Hindus Want Smite Out of QuakeCon

[RaikuFA]

Most likely, they'll sue the makers over wasting their time and probably win.

Also: Digital Devil Saga.

Well, if they'd do that I guess I could see a point in all this...

And yeah, wonder why they've let Mr. Shin Megami freely spread the evil and blasphemy all this time with no repercussions. It must have something to do with the way the whole game as a concept is so bizarre that Shin Megami Tensei frightens them or something...

It might be because 1. SMT is very niche or 2. Tangential learning.

Though 2 could be applied to Smite.

 

[MortisLegio]

Spoiler: I can believe I haven't used this more

OT:I get the overall reason, but why can't people just be offended anymore. Seems like every group gets offended at the slightest things.

 

[ratboy]

"Videogame makers should be more sensitive while handling faith related subjects, as these games left lasting impact on the minds of highly impressionable children, teens and other young people," Zed added.

Irony summed up on one sentence.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

They must be outraged when they're at QuakeCon, enjoying their usual games and have to see all this.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

To be fair, the group is being quite polite in their protest. I don't agree with it, but I wouldn't quite call them zealots.

However, I do want to say that people have drawn inspiration and iconography from religion for as long as there has been religion, and that this one use isn't really something that's worth getting in a huff over, especially as they have gods from multiple pantheistic religions.

 

[Ukomba]

Oh Hindus, Christians, Muslims, and everyone else! If you don't like a product, just don't buy it! It can't be pleasant to always have your knickers in a twist because of people who don't think the same way that you do. Unbunch your drawers and carry on with your lives.

That does tend to be the reaction of the vast majority of Christians, Hindus, and American Muslims. The press just likes to focus on the angry group because it's hard to write an article about all the churches that are just ignoring it. Remember all those articles about how Hindus weren't angry about the names of the Final Fantasy Summons?

So the media is to blame, and not the various religious groups that make a ruckus? That's what you're saying?

It's true. A small group of folks can make a big ruckus in the media. And it's a good thing that we have enlightened people like you to remind us of that fact every time one of them makes a stir.

But they're always making a stir, and there are enough of them, at least in America, to influence everything from game conventions to public policy. If we just say that the majority are laid back and that the media is blowing everything out of proportion, we may be accurate, but we're not giving enough credit to these groups' ability to influence things that affect us.

And giving them large amounts of publicity is exactly what they want. That's my point. Stories like this just validate these groups. It's why you really don't see political candidates responding to what 3rd and 4th party candidates say. They aren't important and acknowledging their existence just helps them.

 

[AngryFrenchCanadian]

I just took around half a minute to brainstorm what Christian deities would be. I could see God, Lucifer, Archangels (One whose name I couldn't remember), and I'm not sure who else, but the bible has a lot of options (i.e. Goliath, Solomon, anyone else)

Now that you mention it, I'd start playing the game if they actually included them. I'd be so awesome to say "Yep, I punched God in the face", or when playing as God saying "I SHALL SMITE THEE!".

Best part is that I'm a Christian and I'd be totally OK with it.

 

[RubyT]

There'd be a shitstorm if Jesus was a playable character. And there'd be guaranteed death if Muhammad was. Them just trying to get Smite out is actually a mild reaction by religious standards.

 

[Epic Fail 1977]

Pfft, religion is so ridiculously fragile. If it had any strength or merit, Hinduism wouldn't be threatened by a monster in a videogame.

 

[TwiZtah]

Ahh religious people, always taking everything too damn seriously.

 

[Pearwood]

Hmm I can see both sides. I was behind the protesters last time this happened because what they were asking for was small and made no difference and was reasonable given how important their religion is to them, now I think they're getting greedy. The response they got is enough to put religious concerns to rest at least in my opinion.

 

[Jason Bignell]

You know, I'm gonna be the supposed "bad guy," and side with the Hindi. I mean, this is a game that takes a revered goddess, and turns her into a fucking punching bag. It rather blatantly trivializes a huge aspect of Hindi culture, and I'm not surprised that they're upset, nor do I blame them. It's also made even worse when she's surrounded by gods from faiths that are, for better or worse, DEAD! Yes, people still pray to the Norse gods, or the Greco-Roman gods, but to place those faiths in the exact same standing as Hinduism, a national religion that is still practiced by millions, is disingenuous BS.

Im sure the judeo-christian god woul have been there too, except He is all powerful, and would thus have to be op

 

[Ukomba]

I'm not sure that I agree. As with most things, sunlight is probably the best disinfectant. I don't think that they're after attention. In most cases, I think that they sincerely believe in their views and sincerely want to have their religious views respected or catered to in inappropriate ways.

Well, first off, there is a difference between not disrespecting and catering to. Given it's a god of their religion, their anger is understandable. It's no different than if some one made a game with a black Nazi leader named Obama. There would be several people decrying it as disrespectful. How would you and these people trying to defend this game company react if they made a game disrespecting homosexuals? Do you think Mass Effect was catering to Homosexuals by adding gay romance options?

It's probably easier to lobby congress if nobody is paying attention to you, and it is probably harder for Quakecon to just bow to the wishes of some goofy religious folks when aware consumers are heaping scorn on them for trying to sink a game. In fact, there is no reason for me, as a game consumer, to not be informed about the concerns and meddling of outside players in the industry.

Let them lobby congress. Congress can't make laws about religions. If something as discussing and Piss Christ can get a government grant, stopping Smite isn't going to work. What reporting on this is doing is just raising tempers. You call a group of innocent people goofy just for not wanting a religion that's belonged to them for more than 5000 years to be disrespected for profit. As you say, 'aware customers' are heaping scorn on these people. Please define 'aware'? I guarantee that the vast majority of them only know the name Shiva from Final Fantasy. These 'aware' customers, in fact, are by far the most ignorant when it comes to the actual issues. Since the game is involving it's self in a religion, the practitioners of that religion are not outside players. The game industry is actually intruders here. If some one wanted to make a harry potter game, they'd have to get permission. No one would call Rowling goofy for having a problem with some one using her characters in their game without her permission. So, now you have a whole bunch of uninformed people feeling all progressive and superior because religion is currently the 'it' thing to look down on. Change Shiva to Harvey Milk and these same enlightened people will drop the 'games should be allowed to do what ever they want' argument and be demanding that game not be allowed at QuakeCon since it disrespects homosexuals.

In fact, it's probably the people involved with Smite who want attention, since more people will hear about the game now. Your argument is actually more applicable to the religious groups that have just brought more attention to Smite.

Yes yes, like EA staging a religious protest against Dante's Inferno. A publicity stunt to drum up anti-christian anger to sell their game. Yes, Smite Shouldn't change their game, they should be allowed at Quakecon, but they DON'T need the press stoking gamer anger at a minority group who feels disrespected. Just ignore the anger, there's nothing this group can do.

 

[thesilentman]

I'm Hindu. And I don't stand by this because us Hindus trivialize the gods as well. You don't tell young kids about the entire unabridged Vedas, do we? My point stands.

 

[o_O]

I wish they'd go all in and put Jesus in the game.

I'd play the shit out of that game if Jesus was in it.

 

[masticina]

To Little To Late

Point is kinda obvious that as much as they complain, they don't OWN their god idea. Gods, as metaconstructs, as memes, as ideas, have been changed renamed and used in many ways.

Even if every member of one religion, lets say Islam is against something lets say Drawing a picture. Then that still doesn't offers them any right to block others from doing it.

Same here.. in said game gods are used as a way to have Hero's with certain Bonuses.

Actually they are STUPID for even being against it. First of all seeing the name of those gods might lead people to research the source religions. Second.. they again don't OWN their god.

I can call my pet rat Jehova.. or Shiva.. does that means that the followers of Shiva/Jehova now follow my pet rat? If they say NO then that means that they understand how the name and the meta-entenity are disconnected

So if they are not followers of my pet rat then.. why are they complaining?