European game developer Endorphina has announced that they've decided to pull a Maori-themed video slot that violated Maori intellectual property rights.
The group had originally launched the slot last year, but it quickly drew scorn from New Zealanders and those of Maori descent. The game company was eventually contacted by a law firm representing Hapai Te Hauroam a health agency in the area, who told the group of the offending content. Speaking about the offensive imagery, Hapai CEO Lance Norman said, "They were using Maori warriors. And when you won, if you got three or four in a row, it would actually come up into a Maori haka which is the intellectual property of Ngati Toa. Maori intellectual property has been used as comforting and familiar inducements, with the potential to lure vulnerable people to online gambling."
To their credit, Endorphina worked quickly to remove the game, with company apologizing for any offense that may have been taken by the Maori people.
Comments
Well you don't know what kind of rules you can break when you creating a game these days, hopefully New Zealand national side in whatever sport has the right to use the Maori haca.
Also not sure why this is offensive, maybe because Endorphina didn't paid for the rights?