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What happened was this.

Metaversal Studios has an iPhone game called “Hot Dog Down a Hallway” (which I have not played, nor heard of before today). In it, you launch a hot dog…down a hallway, tilting the iPhone to avoid traps.

The game, which appears to be something like the classic Glider game, features some mildly risque humor—and I use “mildly” in the strongest possible terms, if that contradiction makes any sense.

“How long can you last? It may feel strange the first time, but once you’ve finished, you’ll want to do it again and again!”

That sort of thing. Anyhoo, Metaversal submitted a bug fix (v1.2) of the game, which was (say it with me, now) rejected for explicit content. Which is dumb enough, because 1.) the game wasn’t changed at all, and 2.) everyone in the world over five years old knows what a hot dog also looks like.

Here’s what Metaversal had to say in their press release:

Despite receiving a “9+” age rating and store approval for the first 2 versions of its premiere iPhone game, “Hot Dog Down a Hallway,” on May 16, 2009, Metaversal Studios was denied approval for its version 1.2 update. The game, which involves launching a hot dog as far as you can down a hallway filled with wiener‐destroying traps, contains no change in content from previous releases—and, despite the suggestive name, still contains absolutely no sexually explicit content.

Now, the incredibly stupid part is that you can still buy the game on the iTunes store. Right now. For 99 cents. This is the link. It’s gotten 13 five star reviews, out of 29. So what Apple is protecting you from is a bug fix.

Now, what’s probably happened here is that a different Apple employee got this application, and his/her sensibilities are, perhaps, more tender than the previous reviewer’s. I can only imagine that he or she was so overcome by the sight of a hot dog in a rubber glove that he (or she) fled the room, lace kerchief in hand, to warn Big Daddy of what those uncouth ruffians were trying to put on the iPhone.

In other news, TNA Wrestling, where sweaty muscle men rub against each other while wearing tights, is also available for downloading now!