Here's my big problem. Why do books, movies, and television not have to face this kind of crap? Why don't game developers get the same privileges as other media? Because its interactive? That's a load of crap. Because its immersive? Other media should be insulted by that assertion.
If you're a developer and you don't think your fellow developers should get the same protections as other media, then why? How does Apple sell "Patton" or "Midway" and not this?
You think books, movies, and television don't face this kind of crap? Publish a book that says the wrong things about the wrong people and you are toast (especially in countries where, for example, truth is not a defense, such as Britain and Australia). Movies will do all kinds of things (notably eliminating sex scenes, especially where women are enjoying themselves) to get more permissive ratings from the MPAA. And television is completely nutty (the writers of Hill Street Blues invented an entire lexicon of curses and epithets in order to have police have vaguely plausible dialog that could get past network censors).
Does Apple subject each television show, movie, and book to a "contains content or features that include people from a specific race, culture, government, corporation, or other real entity as the enemies in the context of the game, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines" rule?
Well, I can't comment on what Apple allows or does not allow in terms of TV shows and movies, although it's pretty clear that -- for example -- Apple does not allow porn. The fact is that the deluge of Apps is not duplicated anywhere else -- I read somewhere that a new Flappy Bird clone is released every 24s -- I don't think there are as many TV shows to contend with.
The point is that everyone publishing stuff in a store probably has to deal with censorship etc. at some point. Nintendo famously forced LucasArts to remove a puzzle from a game because the solution involved sticking a hamster in a microwave.
So, no, they do not subject anything else to a similar requirement. Volume doesn't give them a pass. The thought process that software developers are less protected than authors is an insulting.
"No Porn" is a requirement they impose on ALL media, so it fair and respectful of the work done by software developers. The thinking that an Harlequin romance novel is somehow more artistic and worthy of protection than something like "Last of Us" is bogus.
Basically TV shows, etc., are regulated externally, so Apple doesn't need to bother as much. Games are open season, and someone has to police standards. I think you're blaming Apple for trying to manage a difficult situation and sometimes making mistakes (which everyone who does similar things also does -- again, see MPAA ratings and ESRB ratings for mainstream games)
If you're a developer and you don't think your fellow developers should get the same protections as other media, then why? How does Apple sell "Patton" or "Midway" and not this?