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Rupert Murdoch Publishes North Korean Flash Games

Posted by Soulskill on from the wonder-if-they're-paywalled dept.

eldavojohn writes "You might recall back in June when it was noted that North Korea was developing and exporting flash games. Now, the isolated nation state is apparently home to some game developers that are being published by a subsidiary of News Corp. (The games include Big Lebowski Bowling and Men In Black). Nosotek Joint Venture Company is treading on thin ice in the eyes of a few academics and specialists that claim the Fox News owner is 'working against US policy.' Concerns grow over the potential influx of cash, creating better programmers that are then leveraged into cyberwarfare capabilities. Nosotek said that 'training them to do games can't bring any harm.' The company asserts its innocence, though details on how much of the games were developed in North Korea are sparse. While one of the poorest nations in the world could clearly use the money, it remains to be seen if hardliner opponents like the United States will treat Nosotek (and parent company News Corp.) as if they're fostering the development of computer programmers inside the DPRK. The United Nations only stipulates that cash exchanged with companies in the DPRK cannot go to companies and businesses associated with military weaponry or the arms trade. Would you feel differently about Big Lebowski Bowling if you knew it was created in North Korea?"

5 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No suprise here by AHuxley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Same with China.
    Rants on Fox over democracy and freedom, $ in reality.
    http://www.slate.com/id/2184197/

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  2. Kim Jong Il or Rupert Murdoch? by BiggerIsBetter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Frankly, I'm more concerned about News Corp than I am about North Korea.

    --
    Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
    1. Re:Kim Jong Il or Rupert Murdoch? by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And I'm more concerned about China than either. And the U.S. government certainly doesn't seem to have any problem with U.S. companies exporting all their computer jobs there.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  3. "redefining outsourcing" by sosume · · Score: 5, Insightful

    MEMO --

    New ownership means new rules. Therefore:
    - each bug found in production code, means a month of hard labor for the responsible engineers and their entire family
    - no more internets for you!
    - each comment in your code should contain a reference to our glorious leader

    We hope these new rules will everyone more happy and more productive!

    -- K. Jong Il, VP

  4. New Axis of Evil by Diamon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    FOX has now been linked with North Korea and the Ground Zero Imam. They've clearly taken over Iraq's place in the Axis of Evil. When do we invade?