By Colin Simpson www.thenational.ae
DUBAI // Online previews of a new computer game set in Dubai after the city is devastated by a natural disaster are being blocked in the UAE.
The battle scenes in Spec Ops: The Line are set against familiar landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa that have been ravaged by powerful sandstorms.
Demo versions that can be downloaded have been placed online by the developer, US-based 2K Games, and new videos showing sequences of gameplay have been released.
However games fans who try to view the material are directed to a page that says: “Access to this site is currently blocked. The site falls under the Prohibited Content Categories of the UAE’s Internet Access Management Policy.”
The decision to block sites is taken by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority rather than the phone operators, Etisalat and du.
The authority said: “Spec Ops: The Line video game has not been approved by the concerned authorities (National Media Council) in the UAE.
“Consequently the website of the game has been blocked from access in the UAE.”
The game is due to be released worldwide on June 26 for the Windows PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms.
When news that 2K – a sister company of the creator of Grand Theft Auto – was developing the game first emerged there were suggestions that the National Media Council would ban it.
However, Juma Obaid Alleem, the council’s director of media content, said no decision would be taken until his department had an opportunity to view the entire game. More info
