Following the row over its use of images of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man, Sony has issued an apology to the people of Manchester.
In June, Sony faced criticism from the Church of England for using the interior of the church as the setting for a gun battle. The Church felt the depiction of Manchester Cathedral was particularly onerous given the city’s ongoing problems with gun violence. While admitting no wrongdoing, later in the month Sony apologized to the Church for including the images.
The company has now taken out a full-page ad in the Manchester Evening News addressing the entirety of Manchester, saying it apologizes “unreservedly” for any offense it caused.
“It is clear to us that the connection between the congregation and the cathedral is a deeply person and spiritual one,” wrote Sony Computer Entertainment Europe President David Reeves.
“As a result, it is also clear that we have offended some of the congregation by using the cathedral in our science fiction game. It was never our intention to offend anyone in the making of this game, and we would like to apologise unreservedly to them for causing that offence, and to all parts of the community who might also have been offended.”