Church of England vs. Resistance Fall of Man
SCEA's troubles keep growing and growing. Upon learning that the interior of the Manchester Cathedral is featured in the sci-fi shooter Resistance Fall of Man, the Church of England has threatened to take legal action if the game, which has sold over a million copies, isn't removed from store shelves. The Church also wants an apology, but Sony has not yet responded to church officials. However, Sony spokesman David Wilson told The Times newspaper:
"It is game-created footage, it is not video or photography. It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction. It is not based on reality at all. Throughout the whole process we have sought permission where necessary."
Meanwhile, the Dean of Manchester Cathedral had this to say:
"We are shocked to see a place of learning, prayer and heritage being presented to the youth market as a location where guns can be fired. For many young people these games offer a different sort of reality and seeing guns in Manchester Cathedral is not the sort of connection we want to make. Every year we invite hundreds of teenagers to come and see the cathedral and it is a shame to have Sony undermining our work."
That's a bit melodramatic don't you think? That goes with the whole "Magic Bullet Theory," the idea that media (such as video games) penetrate people's minds and have instantaneous effects. Nonsense! Give people -- teenagers, even -- a little more credit than that. Video games don't make people violent. Violent people are going to be violent whether they play video games or not.
Cathedral row over computer game [BBC News]
Lazy Panda
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 9 June 2007
· Comments (9)
Other stuff like this: church of england, lawsuit, ps3, resistance fall of man, scea, sony
"Violent people are going to be violent whether they play video games or not."
A-men there sister!
I have always found it quite interesting that video games have become the modern day scapegoat for just about EVERYTHING wrong in society today. Churches, politicians and concerned adults blame entertainment media (video games) for corrupting their children's minds and therefore being the catalyst for violence, anarchy and the decaying of the moral fabric of our nation. First of all, an active parent would not even permit their pre-adult teen from even OBTAINING access to adult rated video games (HELLO!! MRSB ANYONE!!???). And second of all, if that parent was really involved with their kids they would either spend more time with them (no more 30 hours of playing GTA:SA), or becoming an active playing partner with their kids. This would open up dialogue between the teen and their parent, which is something TOTALLY lacking in most American homes. You see, videogames, at times, become a "surrogate" baby-sitter for a teen who's parents are too busy for them or lack interest in their lives. Im not saying that all consoles are brought for this reason, but a high percentage of them are. Could we PLEASE stop blaming video games and their companies for creating a nation of misanthropic teenagers. There are a LOT worst things that teens could be doing aside from fragging someone in SOCOM... Video games create communities, foster long lasting friendships and cause laughter and smiles, if someone can find something wrong with that please let me know ASAP!!!!!
I have to reply to this. I don't believe this issue is the same one about linking games and violence. This is about a place deemed sacred by certain people, and the act done in that place, even in an image of that place.
At first I thought it was the usual overreaction by the Church. But I believe they do have a point on this one.
Whether you believe in the religion and the church or not, this is a place for prayers and holy for certain people. Having a game that allows you to shoot in a replica of the same place is pushing it and lacks the respect shown. It would probably be like allowing you to crash something into the twin towers in a game.
It's a piece of fiction. If a similar situation was in a movie or a book, the church *might* bitch about it in public, but then they'd move on. Goddamn double-standards.
The church did, well the movie 'DaVinci Code' certainly cause a rukus. But you are right, they will move on eventually.
On parents and gaming... I myself don't teld to play games with explicit violence. Why? Because it was one of my parental units who was the gamer originally, which helped set the standard for what I would play. Parents, play video games!
Anyway, of course a cathedral isn't a place for guns to be fired and placing a game level in a church isn't a reflection of reality. Gamers know that very well. It's called irony, and I assume the audience will understand that irony clearly.
I wonder what the technicalities of the law/code of politeness are in regard to locations that actually exist. I suppose you can, in general, use public locations, but when do you have to get permission? What counts as public?
What a load of old rubbish - However, should I be scared? - I live not far from Manchester and I own a copy of Resistance - am I going to have the locals outside my door with burning torches and pitch-forks?
Are there any people here who carried a weapon, hurt somebody, skateboarded, rolep[layed, or otherwise did anything in any location because they saw it done there in a video game?
I am yet to meet anybody who actually does this stuff at specific locations because they see it in a video game and wonder if such people exist. I believe that the people at Manchester Cathedral are overreacting.
Oh, and as for violent games making people more violent, here's an anecdote: About one year ago I was stuck doing a crappy job in a factory where 90% of the people were bullies and assholes, my supervisor had a vendetta against me and tried to not only give me a hard time but do his best to ensure that I never advanced in the company, and the union stewards were letting supervisors and managers in the company get away with unfair practices and sexual assault in exchange for some money under the table (And no, I am NOT overexaggerating, such work places exist). Needless to say, that work environment caused me to feel violent urges I never felt before. Playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories during my breaks to relieve stress actually calmed me down enough to get through the day without acting on what I was feeling. In fact, it was the only thing that kept me from going postal on the supervisors and trying to bitchslap half of the people there. That's right, playing a violent video game actually helped me to avoid being violent.
This story is total tosh, obviously thought up by some C of E thinktank to try and garner some free publicity to boost their dwindleing attendances. They have argued the game makes light of Manchester's gun problem, a claim that could be levelled at any game set in any city, Mancunians are hardly unique in their tendancy to shoot each other.
Anyway it seems hypocritical for the church to complain about violence in one of its Cathedrals when you think about what they did to Isaac of York!