Has Android Pulled Its Dog Wars App?
Every day a different report
Every day since animal protection groups revealed that the online game developer Kage Games was selling a shocking smartphone app called Dog Wars, Animal protection groups have been pressuring Google and its subsidiary, Android, which markets the “game” to pull it.
Every day, we’ve heard a different story from Kage Games as to what they plan to do with the app. Google and Android have remained silent.
So, is the app still available for download on Android phones? Last week, the company was defending its dog-fighting “app” while its marketers, Google/Android, looked on silently. As we pointed out here and on Zoe’s sister site, StubbyDog, Google seemed to have abandoned its corporate motto “Don’t Be Evil” for something more like “See no evil, hear no evil …” as it declined to put any pressure on its subsidiary, Android, or on Kage Games.
Then we heard that the game was no longer available. Then that it still was. And today, once again, we hear that it’s been removed. Don’t hold your breath.
In Dog Wars, gamers get to choose a virtual dog character, train it and then put it in the dog-fighting ring against another dog. Depending on its fitness and training, the dog character may kill the other dog and win you some virtual money and street cred. Then again, it may be injured or killed.
Today, it seems, the game is off the market. Kage Games is reportedly no longer selling the basic game app, but those who already have the app can continue to buy an accompanying app called Dog Bucks, where for 99 cents a user can receive 8,000 virtual dollars to play Dog Wars. These Dog Bucks can be used to buy more animals, food and steroids. You can also get a “free adrenaline pen” to revive your fighting dog’s health. Plus, for $9.99, you can get 100,000 Dog Bucks and 12 adrenaline pens.
Kage Games makes its money from these add-ons, not from the basic app, so it’s still coming out ahead, and the basic app will doubtless continue to circulate from person to person.
What do you say? Kage Games continues to claim that Dog Wars is no worse than other games involving violence. Is it worse when a game involves violence toward animals? If so, why? Let us know in a comment below, or on Facebook.
What you can do? We’re still not certain that Google/Android and Kage Games have really given up on Dog Wars. So please go ahead and report this app as “inappropriate” on this Google/Android customer service page. You will need to fill out the boxes as follows:
Application Name: Dog Wars
Developer name: Kage Games LLC
Our colleague Stephanie Feldstein has created a petition on Change.org. Please go ahead and sign it.