Uma Musume Pretty Derby has been reportedly taken down from app stores in China by BILIBILI, and the speculations for this action seem to have been prompted by worries about the presence of gambling elements within the game.
Pretty Derby was likely removed from Chinese stores because of its horse-related imagery
Uma Musume Pretty Derby is a mobile simulation game created by Cygames. Originally, it began as a mobile game in 2018 but has since grown into a multimedia franchise encompassing anime, manga, and merchandise. The game’s name, when translated, means Horse Girls and the story revolves around legendary racehorses being reborn as female pop icons, also known as idols, in an alternate universe.
However, last Thursday, BILIBILI, who handles the China publication of the game, took the action of removing Uma Musume Pretty Derby from both Apple and Android app stores citing the need for technical improvements. However, this move has raised suspicions and led to speculations among some users, who have connected the presence of horse-related imagery in the game to potential gambling elements.
It was said that the female characters with horse-like features, which is part of the story, made them think of horse racing, which can be linked to gambling. It is no new news that in China, rules about games are on the stricter side where you can’t promote illegal stuff such as gambling, and since horse racing falls into that category, it might be received that way.
Apart from the original announcement on Thursday, BILIBILI is yet to respond on the state of the game in China. Given that the game only opened to mainland players on August 30, the sudden removal led to a notable downfall in Bilibili’s share price as it fell 6.8% in the US. We will have to wait and see the further developments on this situation, as nothing seems clear.
What are your thoughts on BILIBILI removing Uma Musume Pretty Derby from China app stores amid gambling concerns? Let us know in the comments below!
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