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Zack & Wiki accused of...

J

Jim

Member
...something or other. But impeccable timing in light of the current RE5 fiasco.

Replace the specifics of this complaint with the specifics of the RE5 complaint, and hopefully that's not what will end up happening.

Capcom can't catch a break today.

ISLAMIC PHRASE REMOVED FROM VIDEO GAME

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/1/07) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that a common Islamic religious phrase will be removed from a new video game produced by Capcom, a leading developer and publisher of video games worldwide.

CAIR contacted Capcom after receiving a complaint about the use of the phrase "Allahu akbar" ("God is most Great") in Capcom's "Zack & Wiki" game. The Arabic phrase is one of the most frequently repeated religious statements made by Muslims and is used often in daily Islamic prayers.

In an e-mail to CAIR, a Capcom spokesperson wrote: "We have already contacted the team working on the game, and the phrase has been removed from the game and will not be heard in future videos released to the public."

The spokesperson added that the company had received other complaints about the inclusion of the phrase in the game.

"We appreciated Capcom's willingness to address Muslim concerns and applaud the company's swift and appropriate actions," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin.

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

SEE: Zack & Wiki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziV03wLGDnY
Click to expand...
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Everyone is so damn sensitive these days...

This instance reminds me of Kakuto Chojin.
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
2 questions:

1) How do non-gamers find this **** in unreleased games?

2) How is this offensive to muslims?

Edit: This doesn't bode well for RE5.
 
S

Scrubking

Member
Where is the ESA? How can the videogame industry ever hope to be taken seriously if they continue to cave on such nonsense?
 
S

spineduke

Unconfirmed Member
Haha, sure it wasn't a placeholder sound or anything like that?

As to why they caved, just look at the whole Danish newspaper mess. Also, the Nike emblem on the back of a shoe.
 
L

laserbeam

Banned
Sho_Nuff82 said:
2 questions:

1) How do non-gamers find this **** in unreleased games?

2) How is this offensive to muslims?

Edit: This doesn't bode well for RE5.
Click to expand...

It was in one of the gameplay footage trailers. I know some guy wrote go nintendo.com complaining about it.

Apparently because the tribal people are doing some sort of ceremony while doing it. We should be glad they only complained verbally to capcom.
 
S

Scrow

Still Tagged Accordingly
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Click to expand...
:lol
 
D

Darji

Banned
omg is this capcoms punishment for putting DMC4 on multiple platforms?.....


Oh man why does it always hit Capcom. This is really ridiciulis. Soon greenpeace will accuse Resident Evil for shooting Dogs:lol :lol
 
Cravis

Cravis

Member
dark10x said:
Everyone is so damn sensitive these days...

This instance reminds me of Kakuto Chojin.
Click to expand...
So true. Uwe Boll's got the right idea with Postal: The Movie. If you're gonna offend one group of people might as well offend 'em all :lol
 
W

White Man

Member
Why would something so specific to Islam be in the game in this first place? This is a brightly colored adventure game, right?
 
E

-Eddman-

Member
Well, the issue is not new, remember the fire temple change in Ocarina of Time?

How are these references negative? i don't know.
Attention whores are everywhere folks.
 
L

levious

That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us.
White Man said:
Why would something so specific to Islam be in the game in this first place? This is a brightly colored adventure game, right?
Click to expand...



maybe it was just an old stock audio file and none of the developers knew what it was.



-Eddman- said:
Well, the issue is not new, remember the fire temple change in Ocarina of Time?

How are these references negative? i don't know.
Attention whores are everywhere folks.
Click to expand...

well if what someone up above described is correct... if a game had a scene with tribal people having a ceremony and they chanted something relating to any major religion, there'd be a similar complaint and response from Capcom.

This obviously isn't a big deal since it's already been taken out.
 
S

super funk

Member
Rowsdower said:
I wonder in which context this sentence was used.
Click to expand...

Zack and Wiki have to diffuse a bomb set by an Islamic militant and as you try to figure out the puzzle using your NINTENDO WII REMOTE(tm), the terrorist is yelling allahu akbar in the background.

This is getting really stupid now. Leave racism and political correctness out of my hobby, kthanks.
 
T

TriangularDuck

Member
Rowsdower said:
I wonder in which context this sentence was used.
Click to expand...
Sho_Nuff82 said:
1) How do non-gamers find this **** in unreleased games?
Click to expand...

Why the hell can't people read the goddamn topic anymore?

Is it too much to ask?

EDIT:
laserbeam said:
Footage in question that contains it

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22391.html

about 20 seconds in
Click to expand...
Jim said:
It's right in the video at the 46 sec mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziV03wLGDnY
Click to expand...


Or, also, see the link posted in the OP.
 
S

ShockingAlberto

Member
White Man said:
Why would something so specific to Islam be in the game in this first place? This is a brightly colored adventure game, right?
Click to expand...
That's a pretty good question.

My assumption, which is nothing but conjecture, is that they had a random sound file laying around and used it because they thought it sounded suitably tribal. I suppose, were I to be in charge of sound and someone gave me a hebrew prayer, I might not know what it was.
 
S

Speevy

Banned
This is a disturbing trend.


First Capcom lets you shoot African zombies, next you're solving offensive Arabic puzzles.
 
R

Ranger X

Member
Please someone explain to me what was offensive in this sentence.
I will dismiss this case as "retarded" by the next 20 posts. tks.
 
F

FoneBone

Member
Is it really a big deal that they took this out? It's not like it was of any real importance to the game, or as though there were hysterical calls for boycotts.
 
L

levious

That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us.
FoneBone said:
Is it really a big deal that they took this out? It's not like it was of any real importance to the game, or as though there were hysterical calls for boycotts.
Click to expand...


yeah really, who are the sensitive ones?
 
M

Mike Works

Member
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Click to expand...
5.5
 
J

Jim

Member
Scrubking said:
@OP

Is there a link to the full news report?
Click to expand...

It came via email blast (to game-related press), and that's basically the entire thing. I assume it'll show up on cair.com eventually, since that's who issued the press release. The rest of the release was just contact info:

- END -

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications
Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
Click to expand...

FoneBone said:
Is it really a big deal that they took this out? It's not like it was of any real importance to the game, or as though there were hysterical calls for boycotts.
Click to expand...

The point was really to draw parallels to the RE5 complaints and make a guess on how Capcom may end up handling those.
 
S

Scrubking

Member
FoneBone said:
Is it really a big deal that they took this out? It's not like it was of any real importance to the game, or as though there were hysterical calls for boycotts.
Click to expand...

Yes. Yes it is.

Today it's a tiny phrase that has to be removed - tomorrow an entire game has to be scrapped.

Give an inch - they take a mile and all that stuff...
 
F

FoneBone

Member
Jim said:
The point was really to draw parallels to the RE5 complaints and make a guess on how Capcom may end up handling those.
Click to expand...
Yeah, one sound file is really equivalent to an entire game's setting, story, and content. Jesus f***ing christ
 
R

radios shipping overview

Member
Huh. I didn't even notice it the first time through, and I was listening for it.

But it sounds like they sampled an actual Islamic chant and stuck that clip in the game randomly. That's pretty sloppy, given the complaints that led to similar samplings being removed from Zelda: OOT and and entire f'ing recall on Kakuto Chojin due to a sampled chant. It's fiscally irresponsible, and the sound designer should know better. People are going to complain, so why risk it? At least they caught this one pre-release.
 
N

Neomoto

Member
Maybe they didn't like hearing hamsters (? lol) say "Heil Allah" or "Allah is great" (because that's what it means right?)?
 
P

PepsimanVsJoe

Member
jiji said:
But it sounds like they sampled an actual Islamic chant and stuck that clip in the game randomly. That's pretty sloppy, given the complaints that led to similar samplings being removed from Zelda: OOT and and entire f'ing recall on Kakuto Chojin due to a sampled chant. It's fiscally irresponsible, and the sound designer should know better. People are going to complain, so why risk it? At least they caught this one pre-release.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right.

I really didn't see the point of having it in there. Could have just done some made-up language like the Klonoa series.
 
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