BANGKOK, 5 August 2014 – The Department of Cultural Promotion (DCP) under the Culture Ministry has been ordered by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to ban the distribution and sales of the computer game Tropico 5 across Thailand.
New Era Interactive Media, a well-known game distributor in Thailand, posted a message on its personal Facebook account informing clients of the decision of a DCP board on films and video games which found that parts of the game’s content might have an effect on the nation’s security. Therefore, the company has been prohibited to release the game publicly.
Tropico 5 is a strategy game that focuses on building a nation much like the popular computer game series SimCity. However, there is a slight twist to the game’s plot.
Players of the game assume the role of a president of a deserted island. In order to finish the game, he/she must manage the country successfully, and at one point, stage a coup to dethrone the ruling monarch. For this reason, it may cause a rift between people who have differing political views.
Nonetheless, many gamers worldwide have disagreed that the game contains inappropriate content. In fact, a lot of them have voiced out it is a relaxing game that provides great stress relief.
