The European video game unit of Sony Corp. has apologized for using a British cathedral as a backdrop in a gory computer game, the Church of England said Friday.
David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., said in a letter to the Rev. Rogers Govender of Manchester Cathedral, "It was not our intention to cause offense by using a representation" of the cathedral in the PlayStation 3 game "Resistance: Fall of Man."
"If we have done so, we sincerely apologize," Reeves said.
Cathedral bosses have been calling on Sony's European video game unit to withdraw the game and to delete all scenes relating to the cathedral.
"We thank Sony for the apology they have made," Govender said. "However, we do not move from the position that we are against violence and especially the gun violence seen in this portrayal of the cathedral."
Govender said a meeting between the cathedral and Sony is planned and the cathedral will "discuss our outstanding demands, how this game came to be produced and where the images of the cathedral came from."
The game is about an alien attack on 1950s Britain.
Govender said the game has "undermined" the work that the Church of England institution has done in trying to combat gun crime in Manchester.
In the letter, Sony denied any connection between current issues in Manchester and the content of the video game.
"We do not accept that there is any connection between contemporary issues of 21st century Manchester and a work of science fiction," the letter said.
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