Posted Jun 15, 2007 at 02:26PM by Ryan A. Listed in: News, Resistance: Fall of Man, Games Tags: Japan, Sony, Tony Blair, Rogers Govender
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Sony apologizes to Church of England - Image 1The battle between Sony and the Church of England concerning video game Resistance: Fall of Man ends today. The cathedral's dean, Rev. Rogers Govender, told the press that he has finally received the letter of apology they have been asking from Sony for quite some time now.

This issue sparked because of the presence of an establishment in the game resembling Manchester Cathedral in northwest England. The said building also served as a battle ground between U.S. soldiers and aliens in the game. After seeing the part in question, the church demanded a complete and total withdrawal of the title. A previous statement from Govender is as follows,

For a global manufacturer to recreate the interior of any religious building such as a mosque, synagogue, or in this case, a cathedral, with photo realistic quality and then encourage people to have gun battles in the building is beyond belief and in our view highly irresponsible.


Furthermore, a Sony spokesperson confirmed that Sony did send the church a letter. Govender read part of the letter, "It was not our intention to cause offense by using a representation of Manchester Cathedral in chapter eight of the work. If we have done so, we sincerely apologize."

The letter also included a request for a meeting among Sony representatives and officials from the church. The dean commented that they are accepting the offer to meet up and further discuss the issue. Govender added that he will push for their initial demands that include withdrawal of the game and a donation to the church's education department.

This move on Sony's part is really surprising considering its rather firm stand the other week. However, we could say that a lot of factors might have affected their decision, probably the most important of which was the strong statements from Prime Minister Tony Blair.


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30 Comments


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   by doppe (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » ......

i never been first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
lol


   Re: blazeking (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » first?

first what, word?

what's the point of having the first post if you're not going to comment about the story. If it'like that then I have the first SENSIBLE post.

   Re: 8907 (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » 435

This will eventually lead to sony payin some money to those moneyhungry bastards just to not lose face.

Gotta love those policians and crap who make games look back and now also sony. About time they all got those sticks out of their asses

   Re: ahnp (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » re:8907

indeed, the churchs have never been concerned before, and like ***** am i gonna send my copy back to be change, the church can get *****ed

   Re: VSG (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » SONY

just remove that church on future manufacturing of the game, make a patch available on PSN that will disable that church on the game. NEVER give money to these GREEDY people.

this is why people are loosing faith, corrupt church officials, corrupt politician, and dumb leaders. doing this for MONEY, SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE!
   by blazeking (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » wow

C'mon, seriously. This makes someone want to have a gun battle in a church?! They must really think we're morons or something that us americans would actually shoot up a church. A couple of College campuses, but not churchs. We do have THAT much sense. They need to stop making us feel like idiots.

   by ! (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » ~

Well this does make me want to go stab every guy at the church who is against R:foM. About time I got myself a boatticket to england this summer.

And also, do they think that the people in Japan give a crap about scenes of violence in a church being in a video game ?
Guess they guy never noticed that japanese people are taoist/shintoist/boedhist (gotta love their mix). Go checkout the decore for about every ninja or samurai game.

Anyway, Japan has teenagers commiting suicide because of school and crap, don't think they'd pay attention to us crazy western people shooting up schools.

   by Blair sucks (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » hypocrite

what about the mosques in Iraq Blair keeps destroying?
Who's going to apologizes for that? Or is that also Sony's fault?

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   by Frostman (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » Like hell they will withdraw the game

Couldn't Sony just change the church through some sort of update..

   by senjutsu - 2007-06-15
 » stupid&forgotten religion shoudn't exist

It's like a mafia cartel, I mean, they tell you what to do and if you don't follow their orders, you're supposed to go in hell (menaces of infinit torment(wow, so nice)). It's like any other stupid cult, I don't see why sony said they were sorry. At least I'm pretty sure that nobody can widdraw this game from shelves since sony KILL the companies they hate (like playasia), so I suppose sony said sorry so they can argue with "We've done our part". I mean, could a church really win if sony just say: "their is horror movies in churches and you do not dislike it? (I would add: "*****S")"

Anyway, the law is over religion, dah! (I killed for my belief!! :D)

And anyway, the catholoic religion surely killed more people than everything else, with the crusade and everything... And this religion promote violence and discrimination since they say that the "other" religions are false, fake and wrong... so stupid. Sony should sue them for this... lol. (or I?)


   Re: CHUCKINGROCKSATSPACESHIPS - 2007-06-16
 » senjutsu You Are Sooooo Right

It's like you read my mind. This is the kind of thing I have been telling people for years about religion.
   by .rar (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » no way

Did they just advertise the PS3 in their apology?

Bawls Sony, you got 'em!

   by Silenthillnight (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » Pathetic

So much for seperation of Church and State. Or is that not true in England? First the US goes faith crazy in government and now the UK too. Next we'll hear parliament complain about Tomb Raider because their mistresses look nothing like the iconic video game bomb shell. "I want a bloody Lara Croft hanging off my wobbles too damn it!"


   Re: nastradamus (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » f[_]ck the church

wtf sony? how could you give in to their pressure. if sony does give those money hungry bastards even one cent i'll be very dissapointed
   by Albanian_Killa (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » wow

Wow, I never thought this would happen. If the churchies expect a large donation and Resistance off the shelves, they're going to be sadly mistaken. That's like telling Sony "make urself bankrupt" because we all know Resistance is what feuls the PlayStation 3 currently. I hope they don't donate crap or pull Resistance. If they even pull Resistance, I'm sorry to say, but Sony will have failed as a video game company. No one should have to pull a game off the shelves because of something stupid. Grand Theft Auto, which resembles New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Miami, all those versions are still on shelves. There is no way Grand Theft Auto can win, and Resistance can't.

   by lol (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » bull shi.t

wtf? withdrawal of the game? what the hell is that supposed to mean? taking the game out of stores? it better not be worldwide. i'm surprised any other church hasn't tried to grab a piece from Sony except for only this one. It makes even less sense. I'm happy with my Resistance copy, and I'm going to go play that great church level right now just to piss them off.

   by ghskfgjskfj (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » QJ Mistake No 1293023

Sony didnt have a firm stance in the article you linked, that was just some lawyers comments

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   by letsbombthatguy (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » tell this to him directly

hah, rather than venting our anger here, let's do it in front of that reverend face. just mail it to: dean@manchestercathedral.com

let's spank him till his computer explode.


   Re: Gamer (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » apologize to gamers.

I think we should demand an apology from them for claiming we don't have enough common sense to know the difference of reality and make believe. Claiming we're too ignorant to even know that just because there is killing in a video game that it is wrong in real life.
   by Annony - 2007-06-15
 » PR

The public apology by Sony was a good P.R. move. Besides, the media coverage over the issue was some mega publicity for the console (hey, it's better than creepy baby commercials...)

   by nic (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » !

now i want the church to apologize for all the evil it spreads throughout my world.

   by Gerald (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » Spastic.

Just the idea of the House of the Lord demanding for $$$ is absolutely revolting and absurd.

   by Antichrist (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » godhater

*****ing Christians need to get over themselves


   Re: ougougoug (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » no

no *****ing church officals
   by bobby Brown (Unregistered) - 2007-06-15
 » Corruption

The church is as corrupted as the English government, that's why they work together to get as much money as they can (like in the US in fact).

I can't believe this f.ck bastard of Tony Blair commenting on this when he killed thousand of poor Iraqis and his own people (soldiers). Time to this morron to leave the way...

I just hope Sony did not apologied and instead told the Church to F.UK OFF and ask the Church to apology for the way it manipulated people for centuries !!!

   by MTK (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » My Opinion

Hi All,

I do concur with the general consensus that the institution of the Church is indeed not completely altruistic here, and that through this, they are just trying to garner some free attention, and the politicians involved are just trying to cash in on the ongoing circus.

Be that as it may, this does not mean that the religion of Christianity itself is tainted (as so many opine here when they make comments like "F**k religion"). The goal of all religions is to sublimate the ego (ego in religion is defined as the sense of 'I', not pride) in order to realize God. Jesus probably would not have approved of all that has gone on under his or the Lord's name :). So I state again: It's not religion that's corrupt, it's the followers. And if you are followers of any religion, it's up to you to stay away from corruption.

Just my two cents/pennies/paise/etc.

Regards,
MTK


   Re: ` (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » `

Right.. All religions are over 1500 years old. Dont you think it would be time for us to say, hey wait a second.. Why can't I eat pork ? Why do I have to go to church every sunday, I can spend my time better studying. Praying 5 times a day is a waste of time !

God was made up to keep people under control and explain certain things. Lightning for example, or waves, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and such. But thats all obsolete now isn't it ?
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   by CKnight (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » Meeting mano e mano

Hopefully the meeting will end all this bull***** and Sony is'nt going to pay any money at all. If they had analysed the game instead of just getting worked up over a damn background, maybe I would have agreed more with the church, but just shouting and demanding money for no reason sounds like the middle ages with witchhunting, only it is for games.

And as MTK said, it's not the religion, it is stupid people who think they are doing good things.

   by wer (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » Any religions would be saying the same thing

Put in a church and you are asking for trouble, put in a mosque and you are asking for trouble etc etc, stupid to put it in their in the first place now wonder Sony is in so much ***** right now...

   by blazeking (Unregistered) - 2007-06-16
 » wait a minute

Aren't there othere monuments or memorials in the game? If so, why is the CoE the only one to get balls tight about the game?



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