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  • Korean players protest a flag in World of Warships

    by 
    Eliot Lefebvre
    Eliot Lefebvre
    07.07.2013

    When you're dealing with a global market, sometimes it's the most innocuous elements that cause a problem. World of Warships, cousin to both World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, included something that made several Korean gamers very angry: A flag. Specifically, the Rising Sun flag on several Japanese ships. From Wargaming.net's perspective, since the game is meant to have players at the helm of ships used by the major armies involved in World War II, including a period-appropriate decoration was perfectly reasonable. However, to several players in the region, the Rising Sun flag is seen as a reminder of Japanese military expansion and aggression, which is still a sensitive topic in many regions. The company's representatives posted on the official forums that the flag will be removed from the game, with the added clarification that the team is trying to be as sensitive as possible to cultural differences. The game is currently in testing and is due for general release later this year.