Baby Shaker (lost banned iOS game; 2009): Difference between revisions

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(This is the second version of the article. The original was deleted due to it being not good enough. Hopefully, this is a slightly better version. I'm open to criticism.)
 
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{{NSFL|subject matter}}
{{NSFL|crude depiction of child abuse}}
 
{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Baby Shaker</center>
|title=<center>Baby Shaker</center>
|image=bshaker1.jpg
|image=baby_shaker_icon.png
|imagecaption=The game's description.
|imagecaption=Icon of the app.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
'''Baby Shaker''' was a controversial game released on the App Store in 2009 by Sikalosoft for $0.99. As the name suggests, the game has you shake your IPhone to stop a crying infant until two X marks appear on their eyes.
'''''Baby Shaker''''' was a controversial game released on the App Store in 2009 by Sikalosoft for $0.99.<ref>[https://nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna30354894 NBC article about the game.] Retrieved 25 May '22 </ref> As the name suggests, the game has you shake your iPhone to stop a crying infant until two X marks appear on their eyes.


==History==
==History==
The game was released on the App Store on Monday, April 20th, 2009. At 10:00 pm, a website called KRAPPS discovered the app and published an article on their website. They would later announce the article on Twitter. The following day at 9:18 am, a founder of a non-profit organization (Stop Shaken Baby Syndrome, Inc.) named Jennipher Dickens saw the article. She would later tweet about it and send the article for a press release to 30,000 media companies about the game.<ref>[http://krapps.com/?p=2289 KRAPPS article about the game.] Retrieved 25 May '22</ref>
Once both the media and the public became aware of the app's existence, people were outraged. Many child advocacy groups accused the app of both making fun of and glorifying Shaken Baby Syndrome, a form of brain injury that occurs when a baby or a toddler is shaken (Ironic or not, the game was even released around the same time of Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week and National Child Abuse Prevention Month). Several people even contacted Apple to remove the app, which they did.<ref>[http://krapps.com/?p=2306 KRAPPS article talking about the backlash and aftermath.] Retrieved 25 May '22</ref>


The game was released on the App Store on April 21rd, 2009 by a guy named . At 10:00pm, a website called KRAPPS discovered the app and published an article on their website. They would later announce the article on Twitter. The following day at 9:18am, a founder of a non-profit organization (Stop Shaken Baby Syndrome, Inc.) named Jennipher Dickens saw the article. She would later tweet about it and send the article for press release to 30,000 media companies about the game.
One day later, Apple pulled ''Baby Shaker'' from the App Store. The app would reappear the next day before being taken down again that afternoon. This time, it was permanent.


An Apple spokesperson would later issue an apology in an interview with Macworld with the following statement:


Once both the media and the public became aware of the app's existence, people were outraged. Many child advocacy groups accused the app of both making fun of and glorifying Shaken Baby Syndrome, a form of brain injury that occurs when a baby or a toddler is shaken (Ironic or not, the game was even released around the same time of Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week and National Child Abuse Prevention Month). Several people even contacted Apple to remove the app, which they did.  
<blockquote>"This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store. When we learned of this mistake, the app was removed immediately. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention."
- A spokesperson on the controversy.<ref>[https://macworld.com/article/196295/apple_apology.html Macworld article featuring an apology from a spokesperson.] Retrieved 25 May '22</ref></blockquote>


Two days after the app was released, Apple pulled Baby Shaker from the App Store. They would later issue an apology in a Macworld interview with an Apple spokesperson with the following statement:
The app's developer would respond to the backlash on their website. They admitted it was a bad idea and that the app was "greatly lacking in taste" while also stating:


<blockquote style="font-size:95%">This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store. When we learned of this mistake, the app was removed immediately. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention. </blockquote>
<blockquote>"It was later taken down because it was a baby-shaking video game! While GTA is a video game that pushes the limits, it is still yet to have a baby-shaking mini-game in it."


- The developer on the game's removal.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090428152509/www.sikalosoft.com/ The developer's response to the backlash.] Retrieved 25 May '22</ref></blockquote>


==Availability==
==Availability==
 
Unless someone still has the app installed on their old iPhone, all that is left of the game is one gameplay footage and a few screenshots. There are news articles and reports talking about the app that also exist.
 
Unless someone with a messed up sense of humor still has the app installed on their old IPhone, all that is left of the game is one gameplay footage and a few screenshots.  
There are news articles and reports talking about the app that also exists. It even got its own section in the IPhone page on the parody site, Encyclopedia Dramatica.


Considering the app's treatment of the subject matter and how fast it was pulled from the App Store, it's safe to say that the game is lost.  
Considering the app's treatment of the subject matter and how fast it was pulled from the App Store, it's safe to say that the game is lost.  


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed heights=275px>
===Images===
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
bshaker1.jpg|The app's download page (1/2).
22-baby_shaker.png|The app's download page (2/2).
shakebabycomment1.jpg|An off-color review of the game on the app's page.
shakebabycomment1.jpg|An off-color review of the game on the app's page.
babyshake11.jpg|Screenshot of the app (1/3).
babyshake11.jpg|Screenshot of the app (1/5).
babyshake21.jpg|Screenshot of the app (2/3).
babyshake21.jpg|Screenshot of the app (2/5).
babyshake31.jpg|Screenshot of the app (3/3).
babyshake31.jpg|Screenshot of the app (3/5).
808dc5bee7_042109phonems02.jpg|Screenshot of the app (4/5).
c7924880ab_042109phonems01.png|Screenshot of the app (5/5).
shakebabytweet1.jpg|KRAPPS' tweet about the article.
shakebabytweet1.jpg|KRAPPS' tweet about the article.
sbretweet21.jpg|Jennipher's retweet of KRAPPS' article, sharing their disgust of the game.
sbretweet21.jpg|Jennipher's retweet of KRAPPS' article, sharing their disgust of the game.
sbretweet11.jpg|A different user's retweet of the same article sharing the same opinion.
sbretweet11.jpg|A different user's retweet of the same article sharing the same opinion.
bsgone21.jpg|A message showing that the app has been removed (1/2).
bsgone21.jpg|A message showing that the app has been removed (1/3).
img-0055.png|A message showing that the app has been removed (2/2).
img-0055.png|A message showing that the app has been removed (2/3).
 
Picture_5.jpeg|A message showing that the app has been removed (3/3).
 
</gallery>
</gallery>
{{Video|perrow  =2
===Footage===
{{Video|perrow  =4
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =TUD8QdZ1vdk
   |id1          =TUD8QdZ1vdk
   |description1 =Gameplay footage of the app in action.
   |description1 =Gameplay footage of the app in action.
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =i_kjVk89V2o
  |description2 =A news report about the game and its controversy.
  |service3    =youtube
  |id3          =M1DZCi42UiQ
  |description3 =A fake commercial for the game that parodied the iPhone ads.
  |service4    =youtube
  |id4          =eZOiY1nOOvw
  |description4 =My Name Is Doomguy's video on the subject (Spanish).
}}
}}
{{Video|perrow  =2
{{Video|perrow  =1
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =?v=i_kjVk89V2o
   |id1          =AXjMRPKqToM
   |description1 =A news report about the game and it's controversy.
   |description1 =THEつぶろ's video on the subject (Japanese).
}}
}}


==References==
==External Links==
[http://krapps.com/?p=2289 KRAPPS article about the game.] Retrieved 25 May '22
*[https://thebrainproject.org/baby-shaker-app-inspires-new-sbs-prevention-effort/ An article detailing how the game inspired an SBS prevention effort.]


[http://krapps.com/?p=2306 KRAPPS article talking about the backlash and aftermath.] Retrieved 25 May '22
*[https://in.nau.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/242/2021/10/MobileApp.pdf The Baby Shaker Application: A Mobile App Dilemma]


==References==
{{reflist}}


[https://www.macworld.com/article/196295/apple_apology.html News article featuring an apology from a spokesperson.] Retrieved 25 May '22
[[Category:Lost video games]]
 
[[Category:Completely lost media]]
[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna30354894 NBC article about the game.] Retrieved 25 May '22
<no-comment-streams />
 
[https://thebrainproject.org/baby-shaker-app-inspires-new-sbs-prevention-effort/ An article detailing how the game inspired an SBS prevention effort.] Retrieved 25 May '22
 
[https://thebrainproject.org/baby-shaker-app-inspires-new-sbs-prevention-effort/ An article detailing how the game inspired an SBS prevention effort.] Retrieved 25 May '22
 
[https://encyclopediadramatica.online/IPhone Encyclopedia Dramatica article about the IPhone that features a section about the game and the events surrounding it.] Retrieved 25 May '22
 
==External Links==
 
[[Category:Lost video games|Baby Shaker]]
[[Category:Lost media|Baby Shaker]]
[[Category:Completely lost media|Baby Shaker]]

Latest revision as of 08:02, 12 February 2024

Nsfl.png


This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its crude depiction of child abuse.



Baby shaker icon.png

Icon of the app.

Status: Lost

Baby Shaker was a controversial game released on the App Store in 2009 by Sikalosoft for $0.99.[1] As the name suggests, the game has you shake your iPhone to stop a crying infant until two X marks appear on their eyes.

History

The game was released on the App Store on Monday, April 20th, 2009. At 10:00 pm, a website called KRAPPS discovered the app and published an article on their website. They would later announce the article on Twitter. The following day at 9:18 am, a founder of a non-profit organization (Stop Shaken Baby Syndrome, Inc.) named Jennipher Dickens saw the article. She would later tweet about it and send the article for a press release to 30,000 media companies about the game.[2]

Once both the media and the public became aware of the app's existence, people were outraged. Many child advocacy groups accused the app of both making fun of and glorifying Shaken Baby Syndrome, a form of brain injury that occurs when a baby or a toddler is shaken (Ironic or not, the game was even released around the same time of Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week and National Child Abuse Prevention Month). Several people even contacted Apple to remove the app, which they did.[3]

One day later, Apple pulled Baby Shaker from the App Store. The app would reappear the next day before being taken down again that afternoon. This time, it was permanent.

An Apple spokesperson would later issue an apology in an interview with Macworld with the following statement:

"This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store. When we learned of this mistake, the app was removed immediately. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention." - A spokesperson on the controversy.[4]

The app's developer would respond to the backlash on their website. They admitted it was a bad idea and that the app was "greatly lacking in taste" while also stating:

"It was later taken down because it was a baby-shaking video game! While GTA is a video game that pushes the limits, it is still yet to have a baby-shaking mini-game in it." - The developer on the game's removal.[5]

Availability

Unless someone still has the app installed on their old iPhone, all that is left of the game is one gameplay footage and a few screenshots. There are news articles and reports talking about the app that also exist.

Considering the app's treatment of the subject matter and how fast it was pulled from the App Store, it's safe to say that the game is lost.

Gallery

Images

Footage

Gameplay footage of the app in action.

A news report about the game and its controversy.

A fake commercial for the game that parodied the iPhone ads.

My Name Is Doomguy's video on the subject (Spanish).

THEつぶろ's video on the subject (Japanese).

External Links

References