Tropico 5 is a popular simulation-style game where you manage an island’s economy as a dictator.
Kalypso Media released Tropico 5 in May 2014. The game attracted positive reviews and impressive sales figures.
However, those positive reviews didn’t convince Thai officials that the game was suitable for PC gamers in Thailand.
This past week, Thailand’s Board of Film and Video Censors banned Tropico 5 from Thailand because the game “might affect peace and order in the country.”
The Board of Film and Video Censors is part of the Culture Ministry and is designed to promote Thai culture. However, that Board declined to explain exactly why Tropico 5 was banned.
Most PC gamers, however, have their own theories on why the game was banned: Tropico 4, the previous game of the series, had DLC called “Junta Military DLC”.
In that DLC, players were tasked with “building a militaristic society while under pressure from pesky rebels.” The DLC featured graphics and gameplay very similar to the political situation in Thailand.
Thailand, of course, recently had its government overthrown by the military. The Royal Thai Armed Forces established a military junta across the country – which is where the situation stands today.
In Tropico 5, players can rule their nation with an island fist and install military bases on the island while forcing citizens into slave labor. Or, they can do none of those things and establish a peaceful society – it’s up to players!
Honestly, I bet Kalypso is thrilled by this news. Thailand doesn’t have a burgeoning PC gaming market, and the market they do have is burdened with pirates. This ban just gives Tropico 5 more free advertising. How many people are going to buy this game now that Thailand has declared it “too dangerous” for its entire country?
