In a recent odd development, Kalypso Media’s Tropico 5 was banned in Thailand after distributor New Era Thailand said that “some part of its content might affect peace and order in the country.” It may sound odd but considering that you can rise up in Tropico 5 as a dictator that controls a banana republic, it may sound a little too familiar for some people in Thailand.
Kalypso Media responded to the news in a statement to GameSpot in which it said, “Kalypso Media can confirm that Tropico 5, the latest installment of the hugely popular dictator sim, has been refused distribution in Thailand. The Board of Film and Video Censors (part of the Ministry of Culture) informed Kalypso Media’s Thailand distributor New Era that Tropico 5 would not be granted a release status in the country. They stated that ‘some contents of the game are not appropriate for the current situation,’ but did not pinpoint the exact content which caused concern. After consideration, New Era has decided not to appeal the decision.”
Global Managing Director of Kalypso Media Group Simon Hellwig stated that “We are disappointed to hear that Tropico 5 will not be released in Thailand. Tropico 3 and 4 both enjoyed successful releases in the country and although the Tropico brand does have a realistic political element to it, the scenarios and content are all delivered with a certain trademark tongue in cheek humour.”
Global Managing Director, Kalypso Media Group, Stefan Marcinek further added, “Our distributor has been working hard to gain approval for the release, but it seems that the Board of Film and Video Censors deem some of the content too controversial for their consumers. This does sound like it could have come from one of El Presidente’s own edicts from the game.
“Kalypso Media did release a DLC pack titled ‘Junta’ for Tropico 4 in 2011 which challenges players to turn the island into a militaristic society, something Thailand experienced in May this year when a real-life coups d’état saw the elected government ousted by a military takeover.”
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