[solaris]

Sony’s upcoming game, called LittleBigPlanet, won’t be launched when it was scheduled to due to the lyrics of a song that plays in the background at the beginning of the third world.

The game is supposed to be one of the most innovative games created this year, as players will be able to create levels and share them with others.

Apparently, the song "Tapha Niang," played by Toumani Diabate, contains some verses from the Quran in Arabic that can be translated as "Every soul shall taste of death" and "All that is on earth shall perish.”

This is a sensitive issue and because of this Sony postponed the launch of the game on the market for October 28.

The funny thing is that those verses taken out of context actually sound harsh and, why hide it, stereotypical. The fact is that, in context, those verses actually are a reminder that everybody will someday die, it’s “memento mori” but spelled differently.

Maybe next time we won't be allowed to use the word "He" - because maybe, just maybe, we were referring to Muhammed...

Let's get out of the Middle Ages, please...


Whenever I hear someone complain that "Dynasty," "Dallas" or "Falcon Crest" are STILL being shown on TV, I always think: "You are perfectly free to either watch something else on one of the 50 other channels you are able to see - or not watch anything at all. Why don't you do that instead of complaining?"

Same thing here: DON'T BUY THE STUPID GAME, IF IT OFFENDS YOU!!!

The sheer madness of these kind of things always makes me think of "Life Of Brian" and "The Holy Grail." Christianity was once like this too (and still is in some places)...


Full story here:

LittleBigPlanet Controversy


8...

[gluteus maximus]

Originally Posted by solaris

Let's get out of the Middle Ages, please...

The sheer madness of these kind of things always makes me think of "Life Of Brian" and "The Holy Grail."

Well, great free publicity for the game, and apparently the originals are fetching big money on E-Bay

I'm neither a Muslim nor a video-game player, but I'd find it surprising that anyone who'd be offended by the juxtaposition of 'religion'and 'fun' would be playing this anyway. It all seems a bit silly, really.

gm

[Nightfly]

Originally Posted by solaris

Maybe next time we won't be allowed to use the word "He" - because maybe, just maybe, we were referring to Muhammed...

Let's get out of the Middle Ages, please...


Whenever I hear someone complain that "Dynasty," "Dallas" or "Falcon Crest" are STILL being shown on TV, I always think: "You are perfectly free to either watch something else on one of the 50 other channels you are able to see - or not watch anything at all. Why don't you do that instead of complaining?"

Same thing here: DON'T BUY THE STUPID GAME, IF IT OFFENDS YOU!!!

The sheer madness of these kind of things always makes me think of "Life Of Brian" and "The Holy Grail." Christianity was once like this too (and still is in some places)...


Full story here:

LittleBigPlanet Controversy


8...

Toumani Diabate is actually a African Kora player(African harp like instrument)
and is a man of peace and his music reflects it all the time.I have most of his
albums and most of the tracks, there is no singing.How anybody could find
this world popular musician of peace andything but, is really shameful...

I know nothing about video games, but what little I know, his music
would elevate them to a more sophisticated level.(at least musically).

[gluteus maximus]

"In my family there are only two things we know - the Koran and the kora [West African harp]," Toumani Diabate told the BBC. Diabate, a Muslim, said it was normal in Mali to mix religion and music. "I'm really sad and I'm disappointed," he said.

Full story here: BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Musician defends Sony game song

[GHERDEZ]

Originally Posted by solaris

Maybe next time we won't be allowed to use the word "He" - because maybe, just maybe, we were referring to Muhammed...

Let's get out of the Middle Ages, please...


Whenever I hear someone complain that "Dynasty," "Dallas" or "Falcon Crest" are STILL being shown on TV, I always think: "You are perfectly free to either watch something else on one of the 50 other channels you are able to see - or not watch anything at all. Why don't you do that instead of complaining?"

Same thing here: DON'T BUY THE STUPID GAME, IF IT OFFENDS YOU!!!

The sheer madness of these kind of things always makes me think of "Life Of Brian" and "The Holy Grail." Christianity was once like this too (and still is in some places)...


Full story here:

LittleBigPlanet Controversy


8...

Hello Solaris,
I agree with you that people should be less sensitive to take offense when certain cultural issues are approached through translation, artistical representations, media, etc. This would be more than reasonable for individuals, because translations are not always accurate, artistical appreciation is very subjective, and anyone can make a stupid statement in the media, or fabricate an opinion by leaving a phrase out of context through editing, etc. However, when developing something in advance to be launched to the masses, like in the case of newspapers and SONY, there is less room for excuse for not thinking something out therally. Because, they have several advantages that an individual doesn’t have, like a team of developers, a public relations team, and many other experts, that compose the movie-like list of credits (in some of the games nowadays), and lots of time. I can assure you that it was someone’s responsibility to evaluate content, anticipate and contemplate any possible objecting opinions posed by others. I don’t favor censorship at all, yet, falling in pitfalls like dealing volatile Islamic subjects is a counterproductive for SONY. Because, it could have easily steered clear from the song, in favor of a better one, without loosing artistic merit.

GHERDEZ