Sony vs The Church of England...?

[Ezlo's Apprentice]

An interesting one this...

The Church of England is considering legal action against Sony after featuring the interior of an English cathedral in the PS3 game, Resistance: Fall of Man.

The game features a shootout inside Manchester Cathedral, and while Sony claims that they sought permission to construct the scene, the CoE are calling bullshit on them.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, has described the decision to feature the city's cathedral as "highly irresponsible" - especially in the light of Manchester's history of gun crime.

"It is well know that Manchester has a gun crime problem," he said.

"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."

The Church is demanding an apology and for the million-selling game to be removed from shop shelves otherwise they're bringing in the lawyers.

I'm thinking it's all a bit wacko really. Not quite up to the usual Relgion vs Video Gaming debates, but might be interesting to see where it goes.

[Shin Illuminated]

What are Bishops doing playing video games?

Did they buy a PS3 mith money borrowed from the collection plate?

And how is it a "million selling" game?

Well, I bet soon they release a new version with a slightly modified cathedral.

[The Tao Of Bill]

Um...maybe it's different in England but since when are you not allowed to choose a famous church as a scene in a creative work. I mean maybe if they had to get equipment in the church to do it or something but all they did was base it on the church's infrastructure. Violence or not, not allowing one to pick the scene they feel fits best with the game stunts creativity and in no way whatsoever does it harm the church of england.

[Faceless]

As far as I'm aware using that setting is perfectly legal.
The Church of England isn't angry about the legality of using the site though.

"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."

That's what they're angry about, and given how whacky the legal system is they might even have grounds to stand on.

The key word there is irresponsible.

[The Tao Of Bill]

They wouldn't have grounds in america. That would be against freedom of speech. Why should someone be punished because their fictional story had a gunfight in a church. There is no law against that and there never should be. The church is whineing over the false pretense that violence in videogames encourages violence in real life.

[Bidet to you sir]

Yeah I don't understand the grounds on this, they didn't actually film inside the church, so they don't need permission.
That'd be like the British government pressing legal action against Alan moore for writing V for Vendetta or something.
If they went in and filmed without permission maybe because a church is a private building, otherwise no.

[Faceless]

Bullshit they wouldn't have grounds in America.
You can sue someone for anything in America. Wasn't there some guy who broke into someone else's house, fell on a knife and sued them for damages and was awarded $60,000!?

Anyway, I heard more about this on the radio and the church is unhappy because that church is one of the few used to hold memorials for gun victims. They could probably get them on neglect or something. Also, you clearly can't just use any old church in a game or Sony wouldn't be claiming to have gotten permission.

Personally I don't think there's any problem with defending a church from alien invaders, but that's just me.

[Hyruleansoldier]

I wonder how the Church got their intel in the first place.  Surely no cleric's son could have told their daddy.........

I think this is all blown up stuff, really.

... But I do understand if, as Faceless says, the church is one of the few used to hold memorials for gun victims.  That little bit of irony may have been the drop that made the cup run over.

In general, though, I'd even go as far as to say that it's... just good business.  For the Church (i.e. the church in question), mind you.

... Although I wouldn't expect THAT many people to want to go visit the said church simply because it was in a moderately cool computer game

[Ezlo's Apprentice]

Update: Chuch demands apology from Sony

Church leaders are meeting today to write a letter with four key demands:

- An apology for using the cathedral. (Simple enough?)

- Withdrawal of the game, or modification of the section of the game to remove the cathedral interior. (Not so simple)

- Sony to make a substantial donation from the games' profits allowing the cathedral's education department to target more effectively those aged 18 to 30. (Can Sony spare the cash?)

- Sony to support other groups in Manchester fighting against gun crime. (They couldn't honestly do that without abandoning all FPS games for the future, could they?)

[The Tao Of Bill]

This is just plain old hilarious. The church is way over reacting.

[Hyruleansoldier]

If this wasn't the Church but any other party, I would have called it an extremely late April Fools and waved it off.

Sadly, that is not the case, and these utterly hilarious demands are dead serious.


... Honestly!

[Ezlo's Apprentice]

Jesus Titty Loving Christ, now Sir Tony of Blair has got drawn into the debate. During the weekly Prime Ministers Question session in parliament today, he was asked about the saga...

His reply?

I agree with my honourable friend. I think it's important that any of the companies engaged in promoting these types of goods have some sense of responsibility and also some sensitivity to the feelings of others ... I think it is important that people understand there is a wider social responsibility as well as an interior responsibility for profits.

Hoping this gets wrapped up soon.

[Assault on Mind]

Not likely I think that Church wants some money. But really I can't help but laugh at this. Anyone who plays a videogame and then thinks it is okay to kill someone afterwards shouldn't probably be playing them.

[Ezlo's Apprentice]

Sony Apologises, Church Still Not Quite Satisfied

Yep. Sony buckled. At least they've taken the first steps as apparently the Church still wants Resistance plucked from shop shelves. I'd quit while I was ahead if I were them...

[Hyruleansoldier]

They just can't help themselves, can they?  Have to keep pushing, don't they?


... Honestly.

I was suprised to see Sony went all official about an apology in the first place.  They should be happy.

Take the game out?  Hell no.  I wouldn't wish that on any game developer.  Especially not for... "these reasons".  Eesh.

[Assault on Mind]

*laughing*

Boy this is gonna get better isn't it? So wait when is it illegal to take a public place and put it in a video game.

[JordAnime]

It's one thing to piss off importers by shutting down Lik-Sang, it's another to piss off God by replicating a church and having a gun fight in it. 

Oh, anyone play Eternal Darkness?  I dunno if the cathedral in the game was based on any real cathedral design, but the whole idea is that a cathedral was a front for the workings of the evil guardian's forces.  I don't think Nintendo caught any flank for that one.   

[Hyruleansoldier]

It's one thing to piss off importers by shutting down Lik-Sang, it's another to piss off God by replicating a church and having a gun fight in it. 

Oh, anyone play Eternal Darkness?  I dunno if the cathedral in the game was based on any real cathedral design, but the whole idea is that a cathedral was a front for the workings of the evil guardian's forces.  I don't think Nintendo caught any flank for that one.   

Either it was a generic cathedral and didn't remind anyone of a specific cathedral, or no one would dream of accusing Nintendo for something like this, whereas they [the Church, for one] seem to find much more fault with Sony than with Nintendo or Xbox.

... Perhaps some of the Church's "followers" are in fact latent Nintendo fanboys ?

[Assault on Mind]

Then HS I would laugh even harder. Because they themselve would get into a lot of trouble.... wouldn't they.

But I do beleive it is wrong to use a church as a battle ground.

[Mikazukinoyaiba]

But I do beleive it is wrong to use a church as a battle ground.

Yay, because historically religious sites and temples/churches have never been the site for any sort of violence or battles.

Even further there is a magical force that prevents any sort of bloodshed within a church.