Fury at Sony Cathedral Shootout Game

Jun 11, 03:15 AM

Current Headlines: THE Church of England is considering legal action against electronics giant Sony after Manchester Cathedral was featured in a violent computer game.

The cathedral's interior was used without permission in the Playstation 3 war game Resistance Fall of Man, which has sold more than one million copies. It features a shoot out in the cathedral's nave in which hundreds of soldiers are killed.

Church officials have branded the game 'highly irresponsible' especially given Manchester's history of gun crime. The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, said: 'For a global manufacturer to recreate one of our great cathedrals and then encourage people to have gun battles in the building is beyond belief.

'In Manchester, we know the reality of gun crime and the devastating effects it can have.' A cathedral spokesman said they were calling on Sony to apologise and withdraw the game, adding: 'We are consulting our legal advisers.' No one from Sony was available for comment. But a spokesman for the Japanese firm said earlier: 'It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction. It is not based on reality at all.'

(c) 2007 Mail on Sunday; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.