'Angry Trayvon' Android game sparks social media outrage

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A smartphone game seemingly depicting slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin as an armed vigilante drew outrage on social media networks Monday, and within a matter of hours the game was pulled after the backlash questioned how it was even approved in the first place.

 

"Angry Trayvon" is reportedly in the process of being pulled from the Google Play Store.

 

 

"Angry Trayvon," an Android game from developer Trade Digital, depicts a hooded character on a "world tour of revenge on the bad guys who terrorize cities everyday [sic]." Despite the game's name, Trade Digital's Twitter account states the it "was not intended to portray any people in real life." The character's hooded sweatshirt, however, is reminiscent of the attire Martin was wearing at the he was killed by George Zimmerman, who is currently standing trial for murdering Martin.

 

The game's website states an iOS version was in the works as well, though it's not clear if "Angry Trayvon" was ever released through Apple's app store.

A post on Tumblr garnered more than 1,400 responses within five hours Monday, with the overwhelming majority of responses supporting an effort to get the app pulled from the Google Play Store. Several hundred tweets or retweets seeking the games removal were also posted on Twitter. Many of the complaints call the game racist as the main character, who is depicted fighting others on unsavory streets, has an extensive array of weapons despite the fact that Martin, a black 17-year-old, had no weapons on him when he was killed.

 

The game's listing was quickly bombarded with hundreds of negative reviews following the social media campaigns; as of writing, the game has a score of 1.4 based on 714 reviews, 625 of which gave it the lowest possible score.

 

"Angry Trayvon" was pulled from the Google Play Store following a post on the game's Facebook page announcing the removal, though it was still available to download for several hours. A high-definition version of the game, "Angry Trayvon HD," is still available on the store.

 

In its Facebook post, Trade Digital defended the game as a source of entertainment with no racial agenda.

"The people spoke out therefore this game was removed from the app stores," the post states. "Sorry for the inconvenience as this was just an action game for entertainment. This was by no means a racist game. Nonetheless, it was removed as will this page and anything associated with the game will be removed."

 

Neowin has contacted Google asking if the company's app approval process noted any concerns prior to the game being published; this article will be updated if a response is received.