LittleBigPlanet [PS3] - Out Now!

[JamesS]

Anyone else think it was extremely irresponsible of whoever it was to make this letter public? It is aggravating a much larger issue than a videogame. Not to mention that they put it on the internet with the guy's PSN id there for all to see - it's not only irresponsible, it's downright suspicious!

I thought it was the author of the letter that made it public, by posting it on the PS message board.

[Brad]

Dazzyman - It's alway been like this mate. Ever since religion was invented. Religion spoiling things is really nothing new sadly.

[Btang84]

Sony have had two choices with this issue and I think they've chosen the wrong one.

The first was to patch the game immediately, but obviously that would leave out the minority gamer who plays offline and offline alone.

I can't help but feel that the decision to recall the game and change all copies of the game will actually be worse for everybody. Firstly, we have already seen the backlash of gamers everywhere, and I prefer not to read moronic statements on American sites or boards, but isn't anybody concerned about what will happen to the potential thousands of user-created levels that would most likely have anti-Muslim themes or more inflammatory material?

[ezee ryder]

That would have happened anyway, this will just speed up the process. There are idiots all over the internet, that is what makes it such a great place

[Matt]

Got a promo copy

[SuperBeatBoy]

You have to mess around with just the single player levels. You won't be able to get online with it until the game is out unfortunatly. But at least it gives you plenty of time to mess around with it and get some levels ready for upload! ^-^

[Morph]

No the game got pulled because a person and his friends of x religion got upset over a music track that had been out for over 2yrs and posted this on the forum that "consider the mixing of music and words from our Holy Quran deeply offending" which I find strange when its a old music track and then what followed was plenty of forums of a certain religon not being very happy about it to say the least. Sony cant do anything else in this situation but to either pull it or patch it. Their has been some serious hypersensitivity over things like this recently and Im sure nobody would want the situation like what happened with the cartoons to come about again (which is a bad comparision I guess as it was offensive but if a certain group takes this offensive they can use this as a excuse).

I really find it a sad world we live in nowadays that we cant even mention religion. I dont care what you are who you are or what colour you are simple as that all live in harmony.

I really don't get it mate - what you can't wait an extra week to play a game? Why should it matter what the reason for the delay is - its coming out a week later so deal with it, you're life does not depend on playing the original at the planned release date. Fact of matter is that Sony & MM decided to take the concerns seriously if they wanted to they could have went ahead with release anyway but they wanted to respect these concerns. It isn't for anyone else to say what Sony & MM should have done as they know what is best for their product. The ranting that I'm seeing is simply childish..

[sj33]

The ranting that I'm seeing is simply childish..

Well, it's called a difference of opinion.

[kernow]

I'm not going to rush out and buy a promo when the original will only be delayed by a week, its not the end of the world! its just saddening.

[Eight Rooks]

As for the cathedral in R:FoM, I certainly don't think it was right, at all - any more than the constant depiction of Muslim lands and places of worship as destroyed battlefields for the hallowed American solider to prove his imperialist mettle in Sevret Level and UbiSoft's many quaint, lovely war games. I personally felt very uncomfortable playing and trodding about the depiction of such a respected place of worship in tatters.

I'm trying not to make blanket generalisations, but I find it offensive anyone can seriously entertain the idea there are places in the world you are not allowed to show as having been ravaged by war under any circumstances. <shrugs> God knows CoD 4 is far from an enlightened look at the Middle Eastern crisis/the conflict in the former USSR - as has been said many times before - but the idea you cannot depict such things for entertainment strikes me as nothing more than a blinkered anachronism. Note I'm not saying it shouldn't cause an emotional reaction, far from it - real-life documentary, film, game, reportage or outright fiction there's nothing wrong with a moment of respectful silence standing in the rubble or whatever. I'm a relatively committed atheist and such things still get to me. But the idea that means they shouldn't be allowed is ludicrous as far as I'm concerned - my lecturers used the example of Sikh protesters forcing the closure of a play which depicted rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence etc. taking place inside the inner sanctum of a gurdwara (Sikh temple), largely because they were uncomfortable with the depiction of such events inside a holy place full stop. I find this kind of thing deeply, deeply disturbing, and as I said, not a little offensive.

I can understand why Sony pulled LBP, I've got no real problem with the practical consequences of them doing so and might well have done the exact same thing myself if the decision had been down to me. It's one song out of the soundtrack to a popular videogame - it's a luxury item being delayed a few weeks, if that, and in itself not remotely worth raving about. The responses across a large swathe of the internet are sickening. But what with the issues this touches on and the longer-term precedents it hints at you'll never convince me this is intrinsically a "good" thing.

[Lyris]

Interesting that Evert's comment re. sexuality was dealt with a lightly humorous comment then not spoken of again (not pointing fingers at anyone specifically, but raising a point), yet we now have a 70 page thread and a mass recall because a Muslim (I believe?) songwriter used a (to some) highly regarded collection of words, in a game.

That is part of the issue here, the double standards. Ethnicity appears to be the root thorny issue here, not the religions people subscribe to?

And at the end of the day, you're probably going to offend someone.

[SuperBeatBoy]

So whats the date now for the PAL release?

[ShadowDancer]

31st I think.

[evert]

Interesting that Evert's comment re. sexuality was dealt with a lightly humorous comment then not spoken of again (not pointing fingers at anyone specifically, but raising a point), yet we now have a 70 page thread and a mass recall because a Muslim (I believe?) songwriter used a (to some) highly regarded collection of words, in a game.

That is part of the issue here, the double standards. Ethnicity appears to be the root thorny issue here, not the religions people subscribe to?

And at the end of the day, you're probably going to offend someone.

Heehee indeed!

I am totally un pc and never go on marches etc, but I did feel pretty offended by the EBA game I mentioned, and I only mentioned it in this thread to make a comparison with the current situation. I didnt send any letters to the makers though!
Surely the EBA thing is more offensive because it is being openly homophobic!
The LBP issue doesnt involve anyone making offensive comments or implications AGAINST Islam in that way yet look at what one complaint has caused.

Maybe if I was American I could sue the EBA makers for emotional distress or summat!

[Lyris]

I am totally un pc and never go on marches etc, but I did feel pretty offended by the EBA game I mentioned, and I only mentioned it in this thread to make a comparison with the current situation. I didnt send any letters to the makers though!
Surely the EBA thing is more offensive because it is being openly homophobic!

Is it though? The other side would argue that it is up to the player to decide that the filthy creepy men are gay. But as you said, if they had been filthy creepy Muslim stereotypes or filthy creepy black stereotypes then they probably wouldn't have risked it.

I've not seen the part of the game in question so can't really weigh in.

Maybe if I was American I could sue the EBA makers for emotional distress or summat!

Not before getting called a filthy liberal with an "agenda" (oh the irony) first