Friday, October 17, 2008

Little Big Nerd Rage

If you follow video games and the video game industry you probably know by now that Sony delayed its marquee first party exclusive, Little Big Planet, a week today and recalled discs already shipped to retailers. Why? As MediaMolecule, the developer of Little Big Planet, explains on their website:


We learnt yesterday that there is a lyric in one of the licensed tracks which some people may find offensive, and which slipped through the usual screening processes. Obviously MM and Sony together took this very seriously. LBP should be enjoyable by all. So within 12 hours of hearing about this issue involving a lyric (in Somalian, I believe!), we prepared an automatic day 0 patch and had a new disk image ready; however a decision was made within Sony that the right thing to do for quality and support of people with no on-line was to replace existing disks.


Oops.

Specifically the music tracks contain expressions directly from the Qu'ran. I've been told since that expressions or quotations from the Qu'ran set to music is considered offensive to Muslims. Double oops on Sony's part. And to Sony's credit they decided to walk on the side of caution and tolerance, taking an extra week to yank out the possibly offending song.

I decided to peek over at NeoGAF to see how "the gaming public" (the .05% of it at least that has a GAF account in good sted) was taking this news. And never turning up a opportunity to live down to their reputation as a repository of douchebaggery the community that is NeoGAF once more proved Denis Dyack right and served up a help of vile comments worthy of a Sarah Palin stump speech.



From User Maladev:

I'm too pissed off to express my real feelings towards Sony and some oversensitive Muslims. Too fucking pissed off.



From User Durante:

Fuck delusional idiots for ruining everyone else's fun since they can't have any.
Fuck SCEE for giving in to a few bullies.



From User Mdk7:

i have to shut up, it's better not to write what i'm thinking at the moment.
Let's say it's just "SURREAL", Islam is getting really really powerful these days.




From User Saren is Bad:

This cannot be serious...so close to a release date to push it three weeks when you can just patch it? People need to quit getting pissy over simple stuff, the Muslims that were offended need to suck it up so that everyone else doesnt have to suffer the consequences of their babyish attitutdes. Seriously...wtf?



From User AnimeTheme:

Islam... a religion that I find hard to understand from time to time. Sometimes it seems so easy to offend Muslims (and we all know offending them or their religion can be very dangerous...) even when it is not intentional most of the time...



From User GreekWolf:

What's inherently wrong about your entire argument, is that you're mistaking tolerance for intellectual stupidity.

Being forced to endure a co-worker's annoying habits is an example of tolerance. Attempting to keep peace within the family, by making a concerted effort to get along with your rude and condescending mother-in-law, is an example of tolerance.

Bending over backwards and submitting to the irrational demands of delusional individuals, who frighteningly pattern their entire thought process and behavior on the ancient writings of violent, schizophrenic madmen, is an example of intellectual stupidity.

Is that clear enough for you, or should I spell it out even further?


This person trying to respond and rebutt to this bit of blather was banned by Mods. Yes, the person trying to rebuke the racist ass-clown was banned. Great job there, Lou.

And this goes on and on and on for (as of this writing) 34 pages of vile, racist, bigoted spewing by fanboys upset that a game was delayed. Yes, a game. Thank your Preferred Maker that this was only a game. One wonders how they same enraged nerds would deal with an actual set back in real life. Needless to say I am once more dismayed by my own tribe. As a person who has played video games and actually managed to grow-up at the same time I am discouraged to find that the subculture of gaming failed to do likewise, instead becoming lodged in a state of permanent libertarian adolescence. This why, even though just about every one plays video games, the stigma around being a gamer hangs particularly thick. It is hard to prove your not an ass-clown when surrounded by ass-clowns.