Church fury over "sick" PS3 game

[Triv1um]

Via In The News (http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/technology/church-fury-over-sick-ps3-game-$1097169.htm)


The Church of England says it is furious after discovering sections of Manchester Cathedral have been digitally recreated in a violent computer game on Sony's PlayStation 3.

According to the church, Sony has used the interior of the cathedral without permission in Resistance: Fall of Man, a bloody shooting game set in an alternate post-war timeline.

The church is insisting that the levels featuring the cathedral are removed from games on shelves; threatening legal action if their demand is not met.

Sony says the designers of Resistance: Fall of Man – one of the PS3's most popular games after having sold more than a million copies – sought permission where required.

But the Bishop of Manchester has branded the electronics giant as "highly irresponsible"; especially given the city's high gun crime rates.

"It is well known that Manchester has a gun crime problem," said Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch.

"For a global manufacturer to re-create one of our great cathedrals with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have guns battles in the building is beyond belief and highly irresponsible.

"Here in Manchester we do all we can to support communities through our parish clergy. We know the reality of gun crime and the devastating effects it can have on lives. It is not a trivial matter."

Sony spokesman David Wilson meanwhile insisted that the violent game was a form of escapist entertainment "not based on reality at all".

"It is game-created footage, it is not video or photography. It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction," he told the Times newspaper.

[BJDJ2012]

Ouch another bad day in the office for Sony, however I wish that churches and those flaming parent associations to start growing up and check the ratings properly before even buying the game.

Too many parents can't control their kids when it comes to buying games and thats when events like stupid murders or accidents occur. Once that happens the finger goes directly to the company who made it and never to themselves or even the place where they bought it from.

My motto is if it's not rated, both the ratings system and the company are to blame. If however the game is rated, it's the responsibility of the shop to make sure it doesn't sell the product to customers under the age limit and the parent supervises what the kids are playing, especially if they sneaked it from somewhere else. Therefore if they didn't look at it properly it's their fault and more so, they've abused the rating system, which means too the law. Full stop, case closed.

[dylandangles]

Wow. I'm thinking that church is only in this for the lawsuit money. They're making a big deal out of nothing.

[Accordion]

I thought the church wasnt owned.

I didnt know manchester had a chimera problem?

Shouldnt god decide?

[freitax]

oh I see, so it's okay to represent other places and make a battlefield out of it, but if it's a church the "church" will say gunfire is wrong......they lose all credit what so ever by intervening only when a cathedral appears in a violent game, what a shame, I don't see them in africa helping kids and fighting the gun traffic and gunfire violence, I only see them complaining cuz their sanctuary (where they **** their beloved nuns) appears on a videogame with guns....So **** YOU bishop, priest, ***got, COWARD! You may not like guns but you do like taking it up your ***, don't you?

bear in mind that I'm referring to the bishop, there are a lot of priest that provide their help in conflict ares, but the coward of manchester is not one of them

[Balthasar00]

But the Bishop of Manchester has branded the electronics giant as "highly irresponsible"; especially given the city's high gun crime rates.

"It is well known that Manchester has a gun crime problem," said Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch.


Sure lol. It as certainly something to do with violents video games.. But, it is not due of poverty, ghettorization of low classes/immigrants and insuffisiant job opportunities for undiploma'ed.

[dylandangles]

oh I see, so it's okay to represent other places and make a battlefield out of it, but if it's a church the "church" will say gunfire is wrong......they lose all credit what so ever by intervening only when a cathedral appears in a violent game, what a shame, I don't see them in africa helping kids and fighting the gun traffic and gunfire violence, I only see them complaining cuz their sanctuary (where they **** their beloved nuns) appears on a videogame with guns....So **** YOU bishop, priest, ***got, COWARD! You may not like guns but you do like taking it up your ***, don't you?

bear in mind that I'm referring to the bishop, there are a lot of priest that provide their help in conflict ares, but the coward of manchester is not one of them
Sounds like someone has a grudge against Catholicism ;)

[steve520]

damn the church needs to mind their own business and go pray or something oh please their freakin church is used in a videogame its going to be anarchy. come on now.

[Mekanaizer]

I just have a thing to say.

How can the 'Church' pay me for killing members of my family 500 years ago?

Just to finish: get real 'Church' look back to what you did and do. It's far worse than a game.

[dylandangles]

The Catholic Church's past is much more violent than any video game for the Ps3. Yeah, I said it.

[samidgley]

i'm not religious in anyway but.. first of all it's the Church of England not the Catholic Church.. and I heard on the news that one of the main reasons the church weren't ahppy about the game was that Sony never got permission from them to recreate the enviroment.

Which is pretty hypocritical of Sony since they love copy right so much and everything

[Mekanaizer]

i'm not religious in anyway but.. first of all it's the Church of England not the Catholic Church.. and I heard on the news that one of the main reasons the church weren't ahppy about the game was that Sony never got permission from them to recreate the enviroment.

Which is pretty hypocritical of Sony since they love copy right so much and everything

The game has almost a year and they are only now 'hunting' the game.
To me they only want money.
As far as i know they are 'hunters' and will ever be, at least for my family.

[jdnation]

It's the Church of England, which is Anglican, not Catholic. At least inform yourselves before you flame away in ignorance, not surprising that those who are the loudest to criticize any religious institution are usually the most ignorant.

Seems it comes down t a copyright issue here. If Insomniac/ Sony obtained proper permission or not since this concerns the interior of the Church. It'll come down to an issue of law. But it's not surprising that the Church of England is upset. Try have a videogame shootout in a Mosque and see how the Islamic world takes it. Shoot up a synagogue and we'll see the Jewish lobbies all over you for it. Yet Christians are singled out? I dare any one of you to make a game like that! Let's see how far out the door you get.

It was in bad taste to have violent material inside a Church... even if it may be fictional. I hope the Anglican Church drops the case and Sony takes better care in the future.

And for those arguing about the Church's violent history... sure it's true, but I'm betting you don't understand the half of it and the necessity and background of such measures during such times in history.

[pibs]

whoever made the similarities shouldn't of been playing the game anyways....most likely it was a priest with too much time on his hand who is money hungry.

If you've served god for money, then you've served the devil.

[RV2006]

i would understand if it were shooting preists and killing civilians, but aliens..
Thats just silly to complain about, (and I'm pretty certain, that if aliens invaded the cathedral, the preists would probably not hesitate to blow them to pieces...)

Its definately a money issue here...

[Basil Zero]

The church is in for the money

hypocrites they are, the game's been out for almost a year now lol

I hope to get a PS3 WITH the church in the game

I'm christian, and I dont care lol

[nateracer85]

For Fcuks sake! Ps3 didnt create a game to abuse religion! Its sci fi for crying out loud! Its set in the future and therefor might not even be a religous building in that part of time!

Tell the priests to **** there pope and grow a cock! :D Stupid bastards trying to raise money for there nuns n bitches!

Sony all the way! ;) :D

[Accordion]

whats funny is almost every sci-fi creation includes heavy satire of religion.

[Galiano]

lol i love the fact that hes concerned about photo-realistic violence in the church, yet surely the game features photo-realistic violence through out the streets of manchester, are manchester city council sueing too?? no, why?? because insomniac made manchester look beautiful ( an almost impossible feat ). on a serious note i can see why he's pissed but surely the "christian" thing to do is forgive?

i could understand his point of view more if it was a game like the getaway, realistic real life violence in a real church

[F9zDark]

And for those arguing about the Church's violent history... sure it's true, but I'm betting you don't understand the half of it and the necessity and background of such measures during such times in history.

Necessity? Now that is a truly ignorant statement. Killing people, by the most grotesque, torturous, and heinous means is certainly NOT a necessity. I thought you had some stellar points until you came to this one, and if you honestly believe that, then you are as ignorant as those you tried to 'set right'.

So someone doesn't believe in the church and is going about the town spouting heretical blasphemy. Rather than hanging them or beheading them, the church decided it was God's will to use devices such as the Iron Maiden, which, if you knew exactly how the device was designed, you'd certainly think twice about saying that those measures were of necessity.

To give you some insight into the matter, the Iron Maiden was designed for OPTIMAL pain before death. Some spikes were placed specifically at eye, breast and groin level. Imagine for a moment being inside of one, and having it closed on you. Seeing the spikes near your eyes before your death...

The end result? A heinous way to 'punish' an individual, that if one was truly lucky, their body may have had made it out in less than 100 pieces...

Yeah that sure sounds necessary to me.

[DPyro]

This sounds like something Jack Thompson would come up with.

[F9zDark]

This sounds like something Jack Thompson would come up with.

Wouldn't surprise me if he is flying to England as we speak.

I really don't understand this whatsoever, movies use churches, mosques, synagogues, other important buildings, etc for action and violent scenes, yet I never see lawsuits being brought against those companies.

If this goes through, it may set a terrible precedent for the future of gaming. If the court rules in favor of the church, I can imagine similar suits being taken against Rockstar for using NYC as the stomping ground for GTA IV.

[nateracer85]

Exactly! Churchs n shit get blown up etc in films! Look at end of days and dogma! didnt hear of any old stinky fat bastards with dog collars complaining there! Religion just causes ****ing wars any way! Stupid twats should keep them selfs to them selfs and let the world evolve! adam did a shit job with eve if the world is as bad as the priest says! ;) Hey bible basher bishop, go find a iron maiden and stick ur wife in it and ask her if she went to hell and met me! LOL!!! Sorry no offence to religous people, its only aimed at the twats who think they must control all the evil in the world! lol :P........................................ Im finnished now! :thumbup:

[Triv1um]

lets not just randomly start bashing religion guys, the discussion is not aimed at the religion it self.

we should be discussing whether the church church should be allowed to be used in the game.
I personally think because its a public church it should be allowed, the getaway was based in london, thats public and they didnt need to ask the queen to set it in london.