'LittleBigPlanet' delayed over Qur'an verses

'LittleBigPlanet' delayed over Qur'an verses
The much anticipated launch of the Sony PlayStation 3 exclusive game LittleBigPlanet has been pushed back until October 27th after background music using Qur'an verses has caused controversy.

At the beginning of the third world, the background song, "Tapha Niang," sung by Toumani Diabate, uses a couple of verses from the Qur'an which roughly translate to "Every soul shall taste of death" and "All that is on earth shall perish.” The lyrics have caused controversy and therefore Sony has pushed back the launch in order to remove them.



Sony has responded to the claims with a press release:

"During the review process prior to the release of LittleBigPlanet, it has been brought to our attention that one of the background music tracks licensed from a record label for use in the game contains two expressions that can be found in the Qur’an. We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologise for any offence that this may have caused."

The delay is worldwide.


Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Oct 2008 16:18
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  • 34 comments

  • windsong

    Er...yes. Because we mustn't ever offend Islamics. After all, it has opened so many peaceful viewpoints from other places around the world. And I am sure the Earth would simply stop spinning on its axis if Muslims were ever offended.

    Kudos, Sony...another slam-dunk.


    (retch!)

    19.10.2008 16:24 #1

  • embo22000

    omg what the hell people are so retarded. i cant believe this mother...... people have to stop being so sentitive.

    19.10.2008 17:43 #2

  • trevermah

    edited by ddp.

    this is what edited by ddp caused the game being sent back to sony? what a stupid piece of edited by ddp. get over yourselves.

    19.10.2008 17:46 #3

  • cazer

    what ever happened to sticks and stones may brake my bones but words will never hurt me?

    19.10.2008 17:59 #4

  • nintenut

    ... A decade later, LBP follows in OOT's steps.

    Honestly, I don't think people should care if other people are offended, but Sony has a pretty big market in the East, so I can see where they're coming from in their recall of the game.

    19.10.2008 18:40 #5

  • logola

    I don't know whether or not this would offend Muslims because these verses are included in the Qur'an, and I don't really care. However, those verses do seem inappropriate to be in this game and are overall negative. I wouldn't release the game with those lyrics, and agree with Sony's decision to remove them.

    19.10.2008 19:02 #6

  • ddp

    trevermah, watch the language, post edited.

    19.10.2008 21:05 #7

  • tefarko

    Originally posted by windsong: Er...yes. Because we mustn't ever offend Islamics. After all, it has opened so many peaceful viewpoints from other places around the world. And I am sure the Earth would simply stop spinning on its axis if Muslims were ever offended.why blame only the islamics? didn't Sony get in trouble with Christians because of Manchester Cathedral?

    who's going to complain next? the jews?

    people should stop being over-sensitive over religious matters...

    19.10.2008 21:07 #8

  • BTFan

    Tefarko, calm down with your religion statement about Jews. I'm Jewish, and we never complained about a game. Au contraire some hit games include Jews. For example, GTA IV, one of the guys who dies is a Jew, but a good thing is that as you may know, there is a neighborhood in New York which is populated by mostly Jews, and in GTA IV you see them walking. As for Muslims, they're always people you have to kill, such as Call of Duty 4.
    I think that some unintentional quote from the bible is a stupid reason to delay a game, and edit it just for that.

    19.10.2008 21:36 #9

  • tefarko

    BTFan: thanks for providing the proof that people are being over-sensitive about religious matters...

    when a simple reference to someone's religions is taken as an attack or criticism then something is really, really wrong...

    19.10.2008 21:52 #10

  • embo22000

    Originally posted by BTFan: Tefarko, calm down with your religion statement about Jews. I'm Jewish, and we never complained about a game. Au contraire some hit games include Jews. For example, GTA IV, one of the guys who dies is a Jew, but a good thing is that as you may know, there is a neighborhood in New York which is populated by mostly Jews, and in GTA IV you see them walking. As for Muslims, they're always people you have to kill, such as Call of Duty 4.
    I think that some unintentional quote from the bible is a stupid reason to delay a game, and edit it just for that.    Religion is retarded stop believing in nonsense people. Please wake up.

    19.10.2008 22:13 #11

  • tripplite

    Quote:Religion is retarded stop believing in nonsense people. Please wake up.
    the most advanced and longest lasting system of ethics?? in its wake order follows.....religion causes war?? BS....we'd find something else to kill ourselves over...

    thats quite ridicules sony, if you give in to one demand then people are just gonna keep pushing for more and more.....


    soon the colors in the game are going to offend the color blind.....then all games will be printed in black and white HOORAY!

    Quote:but Sony has a pretty big market in the East, so I can see where they're coming from in their recall of the game.that makes sense...but...i can tell you one thing...in my trip to Lebanon this past summer i didn't see one ps3 game in any store....no one even knew the console existed.....and btw every single game for every single console there is pirated LOL poor sony....

    -tripplite


    19.10.2008 22:17 #12

  • nintenut

    Originally posted by embo22000: Religion is retarded stop believing in nonsense people. Please wake up.
    I completely disagree, but I can name someone who is.

    19.10.2008 22:53 #13

  • ZippyDSM

    Now now people this is just a RP tactic to keep a mirror being put up in front of monkeys to keep them from having a shit fit.

    And Christianity has its own set of "hairy" fundies so do not think this is a race issue its a maturity one....

    20.10.2008 00:12 #14

  • 13thHouR

    Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Now now people this is just a RP tactic to keep a mirror being put up in front of monkeys to keep them from having a shit fit.

    And Christianity has its own set of "hairy" fundies so do not think this is a race issue its a maturity one....    Surely you mean PR. But what a great bit of free advertising for Sony this close to the holidays eh, a sceptic would say this whole event was completely orchestrated to enable sony them to get about $50,000,000 worth of free press!

    LittleBigPlanet, who cares, it's just another platform that will no doubt be used as a cash cow for sony to inject dynamic adds into and sell an unfinished title so they can sell the rest of the game to us all little by little.

    The RIAA - BPI - IFPI - CRIA - Ect - Ect Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

    Dont allow them to hide behind the trade body names, name and shame em.

    20.10.2008 05:12 #15

  • ZippyDSM

    Quote:Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Now now people this is just a RP tactic to keep a mirror being put up in front of monkeys to keep them from having a shit fit.

    And Christianity has its own set of "hairy" fundies so do not think this is a race issue its a maturity one....    Surely you mean PR. But what a great bit of free advertising for Sony this close to the holidays eh, a sceptic would say this whole event was completely orchestrated to enable sony them to get about $50,000,000 worth of free press!

    LittleBigPlanet, who cares, it's just another platform that will no
    doubt be used as a cash cow for sony to inject dynamic adds into and sell an unfinished title so they can sell the rest of the game to us all little by little.    ZOMG!!! ze letters!!! haz minds of their own!!

    20.10.2008 05:53 #16

  • canuckerz

    I thought we weren't allowed to discuss this since our post on this in the ps3 section that was already going for quite awhile now got rained on?

    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/710662

    So are we or not?

    20.10.2008 07:38 #17

  • grkblood

    Originally posted by "nobrainer":
    Surely you mean PR. But what a great bit of free advertising for Sony this close to the holidays eh, a sceptic would say this whole event was completely orchestrated to enable sony them to get about $50,000,000 worth of free press!

    LittleBigPlanet, who cares, it's just another platform that will no doubt be used as a cash cow for sony to inject dynamic adds into and sell an unfinished title so they can sell the rest of the game to us all little by little.    Nobrainer, I'm going to go ahead and say it because I really don't care about your feelings, STFU! You are always just bashing Sony and getting off topic. Didnt you already get banned for doing this excessively? This topic has NOTHING to do with dynamic adds and to say that Sony is the only company to use dynamic advertising is retarded. And what in the hell does that have to do with an unfinished game?

    20.10.2008 08:28 #18

  • Globe08

    This goes to show all that is wrong with this world (religon). A song that is clearly available to the public is condemned in a video game because it may or may not offend someone. Hence the outrageos ignorance of people. Whatever happened to freedom of speech. its more like freedom of speech but what you say must be bulletproof and not offend anyone on this world. Oh but gay marriage is just wrong though...im sure that law doesnt offend anyone. This world is bout damn retarded.Life is filled with hypocracy...dont worry be happy.

    20.10.2008 09:28 #19

  • creaky

    Originally posted by canuckerz: I thought we weren't allowed to discuss this since our post on this in the ps3 section that was already going for quite awhile now got rained on?

    http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/710662

    So are we or not?     It didn't get 'rained on', i requested religion wasn't discusses any further. I know the whole point of the discussion surrounding the game is due to a religious 'boo boo' shall we say, but religion is an emotive subject. Even i commented more than i should have in that link.

    Originally posted by grkblood: I really don't care about your feelings, STFU! You are always just bashing Sony and getting off topic. let's not forget this is a News article..

    Originally posted by Globe08: This goes to show all that is wrong with this world (religon). It is indeed, aside from the other thing most wrong with this world (ie greed).

    Please (somehow) try and discuss this article without mentioning religion any further.


    gif created by phantom69, he's a good lad
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    20.10.2008 10:56 #20

  • canuckerz

    Originally posted by Creaky: It didn't get 'rained on', i requested religion wasn't discusses any further. I know the whole point of the discussion surrounding the game is due to a religious 'boo boo' shall we say, but religion is an emotive subject. Even i commented more than i should have in that link.
    I only used rained on for lack of a better term.

    I'm not sure how this can be discussed without religion as it is the basis for the article itself, but atleast I have my answer.

    20.10.2008 11:09 #21

  • creaky

    I've said my piece, i'll leave the rest up to Andre, it's his article after all.

    20.10.2008 11:13 #22

  • DVDBack23

    Originally posted by creaky: I've said my piece, i'll leave the rest up to Andre, it's his article after all.Thanks Creaky for posting. I did not see anything over the line however, but if I do, I will close it.

    AfterDawn News
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    20.10.2008 11:38 #23

  • lxhotboy

    Quote:Originally posted by windsong: Er...yes. Because we mustn't ever offend Islamics. After all, it has opened so many peaceful viewpoints from other places around the world. And I am sure the Earth would simply stop spinning on its axis if Muslims were ever offended.why blame only the islamics? didn't Sony get in trouble with Christians because of Manchester Cathedral?

    who's going to complain next? the jews?

    people should stop being over-sensitive over religious matters...    I think most people are missing the point and bottom line here. Regardless of what religion this is pertaining to the game is rated E for everyone so you cant have verses like that in that type of game. It would be no diff from a game having innappropiate scenes in it and being rated for small children so Sony was going to catch heat from this regardless. Remember in GTA San Andreas when the hot coffee incident was found. They recalled the games in stores b/c of the ratings being incorect for the appropiate age gamers.

    20.10.2008 14:28 #24

  • varnull

    Every time I hear the term "playststion" I visualise a sheep tied to a lamp post..

    Oops.. my bad.. That's a "leisure centre"



    Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. The flower of carnage-shura no hana

    20.10.2008 14:42 #25

  • borhan9

    Originally posted by embo22000: omg what the hell people are so retarded. i cant believe this mother...... people have to stop being so sentitive.The sad thing here is that we are living in a world that becomes more and more politically correct everyday and the legal system is loving this because we sue everyone and everything for all the most petty little things that u can ever know. quite sad really.

    20.10.2008 21:42 #26

  • canuckerz

    Quote:Originally posted by embo22000: omg what the hell people are so retarded. i cant believe this mother...... people have to stop being so sentitive.The sad thing here is that we are living in a world that becomes more and more politically correct everyday and the legal system is loving this because we sue everyone and everything for all the most petty little things that u can ever know. quite sad really.Its like there's an asterisk next to all our rights and freedoms these days, and I can only see it getting worse.

    21.10.2008 06:52 #27

  • bogwart16

    Originally posted by varnull: Every time I hear the term "playststion" I visualise a sheep tied to a lamp post..

    Oops.. my bad.. That's a "leisure centre"    Nope. That's Wales.

    21.10.2008 10:11 #28

  • DXR88

    sigh...Religion, Show me the Savior himself, Not the words of some fanatic nutcasses written in a book. whether or not there ever was a savior has yet to be founded.

    Anyway, hell i could find those words in just about any death metal band lyrics. Why is sony getting the hammer, why not the people that had made the song in the first place. Something's fishy.

    21.10.2008 22:57 #29

  • ZippyDSM

    Originally posted by DXR88: sigh...Religion, Show me the Savior himself, Not the words of some fanatic nutcasses written in a book. whether or not there ever was a savior has yet to be founded.

    Anyway, hell i could find those words in just about any death metal band lyrics. Why is sony getting the hammer, why not the people that had made the song in the first place. Something's fishy.    Because the appearance of being friendlily and politically correct is more important than being truthful and mature.

    22.10.2008 01:18 #30

  • varnull

    Isn't it time as a species we entered the 21st century instead of rolling around in this muck from the dark ages? Religion.. my a$$.. A pack of lies written by men to hold power over other men and frighten children with stories of hell and eternal damnation.

    The saviour is within people.. it's called karma and what goes around comes around.. it's a personal thing and can only be nurtured, not programmed or forced or coerced. Unfortunately those with power still abuse "the word of god" (hahaha.. word of man) to control and oppress others, either directly or by the back door of community and peer pressure.. I had this "christian" crap in my family.. and I ended up a complete non believer (infidel-heretic-blasphemer-whatever) in any of these lies.

    We need to stop being worried about "offending" some towel headed dark age throwback who would oppress our very freedom in the name of some lie, and just get on with the matter of surviving in the wasted and increasingly hostile environment we are creating with our worship of the gods of profit and greed.
    These same people we are so worried about "offending" are currently raping us over the cost of energy and in many cases using the vast profits gained from our lack of foresight, and our lack of determination to change, to fund the very people who would put themselves in the position of our enemy.

    That's a bit pointed but I get so sick of teenagers whining on and on about religion I thought it's time to put a few truths on the table.

    It's time to grow up and put the fairy stories behind us.. or are we not educated and civilised? Do we cower in terror of the shamen with his command of the "gods" lest he puts out our fire and brings down the darkness?... hahahaha.. seriously.



    Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. The flower of carnage-shura no hana..

    22.10.2008 01:34 #31

  • Chanta

    Wow! Touchy subject??

    Religion will always be a thorn in someones side,its the basis of existance for anyone (who truly believes anyway) be it Muslims, Jews, Christians, Bhudists, etc. I believe every one has the right to believe in what they want to, faith is ok as long as it respects others. THE INSTITUTIONS THAT GOVERN THESE BELIEFS on the other hand, that is where the CORRUPTION IS, it's ALL POLITICS and, as such, what is politics without supporters doing their dirty deeds??

    So when SONY, a media gigant, sees that politically this could affect their already tainted name (in many aspects) sure, better safe than sorry, because oooo we dont wanna piss off a Muslim now, would we?.

    I dont know any Muslims, I dont know almost anything about the religion, but I sincerily doubt that Muslims, having a strict belief system and all, are the pre programmed-self destuctive meat drones that westrn media makes them out to be, that grudge will be carried for a long time sadly, again for political purposes. Sure extremists exist i wont deny that or justify it either, Islamic, Christian, Jews you name it, there is a flavour for every one.

    The fact that someone would get pissed off at this game doesnt confirm that religion is a problem it just confirms that we as humans and our human nature make it a problem, we just shift the blame to what ever suits the political agenda, ergo lets delay the game because it MIGHT BE A PROBLEM. Anyway jaja "rant" much?. In closing let me just state, I dont believe much in religion,I think its better to believe in ourselves. Problem is, I can have faith in myself, but can I have faith in my neighbour? Human nature guys, not religion...religion just exploits it.

    22.10.2008 11:34 #32

  • lesgab

    The squeaky wheel gets the grease,and muslims are doing a lot of squealing. After all the koran says that all unbelievers must die,do you believe ?

    22.10.2008 16:47 #33

  • Jemborg

    Jeez, you can be a lot of noongs. The writer of the music IS a Muslim, who didn't at all have a problem with his song being in the game. I saw him interviewed.

    I'm an atheist myself- but it's sad to see what's happened to a proud and once open belief. There used to be many schools of thinking tolerated amongst that community. Now there seems to be only one or two.

    Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

    25.10.2008 12:04 #34

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