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Hindu Society pissed about PS2 game, asks it be pulled photo

Who is Lord Hanuman? Well, in case you aren't familiar with the name, he's a monkey god held beloved by followers of Hindu. In the ancient Sanskrit epic the Ramayana, Hanuman leads a monkey army to fight a demon king. Sounds like a perfect scenario for a videogame, doesn't it?

Well, a PS2 game WAS made, called Hanuman: Boy Warrior, and it seems that people are already bent out of shape about it. According to CVG, The Universal Society of Hinduism has called for Sony to remove the game from store shelves. The society's president, Rajan Zed, commented on the call to arms, saying:

Controlling and manipulating Lord Hanuman with a joystick/button/keyboard/mouse is denigration.

We love to play gods, but we're tactless Americans, of course. Nothing gets in our way! Zed also commented that they welcome the appearance of gods in the entertainment industry, as long as they were handled "seriously and respectfully." Sony has declined to comment, by the way.

What do you think? Is is disrespectful to play a game about a god (or where you play one)? I never felt guilty while playing Populous...


Continue: More Religion stories





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46 comments | showing # 1 to 46

foolishwolf's Avatar
foolishwolf at 04/20/2009 11:23
The Universal Society of Hinduism can fuck off. Nothing is sacred, why should this be?
Cynical Gamer's Avatar
Cynical Gamer at 04/20/2009 11:25
LOL @ Lord Hanuman's lips.
Count Grishnack's Avatar
Count Grishnack at 04/20/2009 11:33
Next up: A game where I can play as Jesus.
koehler83's Avatar
koehler83 at 04/20/2009 11:35
Note to religious fuckheads of all races and creeds: Shut the fuck up. Fuck off and get the fuck over yourselves and your petty bullshit!
The Phantom Gamer's Avatar
The Phantom Gamer at 04/20/2009 11:36
In b4 Jesus...

damn, Count Grishnack.


...

In b4 Siddhartha comment.
Magnalon's Avatar
Magnalon at 04/20/2009 11:37
Hahhaha. What is the The Universal Society of Hinduism going to do? The publishers shouldn't take this seriously.
Phallus Knife Fight's Avatar
Phallus Knife Fight at 04/20/2009 11:38
--leads a monkey army to fight a demon king? Oh you Hindus, that was Ape Escape: Pumped and Primed.

Is no one original anymore?
Harris Hatsworth's Avatar
Harris Hatsworth at 04/20/2009 11:43
I assume this is already out, yeah?
aaronf's Avatar
aaronf at 04/20/2009 11:43
Not disrespectful at all. I find it disrespectful to reason that people still believe in any kind of ancient fairy tales.

If you don't like the game, don't play it.
Discarded Couch Sandwich's Avatar
Discarded Couch Sandwich at 04/20/2009 11:44
Somewhere, outside his castle, a group of angry religious leaders are grouping up with flaming torches and pitchforks to lynch Peter Moleneux.
comtruise's Avatar
comtruise at 04/20/2009 11:49
Religion: Serious Business
Mighty Heman's Avatar
Mighty Heman at 04/20/2009 11:51
You got yerself a pretty mouth there boy!!!
Mr Kite's Avatar
Mr Kite at 04/20/2009 11:53




take your pick
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 04/20/2009 11:56
Hanuman should be taken seriously? Isn't he the god that pissed off a load of people and lifted a mountain? There's also millions of homages and other depictions in media.

Should this be taken seriously? BAN THIS SICK FILTH!
GlaceauxFruits's Avatar
GlaceauxFruits at 04/20/2009 12:02
Mr Kite:
So, you don't believe in Chuck Norris? I hope you can handle the consequences.
XXLaw's Avatar
XXLaw at 04/20/2009 12:06
''If God is real, may he strike me dead...see? Nothing happened...wait a little cramp in my leg, and my balls hurt... plus I'm blind. Oh wait, now ok again. Must of been Joe Peshy.'' George carlin
I myself think religion is the one that is hold our species back from evolving. They are still trying to brainwash our generation in the 21.st century that there is an invisible man, that watches everything you do, and this man has a list of 10 things you ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO, and if you do any of those things, he has a special place where you will burn, get tortured and be in pain till the ends of time... But he LOVES YOU. He loves you and he needs MONEY! (Sins ain't cheap you know)
If those f'ing politics wouldn't hide behind religion, maybe we would be able to start BANNING religion, in the way, that you can believe in anything you want, if you want to, BUT KEEP YOUR RELIGION TO YOURSELF!
Qraze's Avatar
Qraze at 04/20/2009 12:07
people are only fighting the battles they think they can win.
Tdiddy9182's Avatar
Tdiddy9182 at 04/20/2009 12:07
I read about that last night (posted on twitter too). I think its more offensive to put a god in a game that is really terrible, but at least it was a group of Hindu's that made the game. It'd be different if it was a bunch of non hindu's making the game.

Now, I can't wait for "Revenge of the Christ: May he without sin kick the first ass"
Volomon's Avatar
Volomon at 04/20/2009 12:20
Why don't they just use the Chinese, Japanese, or many other versions? Much cooler anyway.
Vrynix's Avatar
Vrynix at 04/20/2009 12:24
The Universal Society of Hinduism are most likely simply a bunch of traditionalists as most of those societies are. But seeing as how it sold 10.000 units on day one, I doubt it will get pulled. Besides, this game has proven local games can work, at least in India.
The game is about 10$ US over there as well. If this doesn't get pulled they'll most likely start pumping them out like clockwork.
I also think it's weird that they are complaining at this point. As Tdiddi9182 stated: the game was developed locally. If they really had objections about it they would've most likely complained sooner. Publicity is a wonderful thing.
Char Aznable's Avatar
Char Aznable at 04/20/2009 12:28
Fuckin' labia face over here...
JDigital's Avatar
JDigital at 04/20/2009 12:41
I'm pissed at the Hindu society. I call for them to stop being Hindu because it upsets my religion.

/s
Ballistic's Avatar
Ballistic at 04/20/2009 12:47
Play as Angelina Jolie's father, CONFIRMED FOR BRAWL!
Mushman's Avatar
Mushman at 04/20/2009 13:01
It's probably being made by Hinus themselves, so what is their beef?

In fact, seeing as a large majority of Hinus are very religious, I bet the devs themselves are somewhat religious. It's not like people of a different race, religion or creed are developing it. If it wasn't then I could see why, in a very small part, the reason why they are complaining.

They should be glad that Indians are developing it, sony could've easily handed it to us westerners, and that would be a, potenially, much more worse situation.

I also find it funny how xxlaw is grouping every single relgion under the sun as having the same basic principles and beliefs as Christianity.

Different relgions believe different things, and no two are ever really the same. Before spouting off about how religion is 'brainwashing' society, learn to actually tell the difference between different religions.

@Mr Kite

I CHOOSE RELIGON!!!

*throws pokeball, captures a little bit of Islam*

YES!

@Rosseh's Pic

LOLWAT
BenHaskett's Avatar
BenHaskett at 04/20/2009 13:11
You know you've got a shitty budget for a game when you take a generic stock warrior, put a swollen, horizontal vagina on his face, give him a tail, and call him a monkey.

Next up, they'll make a game about an octopus god and they'll just move the eyes to the side of the head, put a butthole on his mouth, and bam: sequel.
Sam Spectre's Avatar
Sam Spectre at 04/20/2009 13:13
That's just stupid. Sorry your offended Hindu's, what the fuck are you going to do about it? Oh yeah, nothing.
Christophart's Avatar
Christophart at 04/20/2009 13:18
seriously wtf is going on with this character design, does it say in the great hindu texts that this guy had a serious facial deformity...probably not.
Chronic Logic's Avatar
Chronic Logic at 04/20/2009 13:25
Fucking Americans, why do they go apeshit over stuff that's not even happening in their country? And yet the country with the LARGEST Hindu population doesn't care. Do these Americans eve know that the video game developers are an Indian company? Of course not, we're Americans who bitch over anything.
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 04/20/2009 13:29
Yeh, his lips do look like a vagoo.

@mushman - You've not seen monkey before? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkNAcXWB9LQ Monkey magic ooooo!
Mr Kite's Avatar
Mr Kite at 04/20/2009 13:31
@ GlaceauxFruits

My well being can't afford not to believe in Chuck Norris
Naim Master's Avatar
Naim Master at 04/20/2009 13:34
Lol , that's racism !I mean look at his lips , black steriotypes and monkeys to get my ideia ...
Char Aznable's Avatar
Char Aznable at 04/20/2009 13:46
Thanks for spelling that out for everyone, Naim Master.
loki d20's Avatar
loki d20 at 04/20/2009 14:12
Why don't they just educate the people against this sort of thing as per their own beliefs rather than forcing it upon the populace as a whole?
DemonEyes23's Avatar
DemonEyes23 at 04/20/2009 14:14
@Mr. Kite
the Atheist one is completely wrong and makes no f-in sense. Atheist simply don't believe that any supernatural entity created the universe. We rely on science to find the explanations to the world around us and just because we don't know the answer to everything (such as how the universe came about) doesn't mean we "believe" in nothing. And wtf is with the world magically its f-ckin physics among other principles that cause things to arrange as they. Though i'm sure you didn't create either so this rank is wasted.
aaronf's Avatar
aaronf at 04/20/2009 14:14
@Chronic Logic:

Freedom of speech is a worldwide issue, and we should fight for it wherever that fight is needed.
Mushman's Avatar
Mushman at 04/20/2009 14:18
@Rosseh

Wow, brillaint vid.
lePooch's Avatar
lePooch at 04/20/2009 14:46
Being brought up Hindu, I find nothing really insulting about this game at all. There are too many random over-religious morons out there.

Notice how there are no real Indians riled up about this yet? Thats cos you CAN and DO roleplay gods over in India. I remember reading the Lone Wolf books as a kid, and then having my Indian aunt giving me a horrid choose your own adventure book made in India... where you play as Krishna(also a god). God-sploitation was rampant before the PS2, why stop now?
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 04/20/2009 14:58
I'd play Egyptian Dental Fair before Hanuman anyway.
funran's Avatar
funran at 04/20/2009 16:02
The Ramayana is an awesome story, its like Lord of the Rings really, but thousands of years old. I'd actually like to play this, calm down hindu peoples.
WarZombie's Avatar
WarZombie at 04/20/2009 16:37
Freedom of Speech is a wonderful thing, it's awesome to see people in other countries express that without fear of consequence. Even if they meant well, you can't please everyone, but I doubt they're going to pull this game off the shelves.
Johnny Justice's Avatar
Johnny Justice at 04/20/2009 17:34
At least now I know this game exists. It sounds like it could be quite interesting.
A New Challenger's Avatar
A New Challenger at 04/20/2009 17:43
Once again, Shin Megami Tensei flies under the radar....
ghets's Avatar
ghets at 04/20/2009 17:54
That is some god awful character design. They just took a regular prince looking dude and gave him monkey lips and a tail!
wanderingpixel's Avatar
wanderingpixel at 04/21/2009 06:46
I think that whoever made this game should have realized that it was disrespectful to make this game. It shouldn't be banned since not everyone is Hindu, but I do not think that there is a problem with the Hindu religion condeming it.

@Mr Kite
I choose D: None of the above.
kaocrat's Avatar
kaocrat at 04/30/2009 06:42
I think we need more games based on religious themes.

When are we going to get a Biblical version of God of War? I want a game that takes as many liberties with the bible stories as God of War does with Greek mythology. I want to play as Jesus, swinging a giant, thorn-covered cross around, fighting 2 of every animal on Noah's ark until it dramatically crashes into mount Ararat.
lewness's Avatar
lewness at 09/02/2009 06:32
So are there any Mara worshippers out there to demand Atlus to pull out all SMT games for their god's portrayal as a...er... dick?
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