The program Dog Wars is no longer available for purchase after extensive complaints from animal rights groups.
Given the general disgust most folks feel towards the act of dogfighting, it should come as little surprise that the game about pitting dogs against one another has been pulled from the Android market.
The sudden absence is likely due to protests from the likes of celebrities like Alicia Silverstone and Michael Vick, as well as numerous animal rights groups including the Humane Society.
The game maker, Kage Games, defends the product on the game's Android product page, pointing out that Dog Wars is "just a VIDEO GAME" and that things that are illegal in real life aren't necessarily illegal in a song, movie or video game. The developer also points to games like Angry Birds that have players "slingshot some virtual birds to kill some virtual pigs".
It's an interesting free speech debate, but Google seems to have had the final word on the matter, as downloading the game is no longer an option. For our part, we're willing to entertain some of the free speech arguments. But, is it okay if we exercise our free speech rights to say that games like this really gross us out?
[via All Things Digital]