LittleBigPlanet Delayed Due to "Offensive Content"
Xbox fanboys like to refer to Sony’s console as the Delaystation. It’s true that stuff for the console frequently suffers delays. However, I’d rather have a game delayed and end up with a quality product rather than have it released on time and end up with a piece of trash, which frequently occurs with PC titles. Once again, LittleBigPlanet has been delayed, with Media Molecule and Sony pushing its release date back one week. However, this is a delay that never should have happened.
I have an allergy to BS. Whenever someone presents BS to me, I suffer from severe irritation. Apparently, some music tracks in LBP are rumoured to have lines from the Quaran in them. This has upset Muslims. Sony and MM are keeping mum on what exactly this offensive content might be. One PSU reader noted in the comment section that the offending lines are “”kollo nafsin tha’iqatol mawt”, literally: ‘Every soul shall have the taste of death'” and “”kollo man alaiha fan”, literally: ‘All that is on earth will perish'” I try to keep politics out of this blog but it just upsets me since Islam is a religion that is literally offended by everything. Rather, I should say that there are certain people in Islam who deliberately look for things to be offended by. What’s happening to LBP concerning “Islamic references” is nothing new. As far back as 1998, Muslims complained about the star and crescent moon symbol appearing in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The symbol appears on movable blocks in the game as well as prominently in the Spirit Temple. Muslims had demanded the symbol be removed, which Nintendo eventually did. The original gold cartridge and the original grey cartridge (which I own) versions still have it. Assassin’s Creed, which also has references to Islam, contains a content disclaimer. I am personally outraged that religious interests are dictating our culture when we supposedly live in a secular society. It’s blatant censorship. Now, some people might think I’m being silly since LittleBigPlanet is just a video game. It goes beyond that though. This seems to stem from a single complaint since the game is only publicly available a closed beta. The fact that one person can wield so much influence by simply claiming religious offense is disturbing.
I personally don’t even know how these lines got are in there, or even if they are actually there at all. It’s not like this is unheard of. Back in the 60s and 70s, religious interests claimed they could hear secret satanic messages in rock songs played backwards. Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven is perhaps the most famous. (If you have the CD version, you can try for yourself by using a program like Audacity to reverse the song. I personally didn’t hear anything. I don’t recommend doing it with a turntable since you can damage the needle, and Led Zeppelin 4 LP is a valuable album) An Atlantic Records executive laid final word by famously proclaiming that their turntables only run on one direction, forward. In all likelihood, this is just some religious zealot hearing things that aren’t there. Still, we have to endure another delay for rubbish like this. It’s not fair, it’s not right, yet the media continues to cowtoe to special interests so there’s nothing we can do. My message to Sony and MM is not to let this happen again. By that I don’t mean the “lyrics”, but delays over nonsense complaints.
Source: PSU
