LittleBigPlanet [PS3] - Out Now!

[Darwock]

Meh, I can live without that tune. Listening to it gives me the impression they wanted to give the game a multi-cultural atmosphere - that'll learn 'em!

[Eight Rooks]

Eh, I'm not getting bent out of shape. I dislike this kind of religious prohibition - they always strike me as all sorts of ridiculous, and remind me of far more insidious examples of the same kind of thing my lecturers brought up at university. Offended? Tough. I find it offensive anyone can seriously hold such beliefs, and no, I'm not attempting to troll. I'd feel exactly the same way if any right-wing Christian group attempted to censor Quake V or whatever - it's the principle of the thing, and the right to cause offence.

At the same time, hey, it's just one song on the soundtrack, and hey, it's one game in the middle of five or six others I can't afford, so, eh. Less money to have to worry about for a bit, right? I mean, the posts along the lines of OH GOD THE SKY IS FALLING LET'S GO BOMB THE GULF are indeed a tiny bit disturbing.

EDIT: On that note - damn, the Eurogamer comments on this one are enough to make you feel ill. <_<

Still, never mind racist iconography or hate messages - I give it a week before someone sets up a music box level programming the song back in.

[TheBlackLodge]

Wow @ so many people getting bent out of shape over a weeks delay. And all over something which doesn't mean anything to them / won't ever effect them now.

I don't think it's the weeks delay thing to be honest (although I can be wrong)........I find it alarming that such steps need to be taken over something so trivial. I can respect their right to have their beliefs but at the same time surely they can respect that many people quite simply see it, the Qu'ran, as nothing but paper and words.......

It is another odd example of one group stamping their feet and getting what they want while another lot are ultimately told to "man up, it's only a a game". Surely it works both ways ?

/Note for the record I'm not interested in either party, just trying to sit on a fence and suffering through several splinters.......

Edit: I'm not entirely proud of my last comment on the EG thread there......But.........

[melody]

I have a few albums of the artist in question (Toumani Diabete), he is a legend among African musicians and has sold millions of records. The song used in LBP matched the level beautifully and I am quite upset that now I will be deprived of it... because of a small minded idiot we all have to suffer.

If I find art or media offensive I don't buy it or I ignore it if it's not causing me any harm, I don't scream for censorship and impose my set of morals on other people. Rational muslims will take a "meh whatever" stance whilst western society typically scrambles to pander to the cretins who take offence *because they WANT to take offence*.

He must be a pretty weak god if he needs his followers to be up in arms over something so petty.

I'm actually surprised at the lack of respect and understanding some people have for religious texts (one in particular obviously) on this here forum. You don't have like it or anything but at least have some respect for it. *shakes head*

It's a book like any other albeit one with a lot of cultural and historical importance. I don't see why it should have any more protection than Happyslapped by a Jellyfish by Karl Pilkington, religion is after all a choice like any other. If someone doesn't like the contents of a book (especially when it in my opinion is morally objectionable yet I wouldn't want it banned) then I don't see why they should respect it.

[ShadowDancer]

Has any of this tainted LBP's innocence? I'd like to think not...

[Eight Rooks]

Nah, I doubt it. There would have been porn, racist, sexist and homophobic imagery cropping up all over in time anyway; MM said they accepted on one level any user community on this scale is impossible to police. It won't make much of a difference in the long run, and hey, the game's still coming out. It was perhaps remiss of MM/Sony QA not to check every facet of the game with a very fine-tooth comb - it does suggest they/someone thought "Eh, s'exotic, innit, it'll do" - but the idea this necessitates a wild scramble to pull every single copy in the world is arguably distressing to more people than leaving the song in would have genuinely offended.

It is a big deal and it isn't, basically. I'll gladly sit back quietly and wait - well, beyond the odd post in places like this (as in places that aren't blighted with screaming closet racists), at least. But it isn't a total non-issue.

[Lyris]

I'm actually surprised at the lack of respect and understanding some people have for religious texts (one in particular obviously) on this here forum. You don't have like it or anything but at least have some respect for it. *shakes head*

I don't go out of my way to annoy people, but I have no respect for what, to me, are irrational beliefs. To me, saying you respect something that you don't even understand or explain is pretty low. That goes for any religion, BTW.

Unfortunately, criticising a religion is often mistaken for, and often goes hand in hand, with small minded racism (which is criticising the people themselves), so I understand some of the hoop-lah.

The people I feel most sorry for (besides the people waiting eagerly for the game) are Sony and the people involved in optical disc replication. I know all too well that recalls of pressed discs are NOT fun.

[ezee ryder]

I don't go out of my way to annoy people, but I have no respect for what, to me, are irrational beliefs. To me, saying you respect something that you don't even understand is pretty low.

Fair enough. That is your opinion, one I don't agree with but hey that is life

I just hate it when things like this pop up and all muslims (or whatever race they maybe) are painted by one brush and then the stupid comments you get from some people. I guess it just shows up for people for what they really are.

Like I said before, as a muslim, I have no issue with the song being in the game....it is harmless after all. There are many songs out there with people singing verses from the Quran so I dunno what the big fuss is here to be honest. Maybe cos it is in a game?

However I can see how it could cause "offense" to some people and there Sony have made the right decision here. The game will be released a couple of weeks later without the song and they have themselves some free publicity!

[Lyris]

I just hate it when things like this pop up and all muslims (or whatever race they maybe) are painted by one brush and then the stupid comments you get from some people. I guess it just shows up for people for what they really are.

Indeed, stereotypes are not good.

Sony are perhaps taking this seriously after their Resistance issue. I'm not entirely convinced that the amount of money it's going to cost them in making a new master and yanking and replacing all those discs is really going to be worth it for them, though!

[evert]

If this issue had arisen 10 years ago it may have gone ignored.

For me it is Sony not showing respect, but fear of possibly violent reprisals.


Look at the game ELITE BEAT AGENTS. For one of the songs, the story is about a dog that is trying to get home. In one cutscene, the dog gets picked up by a pretty lady. In "bad" version of that cutscene, it is not a pretty lady in the car, but 2 men who are probably gay. The dog bites the arm of one of the men and rejects the ride.

I am gay and I have that game. Ask yourselves, for those of you that are not gay, how would you have taken that? Personally my heart sank a bit. I was like, "what the ****, even DOGS are homophobic now!" What was going through the minds of the creators of that particular stage? I just shake my head at it, it is pretty depressing.

Would the E B A game have gotten away with it if instead of being 2 gay guys, it had been 2 muslims? Imagine them, with turbans and crazed expressions offering a lift to the dog, then the dog biting them, because they are muslims. I bet there would have been an outcry of sorts.

Such a double standard, and sadly its all based on fear rather than respect. Nobody would expect a group of gays to bomb a Nintendo office because of some perceived slight, but that doesnt make us more "fair game" than Muslims.

[spagmasterswift]

Blimey, they all coming out of the woodwork in this thread

[SuperBeatBoy]

It pretty much effects the image of LBP too.

The words are:
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').

Not something i would associate with the lovely cutesy image of LBP.

[usman]

Personally i would of said like it or lump it. They dont seem to be complaining that there fellow muslims are making home made bombs and blowing people up in the name of there precious book, but seem intent to demand words form it are removed from what must be the cutest and least offensive game in the world

Morons quite frankly.

Sorry for the rant but they really are.

I see. I don't know, do you want me to stop 'complaining' and very actively speaking out against such violence by ignorants?

Because I do not how else to appease people like you.

Perhaps then, you and people like you will be happy, if we Muslims actually go ahead and fit into the mould you want, so as to make it all the easier to demonise us the way you are.

Really, how many Muslims do you know to be telling us we all like to shut up about idiots building bombs and that we are all "morons"? You are telling me I am moron, my family are morons, and every Muslim is a moron? My little sister is a 'moron'? The poor girl.

There are 'Moron' Muslims like me and Ezee Ryder on this board who are quite frankly, just like you. We obsess over games, we know immediately what 'STOR' and 'PSO' and 'SMG" stand for, we collect retro stuff our 'moron' Muslim families and significant others look at us strangely over just like your families and significant others do. I'm sorry to say that, as I hope so don't you, we do not condone ignorant twats blowing things and people up - or identify with them.

Shall we then say, start on the BNP, and say utter nonsense such as : white Britons don't give a damn when one of them is found with a room full of materials for nail bombs and litertaure about massacaring Muslims. Nor when predominantly Christian armies are destroying Iraq, and lacing it with depleted uranium. How idiotic a thing to say would this be, yet why the double standard?





And compare your reactions, for a moment, if you would.

One Muslim poster on a Sony board politely asked Sony to look into this as using the Qur'an in such a way is seen as direspectful. Yes, he expressed hope that it would be removed, as in past games, and frankly, he was pedantic about it, and I do not agree with his approach.
But do not jump on us with this accusations of violent reprisals. Muslim blogs at the most may mention it in passing, at most with a sigh. The very word Muslim is slur, today. Most will simply not be concerned, though are happy with Sony's decision, and move on. After seeing incredulously the defense of 'Muslim Masacre', a game that celebrates the butchering of me, my parents, my family, my brothers, my sisters, my people - I, and the vast majority of Muslims, simply shrug and move on.

I don't need to point out the comparison of the above to reactions like yours. Eurogamer's comment on this article has turned into an expectable hatefest.

We are brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, teachers, students, lawyers, doctors. We are like you. Please stop trying to paint as us lesser than human. Can we not even have a the dignity of making Sony aware of the matter?

Sigh. Peace.

[charlesr]

"Song pulled from videogame cos it was a rubbish song". Wouldn't have made quite the same impact/frenzy

[ezee ryder]

id-republix makes a few decent points, shame he will probably be mocked or shot down for doing it though.