Norwegian King Denies Boy's Request to Change Name to Sonic
Norwegian King Denies Boy's Request to Change Name to Sonic
April 25, 2009
Norway's King Harald V stepped in recently when a six-year-old boy sought to change his name to "Sonic X."
As reported by Gamezine, the lad, whose given name is Christer, wrote to the King with his request:
Sadly, the King could not change Christer's name, but not because the change would result in a child running around with a ridiculous video game character's title. No, the request was rejected for the sole reason that at six-years-old, Christer was not old enough to make such a decision. Thus, the boy must contact King Harald V in twelve years time once he's turned 18.
Christer admitted that he was disappointed...
Sega is apparently sending the lad some Sonic-themed swag to ease his disappointment.
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Posted 12/09/09 at 11:11am
DarkSaber: In other shocking news, after trying the trial and quite liking it, I actually BOUGHT the Guild Wars trilogy today.
DarkSaber: In other shocking news, after trying the trial and quite liking it, I actually BOUGHT the Guild Wars trilogy today.
Posted 12/09/09 at 10:03am
Valdearg: Lulz
Valdearg: Lulz
Posted 12/09/09 at 09:42am
Austin_Lewis: I would gnaw my arm off. Or yours.
Austin_Lewis: I would gnaw my arm off. Or yours.
Posted 12/09/09 at 09:18am
Valdearg: @A_L: Hey, you and I both know that being handcuffed together would be pretty miserable. LOL
Valdearg: @A_L: Hey, you and I both know that being handcuffed together would be pretty miserable. LOL
Posted 12/09/09 at 08:20am
JDKJ: Zippy breath smell zackly. Zackly like his butt-hole.
JDKJ: Zippy breath smell zackly. Zackly like his butt-hole.
Posted 12/09/09 at 08:12am
JDKJ: Why is your typing and spelling suddenly so improved, Zippy? Are you trying to impress someone? Like, perhaps, sharpshooterbabe? Zippy an' sharpshooter sittin' in a tree, but ain't no K-I-S-S-I-N-G goin' on 'cause Zippy's got the bad ass-breath.
JDKJ: Why is your typing and spelling suddenly so improved, Zippy? Are you trying to impress someone? Like, perhaps, sharpshooterbabe? Zippy an' sharpshooter sittin' in a tree, but ain't no K-I-S-S-I-N-G goin' on 'cause Zippy's got the bad ass-breath.
Posted 12/09/09 at 08:06am
JDKJ: Texas. Where the men and men, the steers are nervous, and the women are as stupid as stupid gets. Go Longhorns!!
JDKJ: Texas. Where the men and men, the steers are nervous, and the women are as stupid as stupid gets. Go Longhorns!!
Posted 12/09/09 at 07:47am
Austin_Lewis: Val: Screw you too, buddy. Seriously though, she is pretty damn stupid. It's like she doesn't understand sarcasm, or an explanation of sarcasm. Either way, she repeatedly misses the boat.
Austin_Lewis: Val: Screw you too, buddy. Seriously though, she is pretty damn stupid. It's like she doesn't understand sarcasm, or an explanation of sarcasm. Either way, she repeatedly misses the boat.
Posted 12/09/09 at 02:35am
ZippyDSMlee: Jedeyethefreak: replied to youer comment in the french court article, hope to hear from you!
ZippyDSMlee: Jedeyethefreak: replied to youer comment in the french court article, hope to hear from you!
Posted 12/09/09 at 01:48am
ZippyDSMlee: Another ECA statement about all the troubles of late and why the forums are down. http://tiny.cc/OW5dn
ZippyDSMlee: Another ECA statement about all the troubles of late and why the forums are down. http://tiny.cc/OW5dn
Posted 12/08/09 at 10:34pm
Valdearg: Lets put it this way, I'd rather spend the rest of my life handcuffed to Austin_Lewis than to tolerate SSB's presence for another second. She's that insanely stupid.
Valdearg: Lets put it this way, I'd rather spend the rest of my life handcuffed to Austin_Lewis than to tolerate SSB's presence for another second. She's that insanely stupid.
Posted 12/08/09 at 10:33pm
Valdearg: @JDKJ: I'll probably make public her blatant stupidity until she leaves.. I really, really, really, really don't like her.
Valdearg: @JDKJ: I'll probably make public her blatant stupidity until she leaves.. I really, really, really, really don't like her.
Posted 12/08/09 at 10:22pm
ZippyDSMlee: jd:still whining abotu others I see :P
ZippyDSMlee: jd:still whining abotu others I see :P
Posted 12/08/09 at 09:51pm
JDKJ: Damn, Val. Still whinging about sharpshooterbabe? That girl put a spell on you, it looks like.
JDKJ: Damn, Val. Still whinging about sharpshooterbabe? That girl put a spell on you, it looks like.
Posted 12/08/09 at 09:49pm
JDKJ: Damn, Zip. Still whinging about the forums being down?
JDKJ: Damn, Zip. Still whinging about the forums being down?
Posted 12/08/09 at 08:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: I think that's better...mmm yyeessss
ZippyDSMlee: I think that's better...mmm yyeessss
Posted 12/08/09 at 08:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: Religion is all well and fine until they expect you to believe that god is only for the chosen for whom he chooses by the people he has chosen that tell you that they were chosen by him....
ZippyDSMlee: Religion is all well and fine until they expect you to believe that god is only for the chosen for whom he chooses by the people he has chosen that tell you that they were chosen by him....
Posted 12/08/09 at 07:06pm
ZippyDSMlee: .¬..... uuhhgggg..¬.. get over it people if "God" is not light, love and forgiveness its shadow, ambiguity, division, hatred and annoyed annoying spitefulness.
ZippyDSMlee: .¬..... uuhhgggg..¬.. get over it people if "God" is not light, love and forgiveness its shadow, ambiguity, division, hatred and annoyed annoying spitefulness.
Posted 12/08/09 at 07:06pm
ZippyDSMlee: Hey vlag you might like this rant of mine, Religion is all well and fine until they expect you to believe that god is only for the chosen for whom he chooses by the people he has chosen...
ZippyDSMlee: Hey vlag you might like this rant of mine, Religion is all well and fine until they expect you to believe that god is only for the chosen for whom he chooses by the people he has chosen...
Posted 12/08/09 at 07:03pm
ZippyDSMlee: Hal just told me the forums will be down a while more :P
ZippyDSMlee: Hal just told me the forums will be down a while more :P
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
Shame the name Sonic does not hold as big a commonplace as Mario... (duh!)
Honestly, if you are gonna change you're name, change it to something badass, but convincing; - Max Fightmaster (Yes, that's the real name of a real guy! Look it up!)
Anyways, that's not the case, but anyways... GP community...?
What would your game-related names be?
Weighted Companion Cube!
I would absolutely love to get my name changed to that!
Max Power
E74.
/b
Overlord Laharl (and hopes people don't get the reference)
*Cackles Evily*
Disgaea, isn't it?
I hate it when people end statements with "Look it up!"
Don't hate on me!!
I would've provided a link, but I am at work at time... (company computers block certain sites)
So I'll gladly EDIT my post with a link later.
Except that you can't edit posts that received replies. =)
Michael Chandra: Ha ha, NOW I know.... it feels pointless to post it now...
SeanB: Well seeing as how I can't EDIT my posts, I'll put a link on proof of the existence of the Fightmaster in the shoutbox on request.
Oh come on, hasn't anyone jumped the PAYNE yet?
srsly... I'm disappointed in you, GP'ers!
I considered it but it requires a last name to fit properly.
...Max Payne... I envy your Name!
I'd rather have the name Harry Keogh.
Sabin Rene Figaro
I'd rather just be called Blitz if I was going that route.
"What would your game-related names be?"
star fox!
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Can't let you use the name, Star Fox.
==========================================================
We're all outta PIE! and adult comic books! and i've misplaced my Turbografix!!!
Heh, Wolf O'Donnell FTW.
I'm surprised no one's come up with Douglas Falcon yet.
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"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
UUDDLRLRBA
The most invincible and unpronouncable name ever.
Sol Badguy!
"Science asks how, and faith asks why"
Gato Gonzales. I'll give out 15 Silver Points to the one who can triumph over my metal joints and figure out where that came from.
-----------------------------
"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
You're not referring to the boxer, are you?
Well.... a game is a game.
Nah, it's Chrono Trigger. :P The fight you do at the fair or whatever where you beat a cat robot that for some reason likes to rhyme and win silver points.
PHOENIXZERO: +15 Silver Points
"Gonzales" was his Japanese name, and, ironically, Mario's alias while fighting in the Glitz Pit.
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"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
Meh bad game he will regret that change in his future years
How the hell is Sonic a bad game? Sure, some of the more recent ones kinda suck a little, but the early games were good.
EDIT: Oh, and the fan works. "Sonic VS Super Sonic", "Sonic's Quest For Power", and "Tails and his GBA" (all three can be found on NewGrounds) were seriously sweet.
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"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
First, the sonic games are nothing but a shell of their former glory...
second of all he wanted to name himself "Sonic X" which is the title for the god awful latest sonic anime tv series... oh yes, in 10 years, the kid will be thanking the king for stopping him from making such a stupid decision
IMO Sonic X isn't that bad. It did have the unique idea of bringing the characters to our world, as Mobius is an alternate world. Plus the character development in that series alone was pretty neat.
Plus it was Sonic X that got me into the Sonic series. IMO, the recent games, despite the fact that overall they kinda suck (my friend Ash didn't like Sonic Unleashed despite getting into Secret Rings and Black Knight), they had some really neat features that probably should be imported into a future game.
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"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
Agreed that it wasn't bad. It wouldn't have been bad if 4 kids hadn't gotten their grubby mitts on the localization rights, as well as have their names in the credits of every sonic game since then (from sonic heroes onward)
I remember a site that used to show all the cuts they made to the english version (the site died long ago). They took out 5 minutes of the second last episode and made what would have been an awesome ending to the series suck bad. I watched the uncut french version and the comparison was unbelievable.
Parents are too overprotective over what's on TV these days. I compare fox kids which I loved watching as recently as about 8 years ago to what its become today, makes me feel sorry for the new generations.
Truth be told I'm jealous of my parents for having stuff like Bugs Bunny on TV when they were little.
I wouldn't say the idea of bringing the characters to Earth was unique, since I gather the series was loosely based on the Sonic Adventure games, and those took place on Earth as established within the games themselves.
On top of that, the existence of Mobius as the planet of origin for Sonic was apparently a mistranslation. The Japanese versions of the old games, as I understand it, took place on Earth as well.
I'm nitpicky about continuity.
---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.
Wow, this kid is a serious Sonic fan. My friend Ash would be surprised.
[/offtopic]
I sympathize with Christer, but Harald is right. He's not old enough to change his name. Either way, ouch.
-----------------------------
"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
I have two friends who have actually contemplated changing their names to:
Some Guy
Great Justice
I lol'd. Anyway, the King probably just felt he would change his mind over time. Pretty funny story though, and glad Sega are being good sports about it (though obvious press move is detected)
Great Justice would have been an awsome name. whenever he asks a favor of you, and someone asks about it, you would be able to say "I'm doing ________ for Great Justice!"
Launch Zig
岩「…Where do masochists go when they die?」
Norway has always stood in the way of progress.
Forget Norway!, etc
/b
KENYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Oh Kenya, where the giraffes are... And the zebras!
Kenya believe it?
---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.
I had forgotten Norway had a King. No wonder their metal is still about forest trolls and vikings and shit. They're stuck hundreds of years back.
I didn't know they had a King either. I thought they were an autonomous collective.
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.
Well it was worth a try I guess. Sonic is not a terrible name just... out there a bit. I do find myself surprised that this went all the way up to the attention of the King though. Talk about slow news (or slow politics) days.
I wonder if the kid was planning to join the track team? lol
They call him Sonic, Sonic, faster than lightning,
No-one you see, is smarter than he...
Whoops, wrong show!
GameSnooper
Dude, he knighted a Penguin, so this shouldn't be a big deal.
ankanpoikanen.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/inspection500.jpg
------ Ago. Perceptum. Teneo.
yeah, but you gotta admit, that penguin is badass.
It is not murder; I am merely advancing the hands of the clock, just a bit.
Why hasn't anyone claimed that the King is anti-games because of this? That he is part of a conspiracy to bring down games? Where is the typical paranoia?
Once more you're confusing paranoia and sceptism. May I advise a dictionary?
Thank you, come again!
Because this isn't an article about a delay for the PC release of a multiplatform game. That seems to be the only circumstance where what you described is commonplace or even considered "acceptable". Damn PC fundamnetalists.
How exactly am I confusing paranoia with sceptism?
I'm suprised that there hasn't been the typical victimisation from gamers here who are constantly paranoid that someone is out there to bring down games. I'm sceptical over their typical paranoia.
Well, you can pick. Option A, you're a troll. Option B, you're extremely biased. Option C, you're mixing the two up and are paranoid over typical skeptical behaviour. Truth be told I'm assuming option D given the way you always act in discussions anything like this, always seeking to point out so-called paranoia.
Yes, I do normally point out gamer-paranoia (the typical response to any article that could be construed as being negative towards games). I may technically appear paranoid about gamer-paranoia, but I simply pointed out the fact that that it the normal response from many people regarding these sort of issues.
You still haven't pointed out why I need to use a dictionary, or how I apparently confused the two words: 'paranoia' and 'scepticism', therefore it leads me to assume that you are confused on my initial point.
Regardless the boy was not allowed to change his name because he was not old enough, perhaps when he's old enough he'll decide to change his name to another computer game character, Princess Peach for instance. Sega got good PR out of this as it appears a child likes their products so much he wanted to be named after it (remember when Acclaim asked parents to name their newly-born 'Turok' for some PR?).
Hold it, what's Option D?
(As a pre-emptive strike against critical replies, I failed to understand what Mike meant and I'm asking for clarification. Assuming he most likely placed the meaning in his post.)
-----------------------------
"The sun ever rises on the morrow. We can only live for today, and trust that other days will follow." -Unknown
.....why?
They call me Void Walker
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hookers and Ice Cream aren't free. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/stolen-pixels/5137-...
I call dibs on HK-47!
good call by the king. changing his name to sonic would be even worse than getting that ridiculous tattoo that you regret, years later.
It is not murder; I am merely advancing the hands of the clock, just a bit.
Yeah. Because it's totally easier to remove a tattoo than change your name.
At least with a tattoo removal, you get a scar to remind you of how stupid you were back then, and to never be that stupid again. You can always shred the evidence of stupid-name-changing.
Hopefully his friends wouldn't let him live it down. I don't think there's a Norwegian equivalent of Los Angeles where people flock to to abandon their old life.
Sure there is. It's called Scotland. *runs*
I'm Charlie Owens, good night, and good luck.
The name's Snake. Solid Snake.
"Sega is apparently sending the lad some Sonic-themed swag to ease his disappointment."
I hope this is in jest. If Sega is indeed doing this, then they should be ashamed for encouraging such stupidity.
Dude this is a 6 year old we are talking about, not normally the smartest beings around. I think it is a sound PR move for them and costs them little to nothing.
Kids say the damnest things and get all kinds of useless (to adults) things. They do tend to grow out of it given enough time (though some seem to need 30-40 years).
Have a feeling the given name was also a factor, albeit a minor one.
The power of Christer compels you!
Bob Johnson! .....oh wait
Big McLargeHuge!
I'm Charlie Owens, good night, and good luck.
Pac Man!!
I think that to the kid, his hegehog will always be Sonic X in his eyes.
Nobody should tell him what to name his pet except for himself and his parents.
Wonder what I'd get for requesting my name to be Ryu Hayabusa
"That's not ironic. That's justice."
I've often wondered the same thing...
"De minimus non curat lex"
Lets hope when he grows up he doesn't try to live it through his kids.. I knew twins called Gandalf and Merlin. Their brother was called Frodo.
"We never paid any heed to the ancient prophecies... Like fools we clung to the old hatreds, and fought as we had for generations"
That is like a form of child abuse X.x
Then again, I know a girl named Eowyn.
At age 6 af boy (of course) thinks that he needs to contact the King (of Norway) to change his name. However, the King of Norway has no power to allow this change at all since in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the Monarcy (kings and queens etc) have no political power at all - anymore.
If he, at age 18, wants to change his name, he could of course, try to write to the King again. He would then probably get a letter saying that ne needs to contact the Secretary of Justice or the Justice Department in order to change his name.
When he turns 18 he should change it to "Sonic XXX" because then he'll be three times XTREME!
Or umm, well the other option...
i would love the name tom fingerbang. lol
I should change my last name to that of the blue-haired chick from Neon Genesis Evangelion, for shits and giggles.
Or R2 D2.
--Raymond A.
MAXIMUS ASSKICKINGTON!
There have always been motherf*ckers, there will always be motherf*ckers, but what we can't do is let them control our motherf*cking lives. -John Oliver, December 1st, 2008