Church outraged by PS3 game

The Church of England, accusing Sony of "virtual desecration", on Monday called on the Japanese entertainment giant to apologise and withdraw a gun-filled computer game set in Manchester Cathedral.

It also called on Sony to contribute funds in Manchester to help combat gun crime, which has gripped the city.

Anglican church authorities were outraged by the PlayStation 3 game Resistance: Fall of Man, which depicts a shootout in the cathedral nave.

"The video footage of the cathedral battle on YouTube has shocked and dismayed us beyond words. It can only be described as virtual desecration," Rogers Govender, dean of Manchester Cathedral, told reporters.

"We are shocked to see a place of worship, prayer, learning and heritage being presented to the youth of today as a location where guns can be fired," he added.

Manchester Cathedral said Sony had not asked permission to include images of the church in the game, but a statement from the company said, "We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game."

"Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the Bishop of Manchester and the cathedral authorities... and we naturally take the concerns very seriously."

The company stressed that the game "is a fantasy science-fiction game and is not based on reality."

Asked what Sony's next move would be, a spokesman said on Monday: "We are now in contact with the Cathedral authorities and will be dealing with them directly."

Govender, clearly dismayed by the game's content, said, "We were sickened to discover that the millions of people who play the game have a choice of weaponry to use within the cathedral."

Govender said it was well known that Manchester had a serious problem with gun crime, noting that three youths had been shot in the past 72 hours alone.

"Every year we invite hundreds of teenagers to come and see the cathedral so they might appreciate an alternative to the violence they experience in their daily lives," he said.

Laying out the cathedral's conditions, he said Sony should apologise unreservedly and withdraw the game.

He said church authorities would also ask Sony to make a substantial donation to its education department for work in trying to combat Manchester's gun culture.

"For the global manufacturer Sony to recreate the interior of any religious building such as a mosque, a synagogue or in this case a cathedral with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have gun battles in the building is beyond belief."

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