Church forgives Sony for copying Manchester Cathedral, kinda

In what actually seems like more of a slight than a good-willed apology acceptance, the Church of England's Very Reverend Rogers Govender was quoted as saying "we do forgive Sony for what they have done, even though they still believe they have done nothing wrong." The Dean of Manchester Cathedral's comments came after Sony failed to take home a British Academy Video Game award last night for Resistance: Fall of Man, a game which adopts the cathedral's likeness as one of its settings. Referring to a supposed traditional code of ethics in the industry, Reverend Govender went on to say that "In so many ways Sony have failed to live up to these standards by disrespecting people of faith and the victims of gun crime here in Manchester." So yeah, it doesn't look like the Church will be sending Sony any Christmas cards this year, but on the upside, Manchester Cathedral is apparently doing a booming business among the younger crowd as a result of the controversy.

[dreampc @ Oct 24th 2007 10:04AM]

What about Notre Dame in TimeSplitters?

Lot's 'O Gore in that one!

[mattclarkie @ Oct 24th 2007 11:00AM]

Was that TimeSplitters or TimeSplitters 2. Great games, I just wish there had been a Timesplitters 3. Future Perfect doesn't count.

I can't wait to play resistance. I just got a PS3. Well 3 as the first 2 broke, well the number 1 never even worked. I have been too busy on Heavenly Sword but I finished that yestarday and haven't even put in Resistance yet.

Getting back to the topic. I am english and I find the CoE offensive. I don't care about religion and I wish everything would stop coming back to it. It is like Hitman 2 when Muslims complained about the ending and they had to recall the game and change the ending.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:46AM]

You should be playing the lottery... getting two defective units in a market with less than 1% failure rate? That sucks.

[Jon @ Oct 24th 2007 10:12AM]

Shouldn't they be thanking Sony instead for the business Resistance has given to them?

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 10:50AM]

Are you confusing the Church of England with Starbucks by any chance?

[Jon @ Oct 24th 2007 10:53AM]

They are one of the same, no?

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 10:59AM]

@Jon

Come to think of it.........

[MikeG @ Oct 24th 2007 11:11AM]

More ... what?
I don't think anyone pays to go to church, and I'm pretty damn shure no one is a big enough idiot to think that "Christianity" is actually an alien fighting, military group.

But, in the slight chance that I'm wrong, and you do have to pay the church to join up in their anti-alien force, then yes, Sony did give them mroe business.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:03AM]

How many people at Starbucks have been denied the use of the "facilities" because they weren't a paying customer?
How many people at any church have been denied the use of the facilities because they weren't a paying member?

My uncle who is a very religious man was turned down by a church because he wasn't listed on the donations book.

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 11:08AM]

@ Andir, methinks you are a troll?

I'm not a paid up "member" of my local C-of-E church, but I still take my toddler to their baby group on occasions and have never paid a bean. I have taken the occasional packet of biscuits - hob nobs or gingers preferred. So that's one example.

As for Starbucks, I've yet to ask for a skinny latte for nothing - I do suspect we all know the outcome of that test.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:16AM]

By no means. I was simply saying that a "church" asked my uncle to leave because he hadn't donated to the church.

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 11:21AM]

Andir, I'd very much doubt that would happen in the UK.

Or did you dad turn up brandishing an Uzi 9mm, shouting "Power Up! Capture the flag man"!

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:24AM]

Did you even read what I wrote? I think it's pretty clear.

[Ty @ Oct 24th 2007 11:28AM]

Not to mention the free marketing to young boys.

[Jon @ Oct 24th 2007 11:32AM]

Two friends of mine who wanted to get married in a church was asked to attend weekly service for a year with donations to boot to qualify for a booking. Me thinks churches are run like corporations with money to be earned and salary to be given out.

Besides you have to pay to enter certain churches, for example St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:41AM]

And that Jon is why this comment is confusing to me:

"Are you confusing the Church of England with Starbucks by any chance?"

Because they are the same. A church is no better or worse than a company.

[Corndog @ Oct 24th 2007 1:04PM]

No better, or worse? No... they are worse, because there is nothing wrong with a company. They offer a service for a fee and go away if nobody wants it. They don't tell you that you'll burn in hell if you don't buy their product.

[brandall10 @ Oct 24th 2007 6:34PM]

Well actually, the whole burning in hell thing is just good marketing...

[Boynamedsue @ Oct 24th 2007 2:43PM]

"I don't think anyone pays to go to church,"

and thats why you don't understand religion.
When a catholic diocese is ordered to pay out millions of dollars for an abuse case do you think that money comes from a magic church money factory?

[David Hardin @ Oct 24th 2007 3:07PM]

Not meaning to troll, just to clarify... Not every church is like the catholic church. Ever hear of a little group called the protestants?

[Wwhat @ Oct 24th 2007 6:39PM]

Church of england is of course a separate group forced to separate from the catholic church on the threat of beheadings by the king long long ago.
So in theory neither catholic nor protestant.

[Richard @ Oct 24th 2007 10:26AM]

No big deal really. I mean, only like 4 people played that game.

[kingofwale @ Oct 24th 2007 10:24AM]

You, sir, are an idiot. try close to 2 million world-wide

wait, Did I say 'idiot'? I mean to say "fanboy", which by any account, is a much insult, I will take sign of stupidity over ignorance any day.

[vaeric @ Oct 24th 2007 10:31AM]

kingofwale - Wow, who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?

[FK @ Oct 24th 2007 10:31AM]

Funny I thought a fanboy would be someone who could rattle off a games sales numbers off the top of their head, like say two million worldwide. Pot, meet kettle.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 10:53AM]

What I'm trying to figure out is how he posted 2 minutes before the OP.

[Cupajo @ Oct 24th 2007 12:15PM]

Andir3.0, Time travel. It's a little know feature of the PS3. Come on, it had to be useful for *something*.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 12:49PM]

Oh hell, when I get home, I'm gonna start looking for that feature...

[Richard @ Oct 24th 2007 1:43PM]

Damn kingofwale, calm down man. You’re making a douche out of yourself. What I meant to say was "Only two million people played it for about 4 minutes. Clearly not long enough to make it to the part with the Church.”

[Jon @ Oct 24th 2007 2:53PM]

Holy crap. Hiro?

[PJK @ Oct 24th 2007 10:23AM]

I could spew expletives at the Bishop, but I've come to expect religious "leaders" to be pompous with a bloated sense of their place in the world. Coupled with his complete detachment from reality. Sony created a 3d render of their church in a game about an alternate past, fighting aliens and he somehow sees this as offensive.

Read the back story the guy was looking for a "substantial donation" by ways of an apology. How can we take clergy seriously when they damn out one side of their mouth while looking for backhanders out the other.

These people are losing their relevance in the world and so grasp to whatever they can to make noise, when most of us have long stopped listening to middle age men who've dedicated their lives to an empty fantasy. One that isn't nearly as much fun as the fantasy any console can provide, and is decidedly more gory if you believe the bible.

[Alan Partridge @ Oct 24th 2007 10:50AM]

Damnation! No donation? No salvation!

[shaka999 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:24AM]

I'm not a religious person but its pretty easy to see why the church would be upset. You have a game that is having people run around firing guns in a church. Who cares what plot Sony wrapped around it.

I'm sure the clergy is happy when kids are running around talking about how they fragged an alien on pulpit. Just the imagery that they want people to remember....

[PJK @ Oct 24th 2007 11:30AM]

Let them be upset, and make a statement saying they believe it was in poor taste. But demanding the game be pulled, Sony apologise and make a "significant donation" just goes to show how deluded and self-important these god-botherers are.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:37AM]

If your not a religious person, why does a church have more bearing than a casino, bar, someone's house, or car dealership? What about all those WWII games based in historic cities. Does firing a gun on the streets of your city differ from firing a gun under the roof of a church? (If your a non-religious person) There's no difference. Now, taking that into account, New York was supposedly having a fit about GTA... but I have to ask. When does it go too far? Should all games be forced to use generic locations on some made up planet? Cause even putting Mount Everest in a game could be considered disrespectful (I'm sure someone out there would.)

[Carbonize @ Oct 24th 2007 2:23PM]

Yes but the New York in GTA is a safer place to be than the real one.




Just kidding.

[John @ Oct 24th 2007 10:37AM]

I'd have a lot more respect if they'd just said "please don't do it again" and left it at that.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 10:57AM]

That wouldn't be very Church like. You'd have to go there, put a lot of money in the "donation" tray to become a part of the church. You'd also have to be baptized there (again if need be) and regularly attend services if you are to be forgiven by their God.

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 11:05AM]

@Andir 3.0

I'm by no means religious, but isn't there only meant to be one god?

UKB

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:13AM]

Depends on who you ask.

[Kizorblade @ Oct 24th 2007 11:15AM]

@BigBirdUK

He was referring to the Christian god.

There are many religions with multiple or just one god =)

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 11:18AM]

@Kizor - I was being ironic. I won't be asking Andir, though. He thinks Ronald McDonald is the second coming.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:21AM]

See, now your putting words in my mouth. I was making a analogy to relate why CoE complaining to Sony is the wrong thing to be doing and you turn it on me like that?

[aeo @ Oct 24th 2007 10:47AM]

Sooo... I guess that playing paintball in the cathedral is out of the question. How about airsoft? Laser tag?

[Rynth @ Oct 24th 2007 11:23AM]

I've played a few rounds of airsoft in my local church before.

I'm not saying they let us, but they have been played. A church makes for a really good arena, actually.

[tastybytes @ Oct 24th 2007 10:48AM]

i cant believe any business would turn down free advertising. im sure the church of england's profits are up as a result of the matter. Sony, use my storefront as a setting for anything you wish, please.. just make sure gamers know its my store..

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 10:56AM]

tastybytes, are you too confusing the Church of England for Starbucks by any chance?

I simply can't imagine Bishop VP of Sales and Reverand Marketing Guru sitting down and working out which product lines to pimp off of this saga. "Bibles or Holy Water? Cry me a river, man"!

Can I suggest you simply take stock that they kicked up a fuss because a place they consider to be holy and revered (by them) was used for a shoot-em up style videogame.

(And no, I'm not even slightly religious - I just think people are missing the r-e-s-p-e-c-t point here).

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 10:59AM]

So am I allowed to sue McDonalds for someone throwing a hashbrown wrapper out the window of their car? I mean, McDonalds sold them the wrapper and someone used it to deface what I respect. Earth.

[BigBirdUK @ Oct 24th 2007 11:03AM]

@Andir 3.0

And what does McD have to do with the price of bread today then?

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 24th 2007 11:12AM]

Complaining to Sony about something done by a third party was not the appropriate thing to do. Here, let me rewrite it:

So am I allowed to "complain to" "Sony" for "a third party developer" throwing a "video game" "on the market"? I mean, "Sony" sold them the "dev-kit" and "a third party developer" used it to deface... etc.