Tongue-in-cheek app finally gets nod

AN “ANTI-FARMVILLE” application has finally been approved for Apple’s App Store, overcoming objections to its offensive content and references to Chuck Norris.

The game, from Irish-based Jolt Online Gaming, went on sale last week after being refused by the official software store on several occasions.

Jolt’s chief executive, Dylan Collins, said the game was the most rejected application it has developed for Apple’s platform, an unusual situation for the gaming firm.

FarmVillain was developed as a tongue-in-cheek response to the growing number of games on Facebook that invite people to plant crops and water each other’s farms. At the head of these is Farmville, which has amassed more than 60 million active users.

FarmVillain allows users to plant genetically modified crops on their farms, invite neighbours to go duck hunting or send them less than wholesome gifts.

Collins said the game was intended to be cheap, cheerful and a bit of entertainment.

However, Apple didn’t see it quite as simply as that. It took several attempts to get the app past the company’s reviewers, with Collins explaining that Apple took issue with what it termed offensive content.

However, the rejection that most piqued the developers’ interest was the ground that actor Chuck Norris might object.

“The penultimate rejection was based on the Chuck Norris likeness,” Collins said. “We have that one framed on the wall.”

The e-mail, published in full on Jolt’s blog, specifically referenced a line that said the genetically engineered corn was “made from Chuck Norris genes”.

“We’ve reviewed FarmVillain and determined that we cannot post your application because it appears to include features that identify Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris has previously objected to other applications that include features that use his name or likeness, and believes that such features infringe his rights,” it said.

The US actor has passed into internet folklore, with hundreds of websites carrying jokes and “facts” about how tough he is.

There are some games available in the App Store that feature Norris, including Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain!, a game that features Norris freeing prisoners of war in the Cambodian jungle. The iChuck Norris joke generator is also still for sale through the store.

FarmVillain, however, is a Norris-free zone, with the removal of any references to the star giving it the final push to make it through the approval process.

“We never thought we’d have anything rejected by Chuck Norris,” said Collins.

“I guess now we know who is more powerful: Chuck Norris or Steve Jobs?”

Jolt is no stranger to controversy. The company raised more than a few eyebrows in May last year when it announced it would launch a new online game, Playboy Manager. The game allowed players to take on the role of a talent agent managing the careers of up-and-coming Playboy models. To date, the game is still unpublished.

Jolt is also responsible for adventure game Legends of Zork and apps such as GameOffers.