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Little Big Planet delayed over Koran phrases

Comments

  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 23,282 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kiith


    Religion...the cause and, well, cause of all of lifes problems :(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55,571 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    Big multi-page discussion on this very topic on the Playstation forum.


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    I have to laugh at this. Is this how politically correct the world has become.
    1- In the 18th second: "كل نفس ذائقة الموت" ("kollo nafsin tha'iqatol mawt", literally: 'Every soul shall have the taste of death').

    2- Almost immediately after, in the 27th second: "كل من عليها فان" ("kollo man alaiha fan", literally: 'All that is on earth will perish').

    Plus, it's in Somalian as well?

    I would have thought only the minority ultra-taliban variety of muslim could possibly be offended.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 162 ✭✭Fionnanc


    I propose boycotting the game until the said music is put back in.

    It is amazing the climate of fear that has been created. Sony should be ashamed of themselves. An optional; patch to remove the music should be the only thing offered.

    By this logic 2K should recall civilization because of the Genesis quotes at the start of the game so as no to offend people.

    Really annoyed


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,478 ✭✭✭magick


    This is crazy, i mean imagine if Salman Rushdie tried to release the santanic verses book in this climate of fear?!

    World is getting far too PC.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 295 ✭✭Tails


    Disagree with it being withdrawn, but on another note by the sounds of the lyrics in the song it didnt seem to cheerful did it?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 599 ✭✭✭TheWitch06


    W...T...F! Religion is lame.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    TheWitch06 wrote: »
    W...T...F! Religion is lame.

    ^ This.

    Also, what the hell, the guy who noticed it in the beta specifically reccomended that a patch to remove it would be appropriate and they were like "Yeah ok. No, recall the game."


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,592 ✭✭✭✭Dont be at yourself


    I think this reflects worse on Sony than it does the Muslim population.

    It was a huge overreaction to a non-story. Hasn't the game already been released in some Middle Eastern countries without any backlash?

    I wonder how they are going to deal with the inevitable racist, pornographic and bigoted levels etc. that will spring up once the game is released.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Fionnanc wrote: »
    I propose boycotting the game until the said music is put back in.

    It is amazing the climate of fear that has been created. Sony should be ashamed of themselves. An optional; patch to remove the music should be the only thing offered.

    By this logic 2K should recall civilization because of the Genesis quotes at the start of the game so as no to offend people.

    Really annoyed

    You don't understand logic.

    Sony did the right thing here, LBP is the only really big game they have coming into christmas, they are counting on it helping to shift alot of consoles. The *last* thing they need is the game being caught up in any kind of controversy especially with regard to religion of all bloody things.

    What i'm enjoying is the all the nerd rage which would put the sterotype of the angry muslim to shame.
    The second thing will be the wave of people thinking they're being clever and making some kind of "effigies of mohammed on fire" levels when the game is released. Proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that we should never listen to anyone who gets this upset over a video game.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55,571 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    The second thing will be the wave of people thinking they're being clever and making some kind of "effigies of mohammed on fire" levels when the game is released.
    *lightbulb*

    I'm keeeding... :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,893 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    You don't understand logic.

    Sony did the right thing here, LBP is the only really big game they have coming into christmas, they are counting on it helping to shift alot of consoles. The *last* thing they need is the game being caught up in any kind of controversy especially with regard to religion of all bloody things.

    What i'm enjoying is the all the nerd rage which would put the sterotype of the angry muslim to shame.
    The second thing will be the wave of people thinking they're being clever and making some kind of "effigies of mohammed on fire" levels when the game is released. Proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that we should never listen to anyone who gets this upset over a video game.

    I hadn't heard of the game nor do I play consoles but I'm sick of the increasing instances of corporate and government pandering to muslims. There's no nerd rage involved in my feelings.

    However. It could simply be a nice publicity stunt.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    I hadn't heard of the game nor do I play consoles but I'm sick of the increasing instances of corporate and government pandering to muslims. There's no nerd rage involved in my feelings.

    However. It could simply be a nice publicity stunt.

    This just in: corporations pay attention to people who complain if they think it'll hurt sales.
    It's not just muslims, though i know that's the perception du jour.

    Linky

    My favourite example is this
    The Spanish version of Windows used the word Hembra - meaning "woman" in Spain - for choosing gender. But in some Central American republics, notably Nicaragua, the word is an insult meaning "bitch". The program was changed


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,393 ✭✭✭✭Vegeta


    I hadn't heard of the game nor do I play consoles but I'm sick of the increasing instances of corporate and government pandering to muslims. There's no nerd rage involved in my feelings.

    However. It could simply be a nice publicity stunt.

    On the money


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,893 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    This just in: corporations pay attention to people who complain if they think it'll hurt sales.
    It's not just muslims, though i know that's the perception du jour.

    Linky

    My favourite example is this

    Nope I get your point, corporate is different as money is involved however Microsoft changing a word because it's a swear word as opposed to delaying a game because it contains phrases from a book is something entirely different imo and whether it is "perception du jour" I think I'm allowed a :rolleyes: over it being related to muslims......

    Like I said before however it just reeks of publicity stunt to me but as I'll never play the game I won't lose any sleep over it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Like I said before however it just reeks of publicity stunt to me but as I'll never play the game I won't lose any sleep over it.

    i really, really doubt it. i know this is sony who have a nice track record of stupid stunts but i can't see what this stunt would achieve.
    Delaying the game for having inappropriate content doesn't really make for a winning strategy.
    Even from the company that infamously told us that we should be paying more for the PS3 and that they were doing us a favour by selling it at crazy-monies.

    Another theory that i've heard (i don't put too much stock in it, but it's an interesting take) is as well as not offending muslims they also don't want to alienate chunks of the american market who may not buy LBP for their sprogs because it contains verses from the Qu'ran. And as we all know, jesus would not be down with that.
    Crazy? yeah, but it's probably as likely as the idea that sony are doing this because they're afraid of muslims going apeshit and killing us all


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC


    Game being delayed because of religion and extremists? FAIL.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    Game being delayed because of religion and extremists? FAIL.

    *facepalm*

    Sometimes, i really do wonder if half the people on boards can read.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 162 ✭✭Fionnanc


    Lordofcheese, the people here can read, but I would say the consensus view is the game was withdrawn for fear of violence by Muslim extremists.
    What do you make of the firebombing of the London publisher of that Aisha book. In a free country you should be aloud write/program/sing songs on whatever you like , even if it causes offense.
    Look at the fuss over the Danish cartoons(people now are living in hiding/under police protection), despite the fact some Muslim cultures depicted Mohammad in painting for centuries.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Fionnanc wrote: »
    Lordofcheese, the people here can read, but I would say the consensus view is the game was withdrawn for fear of violence by Muslim extremists.

    Argumentum ad populum.
    Just because alot of people have lept to the conclusion does not make it
    right.

    It's far more reasonable and likely that sony did this to avoid any kind of negative press which might affect sales, rather than the idea that they are afraid of violence from muslim extremists.

    Of course being sensible about it isn't has a cathartic as just blaming the person who complained, regardless of how sensible and polite the complaint was.


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  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Argumentum ad populum.
    Just because alot of people have lept to the conclusion does not make it
    right.

    It's far more reasonable and likely that sony did this to avoid any kind of negative press which might affect sales, rather than the idea that they are afraid of violence from muslim extremists.

    Of course being sensible about it isn't has a cathartic as just blaming the person who complained, regardless of how sensible and polite the complaint was.

    In fairness, you are speculating just as much as anyone else. If many people believe something to be true, it may just as easily turn out to be true as false. Have Sony actually given a press statement on the matter?

    Belittling others and throwing in latin phrases doesn't in any way strengthen your own view.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 162 ✭✭Fionnanc


    I agree, its entirely possible sony are doing it for profit reasons, but they didn't recall a game that offended church of england people, a significant paying(non-pirating) community. I guess the Church of England bishop wouldn't urge is followers to attack Sony building/employees, he would just intruct is parishioners not to buy/return the game.

    Maximillian- there have been press releases stating the game was withdrawn for alteration so as not to offend anybody. MAybe all good, exlusive PS3 games should be withdrawn so as not to offend the XBOX/PCNintendo fanboys.


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Was it Resistance that had some Cathedral in it and caused a furore. What happened there?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 162 ✭✭Fionnanc


    MAximillian/ Yes it was. The game was not withdrawn.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC


    Sometimes, i really do wonder if half the people on boards can read.

    Just because somebody does not agree with your view, therefore that they can not read? If that's the general logic you apply, I'm not particularly sure many people will be:

    1. interested in your views as they are in all probably a tremendously large load of feces :rolleyes:

    2. convinced by your argument


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC


    Maximilian wrote: »
    Was it Resistance that had some Cathedral in it and caused a furore. What happened there?

    Indeed you are correct sir....it was Manchester Cathedral that was featured in it that caused a storm!

    I think it's a protestant cathedral, Sony didn't remove that though. Different religion, different Sony response. Hmmm...... interesting....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,893 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    Indeed you are correct sir....it was Manchester Cathedral that was featured in it that caused a storm!

    I think it's a protestant cathedral, Sony didn't remove that though. Different religion, different Sony response. Hmmm...... interesting....

    More:

    episode_03.jpg

    Than

    burning_US_flag.jpg

    Is probably why.

    /controversial


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,895 ✭✭✭✭Sand


    Well from a Sony Execs point of view pissing off the Church of England and Christians in general is fairly "**** em, who cares?"

    Pissing off Muslims on the other hand? There is a real [ thought statistically small] chance some day youll wind up in your own home video, begging for your life before being decapitated.

    Sony Execs didnt sign up to be heros, forever locking horns with violent fanatics on a mission from God.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,721 ✭✭✭Otacon


    While I agree there is no good reason for Sony to have delayed the game, the comparisons with the Resistance controversy are not very appropriate. There are some key differences between the two cases:

    1. Resistance: FOM had actually been released before the Church of England had made its statement.
    2. The offending article was an entire location in the game, so changing it or removing it would have cost more as the level would have had to be re-done.
    3. LBP hasn't been released yet (not meant to be anyway!) and the disputed article is a song that was easily removed, allowing the game to only be delayed by a few weeks.

    I still think they should not have delayed it.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC



    burning_US_flag.jpg

    Is probably why.

    /controversial

    What a post!!!

    I was letting people determine their own logical conclusions from my thought, but hey, why use pistol when you can use a rocket launcher

    Maybe you don't need to read after all... A picture says a thousand words!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    Indeed you are correct sir....it was Manchester Cathedral that was featured in it that caused a storm!

    I think it's a protestant cathedral, Sony didn't remove that though. Different religion, different Sony response. Hmmm...... interesting....

    Not at all, different scenario, different changes, no monitary incentive to change it.

    I'm going to make this nice and simple.

    Changing resistance would have meant pulling an entire level from a game (the complaint of which was only raised after the launch and the game had sold X number of copies). This would have meant changing the game radically, and cost a hell of a lot of money as well as being a logistical nightmare.
    From sonys point of view they have no reason to comply with this. They had sold their units and a little bit of controversy isn't going to hurt a game who's Raison d'être is shooting shit in the face.

    Changing LBP by removing one track of music neither afftects the game nor does it cost sony alot of time and money. It's just a case of removing a file, rebuilding the image and pressing it again. In comparison to the resistance example it's next to nothing.
    Likewise LBP is not the kind of game that should court controversy. It's set up as their big unit shifter this christmas and it's pitched (and indeed is) an innocent game that anyone could enjoy.

    This isn't about religion, it's about money. I know it's cool to blame those pesky muslims and their crazy beliefs, but seriously, it's dumb.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC


    Otacon wrote: »
    There are some key differences between the two cases:

    1. Resistance: FOM had actually been released before the Church of England had made its statement.

    Shouldn't make a difference though should it? I mean, the games were all ready to go. For all intents and purposes the game development was finished..they had to recall all the copies they'd dispatched.
    Otacon wrote: »
    2. The offending article was an entire location in the game, so changing it or removing it would have cost more as the level would have had to be re-done.

    If something is difficult its not worth doing? Not sure I agree with that.
    Otacon wrote: »
    3. LBP hasn't been released yet (not meant to be anyway!) and the disputed article is a song that was easily removed, allowing the game to only be delayed by a few weeks.

    Still had to recall all the copies, still going to cost an awful lot.

    The way I see it, both games had issues because of religious grounds, one was recalled, one wasn't, why aren't they consistent? It's reasonable to look at the uproar, riots & violence over the Danish cartoons and think hmmm, these folks in that part of the world get mighty upset....


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    This isn't about religion, it's about money. I know it's cool to blame those pesky muslims and their crazy beliefs, but seriously, it's dumb.

    Sure I suppose everything ultimately boils down to money. This isn't just about money though. The cause of the game being pulled is religion. Sony obviously ran numbers and decided it was worthwhile to pull the game because of the religious issue.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,721 ✭✭✭Otacon


    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    Shouldn't make a difference though should it? I mean, the games were all ready to go. For all intents and purposes the game development was finished..they had to recall all the copies they'd dispatched.

    Yes the LBP game development was finished, but the new, 'cleaner' version was ready in less than 12 hours. As I said, Resistance was out and had sold over a million copies before the Church of England stepped in so recalling was out of the question.
    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    If something is difficult its not worth doing? Not sure I agree with that.

    I am not saying that. I agree with thelordofcheese here, in a way, in that, if changing LBP was going to cost Sony a lot, they would not have done it. Resistance was too far gone. Some of the plot would have had to be changed, new voice acting, redesigning the levels...
    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    Still had to recall all the copies, still going to cost an awful lot.

    Minimal compared to the lawsuits and bad publicity this would have garnered, for what is arguably Sony's flagship title this Christmas. As I said, if it was going to cost too much, they would have left it.
    Y2J_MUFC wrote: »
    The way I see it, both games had issues because of religious grounds, one was recalled, one wasn't, why aren't they consistent? It's reasonable to look at the uproar, riots & violence over the Danish cartoons and think hmmm, these folks in that part of the world get mighty upset....

    Sony issued an apology for the Resistance issue. I think the Church of England (and everyone esle) can understand Sony could not have recalled the game after the release and a simple patch was not possible.

    I still believe there was no need to recall the LBP copies. A patch was created straight away by Media Molecule so that would have worked. Anyone who was solely going to play this offline would not have been able to publish any new levels online, containing the music. Everyone would (or should) have been happy.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,721 ✭✭✭Otacon


    Maximilian wrote: »
    The cause of the game being pulled is religion.

    I disagree, the cause was Sony overreacting to a complaint they recieved that was based on a religious belief.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Maximilian wrote: »
    Sure I suppose everything ultimately boils down to money. This isn't just about money though. The cause of the game being pulled is religion. Sony obviously ran numbers and decided it was worthwhile to pull the game because of the religious issue.

    The nature of the complaint is totally irrelivant. It can be religious, cultural, political, it doesn't matter. If the figures say that a recall is the best course of action, that's what sony will do.

    This issue went from a "well that sucks" to "curse them muslms" too bloody quickly. It's been an excuse for people to take a beating stick to religions and islam in paticular.
    Some of the comments on this thread and the one on the playstation one make me wonder just how different some 'gamers' are from the sterotype of the easilly offended and incomprhensible angry muslim they are blaming for the small delay of LBP on.


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Otacon wrote: »
    I disagree, the cause was Sony overreacting to a complaint they recieved that was based on a religious belief.

    I never said I agreed with their reasoning. Yeah I think it's been blown way out of proportion.
    The nature of the complaint is totally irrelivant. It can be religious, cultural, political, it doesn't matter. If the figures say that a recall is the best course of action, that's what sony will do.

    This issue went from a "well that sucks" to "curse them muslms" too bloody quickly. It's been an excuse for people to take a beating stick to religions and islam in paticular.
    Some of the comments on this thread and the one on the playstation one make me wonder just how different some 'gamers' are from the sterotype of the easilly offended and incomprhensible angry muslim they are blaming for the small delay of LBP on.

    I think you are missing the point or I haven't expressed myself well. The root cause here is a religious issue. The justification for the recall from Sony's point of view is that it works for them from a financial p.o.v. The problem is religion, the solution is effectively throwing money at the problem.

    My point was that there is nothing wrong with discussing the underlying religious issue. You seem to think this is utterly irrelevant to the discussion and Sony's decision, which is curious or I have I taken you up wrong.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC


    I know it's cool to blame those pesky muslims and their crazy beliefs, but seriously, it's dumb.

    Yes, I'm sure we all feel very "cool" in blaming "pesky" muslims.

    So people of this opinion are "dumb" and "can't read"

    Pardon me, I seem to have stumbled into a playground.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Maximilian wrote: »
    I think you are missing the point or I haven't expressed myself well. The root cause here is a religious issue. The justification for the recall from Sony's point of view is that it works for them from a financial p.o.v. The problem is religion, the solution is effectively throwing money at the problem.

    My point was that there is nothing wrong with discussing the underlying religious issue. You seem to think this is utterly irrelevant to the discussion and Sony's decision, which is curious or I have I taken you up wrong.

    People get offended, people have the right to complain (this also includes people bitching about the delay). It's sonys handling of the issue that's upsetting people, but they're choosing to have a go at the person who complained.

    I mean the original letter is very respectful and suggests a day zero patch. It never called for a delay or anything, and it cited times before where these kind of small cosmetic changes had been made before (in Ocarina of Time of all games. Who knew?) yet we have people running to sterotypes of terrorism and violence. It's lazy, dishonest and it does little to counter the image of the game as the angry, reactionary nerd.

    I guess i'm wishing very hard that people would leave the cheap "We're too PC/damn those muslims" style comments for somewhere more suited to that kind of tabloidy nonsense. I'd like to think that we'd be capable of discussing it without resorting to that, but most of the first page of comments just made me facepalm.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭fitz0


    Not at all, different scenario, different changes, no monitary incentive to change it.

    I'm going to make this nice and simple.

    Changing resistance would have meant pulling an entire level from a game (the complaint of which was only raised after the launch and the game had sold X number of copies). This would have meant changing the game radically, and cost a hell of a lot of money as well as being a logistical nightmare.
    From sonys point of view they have no reason to comply with this. They had sold their units and a little bit of controversy isn't going to hurt a game who's Raison d'être is shooting shit in the face.

    Changing LBP by removing one track of music neither afftects the game nor does it cost sony alot of time and money. It's just a case of removing a file, rebuilding the image and pressing it again. In comparison to the resistance example it's next to nothing.
    Likewise LBP is not the kind of game that should court controversy. It's set up as their big unit shifter this christmas and it's pitched (and indeed is) an innocent game that anyone could enjoy.

    This isn't about religion, it's about money. I know it's cool to blame those pesky muslims and their crazy beliefs, but seriously, it's dumb.
    So shooting up a church is less offensive than listening to two lines from a book? ... explain you reasoning. If its to not cause offense then cost shouldnt really matter should it?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    fitz0 wrote: »
    So shooting up a church is less offensive than listening to two lines from a book? ... explain you reasoning. If its to not cause offense then cost shouldnt really matter should it?

    oh for cryin' out loud....

    I never said anything about the level of offense being greater or lesser, i was explaining why the two scenarios aren't comparable and why i believe sony acted how it acted in both occasions.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,110 ✭✭✭Y2J_MUFC


    I know what your saying Otacon, but at the same time its a reasonable comparison. Both would cost money, both cases they could minimise the damage. Fair enough they can't recall the sold copies, but thats reasonable. They could still have patched the sold ones online and changed the future versions given some time, but they didn't.

    Whatever way its dressed up, two cases, two regilions, two outcomes.....

    I think its naive to think that Sony didn't stop to think and say "Woooooooah, hold on, look what happened with those Danish cartoons" and to honestly say that, that had no impact on their decision whatsoever, or that this didn't cross their mind.... thats very hard to believe.
    Otacon wrote: »
    I still believe there was no need to recall the LBP copies. A patch was created straight away by Media Molecule so that would have worked. Anyone who was solely going to play this offline would not have been able to publish any new levels online, containing the music. Everyone would (or should) have been happy.

    Agreed.


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    People get offended, people have the right to complain (this also includes people bitching about the delay). It's sonys handling of the issue that's upsetting people, but they're choosing to have a go at the person who complained.

    I mean the original letter is very respectful and suggests a day zero patch. It never called for a delay or anything, and it cited times before where these kind of small cosmetic changes had been made before (in Ocarina of Time of all games. Who knew?) yet we have people running to sterotypes of terrorism and violence. It's lazy, dishonest and it does little to counter the image of the game as the angry, reactionary nerd.

    I guess i'm wishing very hard that people would leave the cheap "We're too PC/damn those muslims" style comments for somewhere more suited to that kind of tabloidy nonsense. I'd like to think that we'd be capable of discussing it without resorting to that, but most of the first page of comments just made me facepalm.

    Regardless it became a muslim issue. You had the BBC I think it was interviewing muslim leaders about it. One lot going "who gives a crap" and another lot going "the word of God should not be used for profit" etc. Who knows what would have happened had the game been released unaltered.

    I think Sony took the view that it was better to act before it blew up into anything more. Cost-wise it was cheaper to do now than later. Regardless of gamers' attitudes to it, I think the rest of the world would have regarded Sony's actions as largely responsible, so I'd say all in all it's a PR victory for them.

    This is still an example of people going over the top and out of their way to avoid offending muslims though. A lot of people find that kind of thing outrageous.


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    In other news apparently Fallout 3 has been canceled in India due to "Cultural Sensitivities". No doubt they should have said money reasons. :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Maximilian wrote: »
    Regardless it became a muslim issue. You had the BBC I think it was interviewing muslim leaders about it. One lot going "who gives a crap" and another lot going "the word of God should not be used for profit" etc. Who knows what would have happened had the game been released unaltered.

    I think Sony took the view that it was better to act before it blew up into anything more. Cost-wise it was cheaper to do now than later. Regardless of gamers' attitudes to it, I think the rest of the world would have regarded Sony's actions as largely responsible, so I'd say all in all it's a PR victory for them.

    This is still an example of people going over the top and out of their way to avoid offending muslims though. A lot of people find that kind of thing outrageous.

    The thing is that it's not just muslim beliefs that get this kind of treatement, a few pages back i posted a link to the guardian about various faux pas that microsoft had made over the years. Things like refering to Tiawan as a seperate country is offensive and illegal in china.

    The problem with going "ohh this is too far" is it creates a very vague line of how far to go when respecting other peoples cultural sensibilities and beliefs.
    For example, lets assume that a game with the same level of hype and interest (because i know damn well that if this wasn't LBP this discussion would never have started) labeled ireland as part of the UK. Now, i wouldn't care too much much, but i'm sure some people would be deeply offended.
    What should sony do then, day zero patch? Recall? Tell us to grow the fuck up?

    Likewise, where is the other end of the scale, where the level of offense that is so great that we should actually complain and expect a recall?

    I really don't think this is a case of going too far to appease muslims, content in films, games, hell even product names get vetted and checked so they don't cause offense. it's standard practice. Films have test auidences, most recently i think Wall-E had some scenes changed just before release because it tested badly with fat people complain about the portrail of fat people in the film.

    It's the same here, somoene at sony or media moluclue should have spotted this ages ago and changed it then. They didn't, it took someone else to spot it for them. It looks like some crazy "OH-JESUS-QUICK-BEFORE-THEY-GET-ANGRY" move, but really, sony dropped the ball and they're just scrambling to fix it now.


    also:
    Maximilian wrote: »
    I think Sony took the view that it was better to act before it blew up into anything more

    Tell me you did that on purpose :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,748 ✭✭✭Cunny-Funt


    I remember the BF2 mod Desert Conflict (which was based on the BF1942 mod Desert Combat ) its a gulf war 1 based military shooter. For one of the loading music tracks it had that usual middle eastern chanting style singing we always hear mixed into it.

    A guy from Iraq (who was a regular poster and a big fan of the game btw) posted on the forums informing that the chanting used was actually the Muslim prayer at dawn or something along those lines. Anyway from what I recall he wasnt complaining but said that it might offend other Muslims for some reason.

    But they didn't change the track.

    Cause that would be retarded.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,368 ✭✭✭thelordofcheese


    Cunny-Funt wrote: »
    I remember the BF2 mod Desert Conflict (which was based on the BF1942 mod Desert Combat ) its a gulf war 1 based military shooter. For one of the loading music tracks it had that usual middle eastern chanting style singing we always hear mixed into it.

    A guy from Iraq (who was a regular poster and a big fan of the game btw) posted on the forums informing that the chanting used was actually the Muslim prayer at dawn or something along those lines. Anyway from what I recall he wasnt complaining but said that it might offend other Muslims for some reason.

    But they didn't change the track.

    Cause that would be retarded.

    Well it's not a commercial product and would not expected to be held up to the same kind of production values and quality control of a full game.
    So i don't really see the comparison you're trying to make here.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,316 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Reminds me of a phrase: "We're peaceful! Take it back or we'll kill you"
    In June 2007, Sony apologised to the Church of England after setting scenes in a violent video game inside Manchester Cathedral. On that occasion the game was not withdrawn.
    Probably cos the CoE are actually peaceful people.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Havermeyer


    I think this reflects worse on Sony than it does the Muslim population.

    It was a huge overreaction to a non-story. Hasn't the game already been released in some Middle Eastern countries without any backlash?

    I wonder how they are going to deal with the inevitable racist, pornographic and bigoted levels etc. that will spring up once the game is released.

    All publicity is good publicity.


  • Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Tell me you did that on purpose :)

    lol


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