Nine Inch Nails' (NIN) founder Trent Reznor tweeted “News Flash - Apple has approved the NIN iPhone app update. Should be live in a few hours.”.
Just a few days ago we were pondering over Apple’s decision to reject NIN: Access app and had commented that the reason for the rejection was quite absurd.
The good news is that NIN: Access is now available and is completely unchanged; well of course, along with the fix that prevents the app from crashing for international users. Now, this must have sounded like music to Trent’s ears.
Apple had rejected the service update of the iPhone app due to objectionable content in the album "Downward Spiral". The song ‘Closer’ and nihilistic content in the other songs didn't seem to have gone down well with folks approving the iPhone app.
But that's history as we have all that and more from the Downward Spiral available in the NIN:Access app just as it was intended by the artist.
The approval process has always been a little vague. I can download movies that ridicules personalities and shows objectionable scenes but I cannot download an iPhone app which has objectionable content. For ex: An app was rejected because it made fun of Dick Cheney (famous ‘shooting’ star) but the movie ‘W.’ that ridicules former US President or ‘Der Baader Meinhof Komplex’ with strong objectionable scenes is available on iTunes.
Thankfully it looks like Apple is planning to address the issue of "objectionable content" by introducing age-based parental controls in iPhone OS 3.0.
But would a developer who didn't have the voice or presence of Trent Reznor get the same treatment? I don’t want to believe that Apple reeled under pressure because it received harsh criticism from Trent Reznor as they have always been quick to correct mistakes like the approval of the version update of Tweetie that was earlier rejected because there happened to be a dirty word in the trend list or removal of controversial iPhone game called "Baby Shaker"
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
[via Trent Reznor's Twitter page]
I think Baby Shaker should be brought back no matter how offensive it may be to some. Most games today are all about killing people, blowing up hospitals, and stealing cars. The new Parental Controls could really help warn people, who are easily offended because they take a game too seriously, about what to expect after they purchase the app.
The above article calls NIN's song "Download Spiral" a couple of times. Isn't called "Downward Spiral"?
I have corrected the typo, thanks for highlighting it.
I agree. I mean, I can go to a Gamestop and buy games ten times worse than those in the app store but Apple thinks they have to be all zealous and such with their app approval system. If parents are concerned, the responsibility should lie with them on what games their children play or apps they use, not the app store.