Church wants Resistance off BAFTA shortlist

The furore surrounding the use of Manchester Cathedral in Sony shooter Resistance: Fall of Man continues to rage, with a senior Church of England official now demanding that the game be removed from the voting process for a BAFTA award.

Resistance: Fall of Man has been shortlisted for the PC World Gamer's Award, alongside Dr Kawashima's Brain Training, FIFA 07, Football Manager 2007, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, and Wii Play. The award is the only gaming BAFTA award voted for by members of the public, and the shortlist is made up of the top-selling game on each platform.

The Very Reverend Rogers Govender, the Dean of Manchester Cathedral, told BBC News, "It is a disgrace that Resistance: Fall of Man has been shortlisted."

Govender added that Sony had admitted it did not have permission to film or use the likeness of Manchester Cathedral in any game. His statement continued, "BAFTA should not be seen condoning such behaviour unless they are saying it is acceptable for producers to walk into historic buildings and film interiors--ignoring contracts, rights, and liability."

Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter set in an alternative history where World War II never happened. Instead, the world is fending off an invasion from alien creatures called Chimeras. One of the levels has hero Nathan Hale battling the Chimeras inside Manchester Cathedral.

The church objected to the use of the cathedral in the game, with Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch stating that it was virtual desecration, doubly "inappropriate" in light of Manchester City's gun crime problems and was "highly irresponsible."