Following Islamic Protest, It's Game Over for Faith Fighter
Following Islamic Protest, It's Game Over for Faith Fighter
April 28, 2009
In the wake of yesterday's controversy, Italian game provacateurs Molleindustria have pulled their Faith Fighter game from public view.
Although it was released more than a year ago, Faith Fighter was not on the mainstream media's radar until yesterday's Metro UK reported that religious leaders of various stripes were outraged by the game, which features Mortal Kombat-like matches between deities of several popular religions.
As the controversy grew, the Associated Press reported today that the influential, Saudi-based Organization of the Islamic Conference had called for the removal of Faith Fighter from the Internet. Accoring to the AP, the OIC called the game "incendiary in its content" and "offensive to Muslims and Christians."
In a message posted on the Faith Fighter website, Molleindustri's Paolo Pedercini blames Metro UK for "manufacturing" the controversy:
Faith Fighter was meant to be a game against intolerance that used over the top irony and a cartoonish style to express the instrumental use of religions.
Faith Fighter depicted in a mildly politically incorrect way all the major religions as a response to the one-way islamophobic satire of the Danish Mohammad cartoons.
If an established organization didn't understand the irony and the message of the game and is claiming it is inciting intolerance, we simply failed.
We suspect that people at OIC never played the game and only referred to the article on Metro UK that successfully manufactured this controversy.
Molleindustria also stopped by GamePolitics to post a comment on the controversy.
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Posted 02/09/10 at 03:51pm
DarkSaber: I think he just goes round the internet copy+pasting the same bollocks to get attention.
DarkSaber: I think he just goes round the internet copy+pasting the same bollocks to get attention.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:41pm
Valdearg: @DS: I have to admit, I chuckled when I saw the 4 Feb 2010 on that post.. >.<
Valdearg: @DS: I have to admit, I chuckled when I saw the 4 Feb 2010 on that post.. >.<
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:31pm
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:30pm
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:20pm
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:18pm
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:14pm
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:13pm
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:09pm
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:07pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:02pm
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Posted 02/09/10 at 02:50pm
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:16pm
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:10pm
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:00pm
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:53pm
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
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Comments
I just don't know what to make of that statement. You failed? Did you think that religious organizations would welcome the game with open arms? Do they ever understand irony? Was the goal here to actually get religious leaders to see things outside of their tiny little bubbles? I just don't get it.
And then on top of this the game is pulled. So another win for religious fanatics. Great.
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Believe in something! Even if it's wrong, believe in it! -Glenn Beck
They caved in First Konami now this....Will the world fall to censorship im scared.
Well, at least the people protesting Six Days in Fallujah probably aren't crazy enough that they wouldn't hunt you down and kill you like some of the crazy religious nuts.
"offensive to Muslims and Christians."
And Hindus, and Buddists, and Dauists...
Why is it the only "religions" that get any concideration are Christianity and Islam? Yeah, maybe it's offensive, but that really has nothing to do with this argument.
It's censorship. Wrong. Period.
It is unsual for offended religious peeps to mention other faiths at all.
I don't know. I have met some pretty violently militant anti-war nuts.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Oh yeah. And I know plenty of atheists and agnostics that can be every bit as radical and "religious" as any church-goer.
Really, radical agnostics? I guess I can sort of see that. My dad is an insanely anti-religious person, but he's agnostic. That sort of seems like you are just trying to cover all your bases though. I like how Stephen Colbert explains agnostics: Athiests without balls.
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Believe in something! Even if it's wrong, believe in it! -Glenn Beck
One of the best bumper stickers I've ever seen read:
"MILITANT AGNOSTIC
I don't know and neither do you"
=D
I consider myself one of those.
lawlz
Militant anything is fun. I fight to the death for my spiritual confusion!
Say maybe to the existence of a higher divine presence or get ready to meet your maker. Possibly.
First secure an independent income, then practice virtue. -Greek Proverb
I'm settling for sciencists. We haven't proven its existence, we haven't disproven it, so who am I to talk?
"I don't know. I have met some pretty violently militant anti-war nuts."
Okay, but when was the last time you heard of a militant anti-war nut blowing up a federal building, crashing a jet into a skyscraper, sending anthrax to politicians or going on a shooting spree at the office.
Anti-war 'nuts' tend to be a heck of a lot more sane than pro-gun nuts, religious nuts, ultra right wing nuts or just plain old nuts.
Yeah, you can remove it from the internet. because the internet forgets right?
To be fair, the Internet is not Anon. Anon is a group of people who use a part of the Internet (namely, places like 4chan) to shed their inhibitions and become the monsters you humans truly are.
Had an image that would help what I'm saying, but I can't get to it right now. I gotta edit it in once I get back from everything I'm doing.
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"The sun will always rise tomorrow. We can only live for today, and hope more days will come." -Unknown
We are the internet
We do not forgive
We do not forget
Expect us
also, read rules 1 and 2, maggot
Rules 1 and 2 only apply to raids, maggot. Plus, Rule 8.
Plus, I found that pic I was looking for earlier. Here it is.
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"The sun will always rise tomorrow. We can only live for today, and hope more days will come." -Unknown
Perhaps an Islamic protest carries more weight than a Christian/Jewish/Buddhist one. After all, Theo Van Gogh was hardly an isolated incident.
Oh wait, we're supposed to ignore all this and buy into that "religion of love" crap.
actually, when you think about that, all religions have that "Religion of love" statement, not just islam.
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We're all outta PIE! and adult comic books! and i've misplaced my Turbografix!!!
I'm sure I left a reply here somewhere....
Apparantly EZK has a problem with people saying that SOME muslims are suicide bombers and that other muslims excuse this behaviour by saying 'It's not all of us, most of us are softies!'
EZK: No, I have a problem with people stereotyping people. AS gamers we have been fighting to remove the negative stereotypes applied to us. The least we can do is avoid labeling others with stereotypes.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
So apparently, saying bombers are bombers and that some people of the same religion turn a blind eye to them and make excuses is stereotyping?
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Don't feel too bad; I got pissed off when EZK snipped me too. ^^
"HEY! LISTEN!"
*SNIP* EZK: Please don't stereotype a large group of people.
How about we start spamming Metro and its collected moral majority with links to every. single. religiously offensive game we can find?
Ha, I remember when Metro tried to manufacture controversy over TOCA Race Driver when they'd been duped with a poorly photoshopped picture depicting illegal street racing being in the game.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Hey EZK: I said a hundred, not all of them. Take your head out of your ass, SOME muslims are suicide bombers and editing posts that say as much is not going to change that.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Yes you said a hundred. But it was not what you said, but the intent. Your intent came across as trying to paint Islam in a bad light. That is why it was edited.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
No, my intent was to make fun of the extremist terroists that exist within Islam just itching for an excuse to martyr themselves. They are the ones who make the 'religion of peace' look bad.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
That may have been your intent, but the actual statement came accross as labeling the people who did complain about the game as suicide bombers.
I am not going to argue the point further. You can call them Zealots or whatever, but when you start painting them using stereotypes, that is when you have gone too far.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
That's not what I said or how I said it at all, and if you hadn't deleted the post everyone would have seen the bullshit you're spouting.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Don't bother arguing with him DS. I saw your original post and understood your point. Funny how people on this site can bash christians all day long, but once someone mentions islam, watch the fuck out! Can't have an opinion about that! Might offend the muslims!
Such bullshit.
Hell, I'd say the majority of commenters on here are very against censorship of any kind. I really dislike this censorship of comments, by both EZK and AE. I'm not saying it's not within their rights but cmon. Ban obvious trolls, but when you're cutting off speech because it's 'sterotyping' people groups that's ridiculous.
So if I start calling gamers all murderers and child molesters, especially since they turn a blind eye to the fact some gamers actually are, and complain how all of you say "but we're not like that!", you're going to respond how exactly? Pretty sure that would be out of line in the eyes of many, including my own.
Hey, it is not just when someone 'mentions islam'. It is when people post inflamitory stereotypes. I delete inflamatory posts about Christians as well. We have removed and edited numerous posts about several faiths.
I don't mind people debating the merits of a group of people's choice to call for the banning or censoring of a game, but when it comes down to baseless attacks on the faith of those people, that is when enough is enough.
It is much the same way as godwining or ad hominem atacks. Pointlessly inflammatory.
Also in case anyone here needs a reminder about posting rules:
Users may voice their opinions freely, so long as the content of the information posted to this site is not threatening, menacing, racist, obscene, defamatory, an invasion of someone’s privacy rights, a violation of intellectual property rights or otherwise illegal, injurious or objectionable to Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA)
The bolded bit is why I deleted the original comments. Those are the rules. I only enforce them.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
So to quote the avatar, from the Community Manager Game Master at International Ragnarok Online: First amendment?
...
Pffft!!!
Not in my forums.
As much as people would like to think, First Amendment does NOT apply to every insult you can think up. Calling a cop a pedophile in his face is bound to get you in trouble. Second, it does not apply on websites. Every website is someone's own private area, and you have to abide by their rules. You can either suck it up or leave, but arguing the rules after you break them is a wrong place to start.
So saying some Muslims are suicide bombers is racist and/or defamatory rather than statement of fact is it?
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Uh, this is a forum about games, right? Take it on LIVE!, guys.
"HEY! LISTEN!"
You know, I can understand people lying about what other people said, but why are you trying to misrepresent your own words? Are you that desperate to prove yourself right that you'd even try to deceive yourself about your own actions?
Molleindustria do not give in! You are letting a group of zealots determine what people are and are not allowed to see! This is now bigger than you! Don't give in!
Censorship is fun Censorship makes me sing
I find Mohammad's image offensive; censor it
I find Jesus's image offensive; censor it
I find a can of soup offensive; censor it
I find this game offensive; censor it
I find your face offensive; censor it
Burn a Book Burn them all they have words that may be wrong.
Its a victory I say a victory I claim we have won the way is paved
But wait what is this what do I behold its a link Oh no
it can't be true it can't be said the game is not completely dead.
Nice. When I clicked the link, the game had exactly 666 user reviews. Now that is funny,
Bowing to the will of zealots?
I'm deeply, deeply disappointed.
First Little Big Planet, then Konami, now this?
The world is becoming a crappier place day by day. :(
Actually the removal of the lyrics in LBP was done by the company's decision alone. Muslim groups were then angered by it's removal. So it wasn't "bowing to the will of zealots", but rather MediaMolecule trying to be overly politically correct and failing horribly.
-Ultimately what will do in mankind is a person's fear of their own freedom-
The lyrics were removed after people complained.
They were angered by the lyrics and complained to Sony, who (stupidly) removed them after some zealots complained.
Don't try and whitewash what happened.
Thats how I remember it, in fact they complained saying it was wrong for the lyrics to be in it and the musician (you know they guy whose opinion actually should matter about something he wrote) said he was honored for it to be in a game and his music in no way was against Allah that in fact it was all done in honor of Allah. But thats why you can't listen to Zealots theres a reason they are Zealots they are insane.
Can you give us an article or something to back up what you're saying? Because otherwise I'm with Erik. They thought the lyrics were going to be offensive, and pushed back release so they could take it out. Unfortunately, they ended up doing the very thing they were trying not to do by taking out the lyrics. There was even an article here on GP that covered it.
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"The sun will always rise tomorrow. We can only live for today, and hope more days will come." -Unknown
And now censorship on these comment boards?
Wow. Just wow.
Hey, it's either that or we become the gamer's version of /b/. You really wanna have something like that happen, however unlikely it might be?
"HEY! LISTEN!"
But the game is still up on other sites.
And Jesus man they didn't think this would draw ANY controversy? You're dealing with politics and religion so of course there's going to be nutcase groups who will take offense to it.
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Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.
And, ironically, the site has probably generated more traffic in two days than it has in the past year thanks to the controversy. I hope they at least had the sense to double up on ad space while it lasted--what better way to stick it to the rabble-rousers?
CounterfeitCulture.com: Gaming news and commentary for the socially-adjusted nerd.
Aren't we meant to be over this crap already? An age of enlightenment when people finally start to question why we are genetically programmed into desperately needing some sort of higher power that does nothing except kill us all in nasty ways if we don't obey?
But no. I suppose they received a ton of death threats, so felt it wasn't worth it anymore.
Good going religions of the world! You've proved once more that you're all about peace and love. Love for yourself and peace through threatening to slaughter anyone who disagrees with you!
Before anyoen argues that this isn't censorship, they were threatened into removing the game, making it censoreship.
The game is still up elsewhere of course.
looks like theres an update to the statement
In few hours this statement generated a way more heated reactions than the release of the game. We are not "bowing to the foundamentalists", we have no sympathy for any religion but we are aware that muslims are victim of widespread racism in the western world. This islamofobia is functional to the imperial interests in Middle East and all over the world. We just want to make clear that the game was not intended to contribute to the media-assisted narrative "islamic world vs freedom of speech".
Watching JT on GP is just like watching an episode of Jerry springer only as funny as the fights
If they don't want to spread Islamophobia, they could keep the game up.
You know, and prove they're not afraid of a few pissed off Muslims.
I would like to ask the people at Molleindustria to shut the f**k up. Either keep the game or drop it, but don't drop it and bawl about it.
Once again, free speech is trumped by religious complaining. Oh well, you can still find the game on Newgrounds.
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
If we censore everything that someone finds offensive, eventually there will be nothing left to censore period. We're heading down that route very quickly people.
In Scapegoats We Trust
I find censorship offensive can we censor that?
Seems the source for the game is still up on the molleindustria @ http://www.molleindustria.org/faith-fighter-source
Religious zealotry ruins everything.
Uuuuunless you didn't look at it from his point of view, and threw a hissy-fit over what you perceived as a blatant attack on an entire religion instead of a poorly-backed but no-less-scathing misspoken sentence?
...I'm just sayin'... ^^;
"HEY! LISTEN!"
I said some, not all, not most. If EZK hadn't censored my original comment you wouldn't have just made a tit of yourself.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Self-righteous tirade? On MY internet?
I did not find insulting that a game with unreal characters that had been in our minds for so long is created,
I dont get whats wrong with these people, i tried to play at the developers page but unfortunately they removed
for real, tell me whats wrong with this? http://www.iskullgames.com/faith-fighter/
For me it is looks ok...
"And once zealots and nutters rang on their doorbell, all courage left them in the blink of an eye..."
Same old story again.
ZAR.