Barely legal? Strip poker hits Cingular phones

A tepid version of strip poker for cell phones has debuted in the United States, and while there's no nudity--on the screen, at least--the game's distributor is preparing for complaints that it stretches the boundaries of good taste.

New York-based wireless-game provider ThumbPlay said players first download the game onto their cell phones for a fee of $4, then play against a virtual female opponent. The game's most controversial feature allows even a player who loses, for 99 cents (each time), to click a "cheat" button that lets him or her--OK, him--buy garments off the virtual opponent. Losing players get to watch their virtual opponents change outfits.

AT&T Wireless, now part of Cingular Wireless, has been offering the game. The game is downloaded using a version of Java for small devices available on most cell phones. Additional U.S. operators are expected to join the fray soon, ThumbPlay representative Chris Pfaff said. Cingular Wireless already sells a version of what it calls "Sexy Poker 2004" for the same price, and which shares many of the same characteristics--but not the stripping--as the ThumbPlay game. However, the game is not from ThumbPlay, according to Cingular Wireless spokesman Clay Owen.

Pfaff said the company is readying itself for a storm of indecency complaints. The U.S. version has been "toned down" from the one now available in Europe, where the virtual models are nude, due to more conservative U.S. attitudes towards nudity.

The U.S. version is "about as racy as a lingerie ad," Pfaff said.

The game isn't the first to push the envelope on good taste. Playboy Enterprises, in conjunction with wireless content distributor Dwango Wireless, plans to soon sell adult mobile-phone content in the United States and Canada for the first time this year.

Representatives of the Federal Communications Commission and Chairman Michael Powell, which has made indecency a priority topic of his tenure, didn't have an immediate comment.

Not FCC's concern

If this is available for download as something you have to pay for, it should be no concern of the FCC. It's like cable TV & satelite radio. Since it's not a free service the government should keep their hands off. After all, there are already obscene ring tone available for download from several sites.

[unknown unknown]

Less than 2% of the population accounts for nearly 98% of complaints...

to the FCC about indecency etc. Why should such as small minority and bunch of appointed officals get to dictate what game I can buy to put on my cell phone?

[nrambeck]

Porn Should Be Outlawed...period!

Since when is it OK to exploit women for sex? Unfortunately the perverts have been winning this battle for 50 years. Every ATT/Cingular customer should call in and complain about this.

[skeptik]

prude

Porn does not equal expolitation of women. To be sure some women have been exploited, but let's face it, far more women have been exploited by the institution of marriage (with a bad spouse) than have ever been exploited by porn.
You're a prude and you'd have the whole world conform to your standards... but obviously the whole world does not share your vies as evidenced by 50 years of your failure to institute a change.