<p>E3 publicity stunt featuring actors in a faux protest of its upcoming game Dante's Inferno has upset some Catholics. </p><p><img src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/"></p><p>
Abandon all hope, all ye who thought a PR firestorm would not erupt. Catholics across the blogosphere are angry with Electronic Arts, who hired several actors to stage a mock protest of its Dante's Inferno game outside the <a href="http://e3.gamespot.com" target="new">Electronic Entertainment Expo</a>.
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<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/images/0/1/?path=2009%2F161%2Finferno359_screen.jpg&caption=This%2Bguy%2Bwas%2Bnot%2Bone%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bactors%252C%2Bto%2Bthe%2Brelief%2Bof%2Bthe%2BLos%2BAngeles%2BFire%2BDepartment&blog=1&cvr=dsD1">
<img class="thumb" src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/161/inferno359_embed.jpg" alt="" /></a><p class="caption"><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/images/0/1/?path=2009%2F161%2Finferno359_screen.jpg&caption=This%2Bguy%2Bwas%2Bnot%2Bone%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bactors%252C%2Bto%2Bthe%2Brelief%2Bof%2Bthe%2BLos%2BAngeles%2BFire%2BDepartment&blog=1&cvr=dsD1">This guy was not one of the actors, to the relief of the Los Angeles Fire Department</a></p></div></p>
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The staged protest included signs such as "Hell is not a game," "My high score is in Heaven," and "Trade in your PlayStation for a PrayStation." The actors were convincing enough to <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/06/e3-protesters-target-dantes-inferno-game.html" target="new">fool the bloggers at the <i>Los Angeles Times</i></a>, who also wrote that <a href="http://wearesavedgroup.org" target="new">protesters promoted a multimedia antigame Web site</a>. EA reps later confirmed to the Associated Press that the whole affair was staged by a marketing agency.
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Now, <a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/06/11/faith-based-bloggers-slam-ea-staging-fake-religious-protest-e3" target="new">GamePolitics</a> is pointing out that the stunt has angered many real Catholic bloggers. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ltg3tx" target="new">Margaret Cabaniss of InsideCatholic</a> wrote, "It's been clear for a while now that the entertainment industry views Christians on the whole as priggish, thin-skinned fun-killers... Has anybody at EA actually read the Inferno?"
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Another blogger, <a href="http://catholicvideogamers.blogspot.com/2009/06/electronic-arts-pulls-anti-christian.html" target="blank">at Catholic Video Gamers</a>, wrote, "Gamers of all varieties will buy this product if its, well, actually a good game. So instead of engaging in a shamelessly anti-Christian stunt to promote your poor excuse of a product, maybe you ought to work on making this game, you know, something better than a blatant God of War rip-off and make it, ya know, something worthwhile?"
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EA could not be reached for immediate comment on the backlash.
</p><p>
Based on 14th-century author Dante Alighieri's <i>Divine Comedy</i>, Dante's Inferno is a fantasy action game from Visceral Studios (Dead Space). As outlined in <a href="http://e3.stage.gamespot.com/story/6210762/dantes-inferno-updated-hands-on" target="new">GameSpot's recent preview</a>, it will follow the eponymous protagonist as he descends through the Nine Circles of Hell to save his love, Beatrice. It is currently scheduled to come out in the first quarter of 2010.
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"<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/dantesinferno/news.html?sid=6211829">EA's mock religious protest draws real religious protest</a>" was posted by Matthew Peters on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:19:58 -0700
</div>
Posted on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:19:58 -0700 at http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/dantesinferno/news.html?sid=6211829
Abandon all hope, all ye who thought a PR firestorm would not erupt. Catholics across the blogosphere are angry with Electronic Arts, who hired several actors to stage a mock protest of its Dante's Inferno game outside the <a href="http://e3.gamespot.com" target="new">Electronic Entertainment Expo</a>.
</p>
<p><div class="embscreen">
<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/images/0/1/?path=2009%2F161%2Finferno359_screen.jpg&caption=This%2Bguy%2Bwas%2Bnot%2Bone%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bactors%252C%2Bto%2Bthe%2Brelief%2Bof%2Bthe%2BLos%2BAngeles%2BFire%2BDepartment&blog=1&cvr=dsD1">
<img class="thumb" src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/161/inferno359_embed.jpg" alt="" /></a><p class="caption"><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/images/0/1/?path=2009%2F161%2Finferno359_screen.jpg&caption=This%2Bguy%2Bwas%2Bnot%2Bone%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bactors%252C%2Bto%2Bthe%2Brelief%2Bof%2Bthe%2BLos%2BAngeles%2BFire%2BDepartment&blog=1&cvr=dsD1">This guy was not one of the actors, to the relief of the Los Angeles Fire Department</a></p></div></p>
<p>
The staged protest included signs such as "Hell is not a game," "My high score is in Heaven," and "Trade in your PlayStation for a PrayStation." The actors were convincing enough to <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/06/e3-protesters-target-dantes-inferno-game.html" target="new">fool the bloggers at the <i>Los Angeles Times</i></a>, who also wrote that <a href="http://wearesavedgroup.org" target="new">protesters promoted a multimedia antigame Web site</a>. EA reps later confirmed to the Associated Press that the whole affair was staged by a marketing agency.
</p><p>
Now, <a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/06/11/faith-based-bloggers-slam-ea-staging-fake-religious-protest-e3" target="new">GamePolitics</a> is pointing out that the stunt has angered many real Catholic bloggers. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ltg3tx" target="new">Margaret Cabaniss of InsideCatholic</a> wrote, "It's been clear for a while now that the entertainment industry views Christians on the whole as priggish, thin-skinned fun-killers... Has anybody at EA actually read the Inferno?"
</p><p>
Another blogger, <a href="http://catholicvideogamers.blogspot.com/2009/06/electronic-arts-pulls-anti-christian.html" target="blank">at Catholic Video Gamers</a>, wrote, "Gamers of all varieties will buy this product if its, well, actually a good game. So instead of engaging in a shamelessly anti-Christian stunt to promote your poor excuse of a product, maybe you ought to work on making this game, you know, something better than a blatant God of War rip-off and make it, ya know, something worthwhile?"
</p><p>
EA could not be reached for immediate comment on the backlash.
</p><p>
Based on 14th-century author Dante Alighieri's <i>Divine Comedy</i>, Dante's Inferno is a fantasy action game from Visceral Studios (Dead Space). As outlined in <a href="http://e3.stage.gamespot.com/story/6210762/dantes-inferno-updated-hands-on" target="new">GameSpot's recent preview</a>, it will follow the eponymous protagonist as he descends through the Nine Circles of Hell to save his love, Beatrice. It is currently scheduled to come out in the first quarter of 2010.
</p>
<div class="video_embed" style="width:480px;">
<div class="video_details">
<div class="wrap"><div class="caption">
<div class="wrap"><p class="more"><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/dantesinferno/video/6210551">Comment on this video »</a></p>
</div>
</div><div class="upsell sd">
<div class="wrap">
<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/dantesinferno/video/6210551?hd=1" class="btn"><span>Watch this video in <span class="format">HD 540p</span></span></a>
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</div></div></div><div id="flash_video_player_alt_content_6210551" style="text-align: center; height: 310px;margin: 0 auto; width: 480px;"><p style="margin-top: 100px;"><a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer">Flash Player 9</a> is required to watch this video.</p></div><script type="text/javascript">document.getElementById('flash_video_player_alt_content_6210551').style.display = "none";var expressInstallPath = "http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/express/playerProductInstall.swf";</script><script type="text/javascript">var object_ele = '<object id="proteus2" width="100%" height="100%" data="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/media_player/proteus/gs/proteus2_gs.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="proteus2" ></object>';document.write('<div id="flash_video_player_6210551" style="height:440px;width:480px;" class="swiff_container video_player {swiffVerify : {version: 9, flash_dom_id: \'proteus2\', alt_content: \'flash_video_player_alt_content_6210551\'}}">' + object_ele + '</div>');</script></div> <p><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/dantesinferno/news.html?sid=6211829#post_comment">Read and Post Comments</a> | <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/dantesinferno/news.html?sid=6211829">Get the full article at GameSpot</a></p>
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"<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/dantesinferno/news.html?sid=6211829">EA's mock religious protest draws real religious protest</a>" was posted by Matthew Peters on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:19:58 -0700
</div>
Posted on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:19:58 -0700 at http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/dantesinferno/news.html?sid=6211829