Do you remember that video we posted a few days ago showing the go kart racing that was revealed in Gran Turismo 5? Well that racing was set around the Piazza del Campo which is an historic public place in Italy that apparently is very important to some people.
The catch is that to use it’s imagery you need to get permission from the Consortium for the Protection of the Palio, which shouldn’t be much of a problem except that the CEO, Anna Carli, of said organisation categorically states that they won’t give that permission.
Her exact words were
“You can not use images of Contrade, in this case the flags, without authorization. Given the relevance of the game with no history and references to our party, in particular with the use of images of flags of the contrade, we would not authorize use.â€
They have raised the problem with SCEI (Sony Italy) and unless the offending flags and imagery are removed they will go to court to get a court order to seize all copies of GT5 on it’s release.
I’m sure Polyphony Digital will be able to change these flags without to much hassle so I don’t expect a delay but it always amazes me that people can make mistakes like this. Didn’t they realise that they need permission to replicate flags from the owners of the flags?
Here’s that video if you want to see the offending items before they get yanked from YouTube
Last Updated: August 23, 2010
Fred
August 23, 2010 at 11:32
What a bunch of whiners. Gamers could not care less.
Bobby Kotick
August 23, 2010 at 11:39
And in other news, Italian American Bingo Hall group, UNICO believes that Mafia 2 is racist.
Sigh! :silly:
Bobby Kotick
August 23, 2010 at 11:41
We can therefore conclude that Italy should to be launched off into space, thus allowing us all to enjoy our games in peace. :whistle:
Fox1
August 23, 2010 at 11:45
The world would never be the same without Italian food an cars.
Bobby Kotick
August 23, 2010 at 11:52
LOL Fox1 😉 You’ll be surprised to know that Italian food can be made by non-Italians. In fact, I can make a stunning tagliatelle al prosciutto, but I think I might have been channelling my great-grandfather’s mother who was an Italian POW.
Bobby Kotick
August 23, 2010 at 11:53
Uh wait, that sounds wrong, he was the POW, not his mother… damn you Meh-day, and lack of coffee.
Gavin Mannion
August 23, 2010 at 12:05
Which is most probably why they are upset about it..
We won’t respect it in the way they appear to…
Bobby Kotick
August 23, 2010 at 12:45
Flags Smhegs, Cultural and patriotic bollocks. I’m currently wearing the New Zealand flag as undies. Yeah I said it… It’s nice and soft.
RSA-Ace
August 23, 2010 at 12:49
Sounds similar to the soundtrack problem in LittleBigPlanet.
Ndibu
August 23, 2010 at 15:11
Delay it
alanscott
August 23, 2010 at 17:03
what a loed of shit its only a game for gods sake they should take the flags of but to do that they will have to delay the game AGAIN
adam
August 23, 2010 at 18:53
the people of sienna have mad a bad call. Bad publicity. There’s no reason to make a big deal out of your flags being used in a game.
Gavin Mannion
August 24, 2010 at 08:32
I have to disagree, it’s of supreme cultural importance to them and it’s arrogant of us to insist they get over it.
We have to deal with the same issues on a daily basis when it comes to religious and cultural tolerances and Polyphony should have known better.
I severely doubt it’s going to delay the game though, how hard can it be to change flags?
Bobby Kotick goes conservative
August 24, 2010 at 10:54
Liberal hogwash! If that line of thinking was correct, than every picture ever taken of pacific islanders (and many other cultural groups) should be destroyed post-haste, just in case the photos captured their souls. This is cultural over-sensitivity at its worst, mixed with the belief that only a select few may capitalize on the Piazza del Campo.
I’m pretty sure, there would be no offence if I bought a t-shirt or a mug with one of those flags on it from one of the curious shop in the town or if I took a picture of it.
And here I thought they’d be happy with free advertising of a stunning site in Israel..
Bobby Kotick
August 24, 2010 at 11:01
AAARGH ITALY!! lol not Israel. :getlost:
Gavin Mannion
August 24, 2010 at 11:28
IF the flags and other items are all over coffee mugs and trinkets then I would agree with you. If it’s about money then they can just suck it up and bugger off.
However if it’s more to do with a cultural heritage then it’s wrong for Sony or PolyphonyDigital to use the imagery without permission.
As for the pacific islanders… my liberal leanings only go so far, however if their likeness was being used in a game or movie without their permission I would still side with them.
You have to respect other people else it all starts to fall apart
Bobby Kotick
August 24, 2010 at 11:41
However, this remains a non-issue, rather than a question of cultural identity or worse an attack on that identity, since those flags are merely symbols of the various districts. How exactly does that offend?