BetaONE will rise again! - Eidos responds to Sikh controversy

_http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2897279,00.html
_http://www.sikhcoalition.org/petitioneidos_updates.asp

Quote:

In a statement on the Hitman 2 Web site, Eidos has announced that it has acted in response to criticisms raised by The Sikh Coalition in a recent online campaign. The Sikh Coalition and a number of other international Sikh groups protested the game's depiction of Dalits, a people in India, as followers of an evil cult leader, as well as the combat that players undertake midway through the game against turbaned Sikh characters inside a Sikh place of worship.

More on the websites. If you feel as strongly against censorship as I do, then you might consider writing either one of the two above. It might not change anything, but it made me feel better. :)

My letter:

Quote:

   I am writing to you regarding the petitioned removal of content from the Eidos game, Hitman 2. I can't believe that such a large group would take such an offense to a VIDEO GAME. I have been playing video games for 25 years now [I'm 31] and not once has it brought me to violence in real life against any persons based on religion, race, sexual orientation, or any other reason as you hint might become reality on your website as a result of the depictions in this game. I feel that you very much misassume what the intellectual level is in a video game player and I feel offended.
   I didn't hear a large faction of Germans crying in outrage because "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" depicted many German people as "Hitler loving, violent, evil people". In fact, my mate is German recently moved to the US and he quite enjoyed playing "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" because of his German ancestry regardless that he as well as most Germans are ashamed of their past involvement with Hitler. But it is JUST A GAME. Or how about any of the realistic war shooters available on the PC that make others groups or religious factions appear evil. It has been and always will be a way to create story in games. You can't have a good guy without an evil one.
   By petitioning Eidos worldwide, you have forced the company to do only what an ethical company could do. You have forced them to censor themselves. Don't however misunderstand what it really is. CENSORSHIP. That is one thing I can not stand. I hate censorship to the core of my being. I may not agree if somebody wants to play games where you steal cars and beat people with baseball bats [Grand Theft Auto 3], but if somebody wants to play it, so be it. I may not agree if somebody wants to make a first person shooter calling Christians an evil religion, but if it is available, I'm not going to petition to have the content removed. If somebody wants to defecate on the American Flag, I may hate them for it, but let them. It is their opinion and their RIGHT to believe what they want. Just as it is YOUR RIGHT to believe what you want, whether it is in religion or not.

"Let?s continue to work together in defending and preserving the rights of all peoples. "

   You didn't protect my right to play the game as it was originally released, did you? Exactly what rights did you preserve by getting this content removed by Eidos?  The right not to be perceived as evil by others? Well, that will happen anyway and it will not be furthered NOR will it be prevented by having content removed from a video game. If I want to play a video game that depicts my character shooting "evil turbaned people" whether they be Sikh or anything else, then I should have the right. It doesn't mean that I am going to go out and target anybody of that religion. What I am saying here is that one video game or ten does not change the perception of a group of people as evil or good. There is a certain percentage of people I know who will think Sikh's are an evil religion anyway and those people are Christians and have never, nor ever will play Hitman 2. I have heard people state that they thought the US should bomb the entire country of Afghanistan utterly because of what happened on 9/11/01. That is not their belief because of a video game. It is their mentality and their upbringing which will never change unless they are open minded individuals, and you can't change that by having content removed from a video game.
   By forcing Eidos to remove content, you accomplished NOTHING except having something removed that you as a people take umbrage at and prevented people from playing the game as it was intended. You are not preventing hatred toward the Sikh. You are not making the world a better place. You are not doing anything except being petty and having something removed that you take offense at and from a VIDEO GAME none the less. CENSORSHIP IS WRONG.

"We pray that misplaced racial and ethnic victimization - of Sikhs, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Dalits and people of all faiths and colors - will not continue. The Sikh community invites you to join us in bringing about mutual understanding and deep respect for all people."

That is a very beautiful sentiment and one that I wish to strive for as well, but did what you achieved through Eidos accomplish this? I think not. Is it a start? I think not.

Very Sincerely,