10 2014, @08:43AM
It's what he would do.
I can't speak for the later ones, but Tropic 3 is brilliant.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Sunday August 10 2014, @09:43AM
4 was about the same as 3 in a good way.
compiling...
(Score: 2) by tynin on Sunday August 10 2014, @04:38PM
I've loved Tropico 3, 4, and 5. Each one slightly redoes some core function of gameplay, and does it rather well. They are the gold standard of city building games, like Sim City used to be.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 10 2014, @12:00PM
Enjoyed the first and second only but still found it clunky.
They should spin a future version off maybe with a new name and make it a RTS while retaining all of the other features. Exploring other lands and trading/invading them and a strong focus on trade.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by tathra on Sunday August 10 2014, @01:09PM
anything which can educate the populace is viewed poorly by despots/dictators and authoritarians/totalitarians.
(Score: 2, Funny) by looorg on Sunday August 10 2014, @05:32PM
El Presidente approves of this suppression of liberty! He will send Penultimo on a tour of Thailand to learn new ideas that he can bring back to implement towards the population of Tropico.