Holy baloney?
A short passage from the Qur’an finds its way into a game – in seemingly innocent, artistic circumstances – and the (videogame) world goes properly mental.
I don’t quite understand the current furor over the Little BIG Planet ”scandal”. Fair enough, we don’t have many (i.e. any) mainstream games tootling out Christian hymns on a regular basis. But it’s a bit beyond me why this particular incident has caused quite the stir it has.
It seems no-one still knows exactly what the sung passage from the Qur’an actually translates as. But, assuming common sense prevents its meaning from being twisted into something vaguely perceptable as inflammatory, I don’t have any issue with this – as a gamer – whatsoever.
However, in perspective, there’s a question of context and appropriateness here. And I think it’s that aspect which, ultimately, has compelled Sony to withdraw the game and ask creators Media Molecule to substitute the content in question.
I saw a translation within 20 minutes of hearing about this! Also, I’ve not actually seen any real hoo-ha other than people complaining about Sony reacting at all.
Maybe an interesting comparison would be to the Resistance: Fall of man vs. Manchester Cathedral (obviously the global nature is different, but no analogy is perfect).
Phil Wilson
21 October 2008 at 7:35 pm
Ah, well, I’m obviously reading the wrong news sites then! Linky?
As for the comparison angle: I originally started writing about that, but decided that all that really boils down to – in reference to this Little BIG Planet bunkem – is that Sony are rather sensitive to having their ecumenical fingers burnt a second time.
Wrestlevania
21 October 2008 at 8:08 pm
I don’t have a direct translation, but the lyric (from a song that’s been in wide release since 2006, I might add) basically says “we all die”. My world view is shattered.
n0wak
21 October 2008 at 10:54 pm
There’s obviously just one solution to this “all die” problem: ban PS3.
Wrestlevania
22 October 2008 at 7:22 am