A few months ago, the Church was angry with Sony for using the images of the Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man. In fact, the then PM Tony Blair had spoken about it in the Parliament. Now, BBC News is reporting that the Dean of Manchester Cathedral wants the RFOM withdrawn from the BAFTA shortlist.
Manchester Cathedral Dean said in a statement, “It is a disgrace that Resistance: Fall of Man has been shortlisted. Sony has admitted that they did not have permission to film or use Manchester Cathedral in their computer game. Bafta should not be seen condoning such behavior unless they are saying it is acceptable for producers to walk into historic buildings and film interiors – ignoring contracts, rights and liability.”
Anne-Marie Flynn, who is the head of awards for Bafta explains, “Resistance: Fall Of Man has been nominated for the PC World Gamers’ Award – the only publicly-voted award in this year’s ceremony. The shortlist for the Gamers’ Award was effectively selected by the public, in that it comprised the top-selling games on each platform according to the games charts published by Chart Track.”
The Dean also felt that Sony’s response to his plea had been ‘very limited’ and fears that the churches, cathedrals and historic sites could be exploited. Last time, Sony had come out and apologized for it. However, it would be really harsh if they pull out Resistance: Fall of Man from the awards as the game is one of the best on the PS3.