Dead Space 2 Creative Director Denies Mocking Scientology

[Fearzone]

This is one more thing that makes me want to play Dead Space 2. More and more it is sounding like the Bioshock of 2011. From the demo, definitately it is subtler than Rapture, but at the same time, the gameplay is a lot better. Hopefully it isn't too short.

 

[Harkwell]

"...has denied claims that Unitology is a parody of Scientology. Despite certain similarities.."

Why not make fun of it? Fallout 2 had a major point in the game that completely ripped on it.

 

[Flamespeak]

Unitologists don't believe in aliens. They believe in ascending into another life form after their death. Unitologists don't mention theta or spiritual measurment or anything of the sort. They do have documents suggesting which people would be better manipulated mentally into becoming highly devout members of their church. It is little more than a massive ass cult.

I liked that the gave props to HP Lovecraft in DS2 though.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Dude... Scientology isn't really a religion anyway. Hell, Unitology sounds more believable then Scientology!!!

Though I have to give them props. Unitology does kinda creep me out much like the rest of the game.

 

[Xanadu84]

I believe them when they say that they were looking more broadly at religion and peoples beliefs then dissing Scientology specifically. It's hardly far-fetched, evil cults ruining everything by dealing with forces they shouldn't has been a horror staple since the dawn of time. Sure, Unitology does remind you of Scientology in general feel, but the blame for that lies firmly on Scientology. If you make something crazy, written by a science fiction author, then you are going to seem similar to other crazy science fiction.

I don't blame the developers for distancing themselves from Scientology criticism. They are busy people. They have things to do besides criticize Scientology. Just because we like seeing people stick it to Scientologists doesn't mean they have to drop everything to criticize them too.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

With no hint that unitology requires financial payments to get involved it can't be a direct reference to Scientology. It would have been wet your pants hysterical if Altman was modelled after Tom Cruise though!

It's been done!

Juan Cruz in Fallout 2:

 

[Callate]

It would be an easier pill to swallow if someone hadn't goofed up and put "Scientology" in the place of "unitology" in one part of the graphic novel that offered a prequel to DS1. Bit of a Freudian slip, there.

And, yes, the Scientologists have a bad reputation for doing their level best to put anyone who offers criticism of the organization through hell, so no, I can't blame them for trying to sidestep.

 

[Herr Wozzeck]

It would have been wet your pants hysterical if Altman was modelled after Tom Cruise though!

Actually, one of the tie-in materials for Dead Space (Martyr) takes everything that the Church of Unitology thinks is true about Michael Altman and brutally tears it to pieces. So... Altman being modelled after Tom Cruise is actually extremely unlikely. Details are in the spoiler tags.

Spoiler

According to the Dead Space Wiki, Michael Altman didn't actually found the Church of Unitology. He was just placed as the figurehead as a part of a cover-up by his superior on the government project that was working on deciphering the Black Marker. A cult formed during his lifetime after the discovery of the Black Marker, though, and the superior took advantage of that when he founded Unitology. Altman himself was kind of skeptical about the cult, actually, and he freaked out when he found out that he was apparently their prophet. (It ended up working to his advantage as he tried to find out more about the Black Marker, though.) And he actually knew the Marker was a threat, and actually tried to destroy it and an underwater facility full of Necromorphs. He ended up getting executed by his superior.

So yeah, it turns out that Unitology is a massive cover-up of its own origins. And it started under the mistaken assumption that a) the Marker started all evolution on Earth, and b) it grants eternal life.

I probably put it a bit confusingly. You can check this link for more:

http://deadspace.wikia.com/wiki/Dead_Space:_Martyr

I seriously doubt L. Ron Hubbard had quite this much turmoil to deal with when he wrote Dianetrics of his own free will.

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

I thought Scientology was a fraud, how is it religion now?

 

[fulano]

There's a very short saying: "If the coat fits..."

That's pretty much it.

 

[Jonesy911]

Scientology =/= religion. Anything that requires you to spend vast sums of money to move up and learn more is nothing more than a scam.

Have you heard of Mormonism? Just checking.

I am a mormon. Where are you going with this? From where I stand it looks like a dead end.

I saw a video that claimed it described what Mormons believed in, would you mind taking a look and telling me if this is what you as a Mormon do believe in?

So basically everyone who lived and died before Joseph Smith got fucked over? Harsh.

I bet that most Mormons are never even told about this stuff, much like how most Christians don't realise it's a sin to eat seafood.

 

[McNinja]

He said that the religion had been inspired by a Carl Sagan book called "The Demon-Haunted World," which suggested that there were patterns in beliefs. In the book, the rise of technology and science began to eliminate belief in magic and superstition; but when the technology got to the point where it was too advanced for most people to understand, they started to think in superstition and illogical terms again.

I feel like the creators of Warhammer 40,000 read the same book.

 

[Danpascooch]

Anyone who thinks Unitology is making fun of Scientology is just projecting their own belief that Scientology is as fucked up as Unitology.

Which makes it even more hilarious that it's being brought up by people trying to defend Scientology!

 

[theultimateend]

Would anyone be bothered if it did parody Scientology? It's not like anyone gives a crap about those bastards.

They would get sued.

That's the reason he made this announcement.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Uh...Unitology seemed like ever other crazy cult religion that pops up in games: Fanatics devoted to their belief so much (usually some form of horrible death described as evolving) that they are willing to kill everyone who disagrees. I'm currently playing Dead Space, and I couldn't help but notice that, while the crazy doctor preaches non-stop about the glory of these monsters and how they will be humanity's savior, he himself is still human and hasn't turned himself into one. Amazing how hypocritical crazy people are.

 

[Nick Holmgren]

Scientology =/= religion. Anything that requires you to spend vast sums of money to move up and learn more is nothing more than a scam.

Have you heard of Mormonism? Just checking.

[cough] catholicism [cough]

We can probably all just agree that 99% of involvement in any religion entails getting suckered out of your money.

yeah, scientology == just another religion, it just happens they are the only evil and sci-fi themed one (unless some new Zealand folk are on the dark side)

Oi! What's with us zealanders now?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealand

That's where I live! We ain't evil. Honest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon NEW Zealand's second most common religion seems the jedi faith.

 

[Baresark]

With no hint that unitology requires financial payments to get involved it can't be a direct reference to Scientology. It would have been wet your pants hysterical if Altman was modelled after Tom Cruise though!

Altman actually is a sham. In the book it explains that he was manipulated and used as figure head, postmortem. He was the guy responsible for stopping the first marker, the one they found on earth, hundreds of years before the events of the first Dead Space game.

OT: There are hints of every religion in there, but the outright mention of an alien marker that may or may not have created life on earth makes it seem like a direct shot at Scientology.... The scientific religion? Weird. Anyway, did some Scientologist say it was crack? Or are people just speculating?

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

This so called "new religion" is nothing more than a bunch of weird rituals designed to take away the money of fools. Now, let's say the Lord's prayer 40 times but first let's pass the collection plate.