TVO takes down pipeline bombing game from its website

Ontario's public broadcaster, TVO, has pulled an online game showing the bombing of a gas pipeline off of its website.

The game, called "Pipe Trouble," sparked controversy when it was first posted this week. The game quickly caught the attention of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne who is now looking into the situation.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford says she's glad the Ontario government is investigating.

"It's disappointing to see a taxpayer-funded game and organization depict the blowing up of pipelines," said Redford. "It's exactly opposite of Canada's interests given all of Canada benefits from a strong and diverse energy sector. It's encouraging that Premier Wynne's government is looking into this."

TVO describes the game, which is similar in style to the highly-popular online game FarmVille, as a companion to a documentary called Trouble in the Peace about local opposition to pipelines and the bombing of pipelines in northeastern British Columbia.

"Docs like Trouble in the Peace and immersive games like Pipe Trouble are some of the ways in which TVO uses media to engage people in complex issues," the broadcaster wrote on its website Thursday.

"Pipe Trouble allows players to explore both the corporate and the environmental perspective of this complex issue. To get a perfect score, players must build the pipeline as economically and environmentally responsibly as they can. The objective is to lay down as few pipes as possible, while not disrupting the environment," TVO wrote.

The broadcaster says the game uses "over the top satire" to explore the two sides of what it calls the "energy extraction debate."

It also said while TVO has no relationship with the David Suzuki Foundation, the game developer who owns the rights to the game has decided to donate a portion of the revenue to the David Suzuki Foundation.

A demo of Pipe Trouble was on TVO's website and the full version is available for purchase as an app for iPads and Android devices.