Sony could find itself in hot water as Church of England may seek legal action against them over the Manchester Cathedral environment that featured in their best-selling PS3 game, Resistance: Fall of Man. According to Times Online, the Church also wants Sony to apologize and withdraw the game.
Resistance: Fall of Man sees an American Army Ranger Sgt. Nathan Hale fight alongside British troops against the Chimera. One of the battles sites is a church in Manchester where the troops take on the Chimera. A huge gun battle takes place inside the Church.
The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch says, “It is well known that Manchester has a gun crime problem. For a global manufacturer to re-create one of our great cathedrals with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have guns battles in the building is beyond belief and highly irresponsible.” He is of the view that the choice to feature the city’s cathedral is ‘highly irresponsible’. The Dean and Chapter at Manchester Cathedral have alleged that Sony did not ask for permission to use the nave as a setting in Resistance: Fall of Man.
But Sony has stated that no pictures or videos were taken from the site. David Wilson, a Sony spokesman told The Times newspaper, “It is game-created footage, it is not video or photography. It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction. It is not based on reality at all. Throughout the whole process we have sought permission where necessary.”
Besides MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man is the only true next-gen game that is available for the PS3. It could be a little hard for Sony to stop selling the game. It is true that Manchester is suffering from a gun problem, but the game showcases a fictional battle that to between humans and a different species. It would have been a different story if Resistance: Fall of Man portrayed gun battles between street gangs or the police.