When the church discovered the new Sony game they did not jump boy for joy as everyone other teenage boy undoubtedly did. Instead, they gave them a court date. The church claimed that the games climatic gun fight, which is set in Manchester Cathedral, is “virtual desecration” of a sacred building. With this, there are many things wrong. Sony decided that an epic setting for such a nonsensical epic scene should be a cathedral, but why any cathedral when it can be a specific one, instead, so that the audience can identify it. Because La Sangria de Familia still isn’t finished being built, they chose the Manchester Catherdral. The Church then witnessed this unbelievable scene including mutated alien lifeforms and a savior who is going to save the world with his gun. This scene, which is far from reality and will never happen within reality, they took offense to because of the coding of the setting. Understandably, the church does not want to have any connection to violence, but in no way does the game connect to the cathedral, Christianity or the Church unless the player knows the cathedral and can then identify it through the architecture (notice: architecture, not interior design or placement because they’re altered). If the Church tried to bargain with Sony over the fact that the weapon used is a gun and Manchester Cathedral hosts gatherings specifically against gun use, instead of defying a sacred building’s image, they may have made more progress in court. With the Church’s approach being that it was “virtual desecration” implies that they acknowledge the sacred within a virtual space, which opens up a whole other can of worms which I cannot begin to unravel. After taking offense, the Church asked three things of Sony: first, an apology, which Sony did so obliging because there truly was no intent of desanctifying the architecture; second, they wanted Sony to recall all the games and discontinue the sale, but Sony would not agree (rationally, they aren’t going to recall a game which is profiting, especially after all the publicity hype that the Church is giving it); third, the Church asked for a donation to the cathedral, but Sony did not respond. Let’s recap, Sony made a game they thought was going to be the next bit hit, the Church took offense, asked for an apology which Sony gave, but the Church said wasn’t enough, then asked them to recall the game, which Sony refused, and finally, asked for a donation as a way to help the Manchester Cathedral out of the good of their hearts. Sony did promise never to use Manchester Cathedral as a setting again, so as to avoid any further blasphemous accusations. Now, the Digital Guidelines Code of Conduct states that no image associated with a religious group is able to be replicated with out permission and authorization of a religious leaders. These guidelines alone can project future problems including the dividing perception of the sacred in VR among spiritual leaders and the discussion of the sacred within virtual reality.
