VIDEO games should be vetted to ensure that none contain material offensive to religious groups.
That’s the suggestion of Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, who is all of a-lather over Hanuman: Boy Warrior, Sony’s video game for PlayStation2.
The US-based Zed, according to this report, wants it withdrawn, saying it trivialises Hinduism’s highly-revered deity.
According to PlayStation Network website:
This game is a ‘growing up’ story of Hanuman, where he starts as a powerless being and regains his powers through the game …
Zed argued that re-inventing Hindu scriptures and deities for commercial or other purposes was a no-no as it hurt devotees. Controlling and manipulating Lord Hanuman with a joystick/ button/keyboard/mouse was and act of denigration. Lord Hanuman was not meant to be reduced to just a ‘character’ in a video game.
Zed added that the game placed Lord Hanuman in the company of America’s 10 Most Wanted, Bad Boys, Barbie, Britney’s Dance Beat, First Kiss Stories, Guitar Freaks, Jackass, Killer7, Looney Tunes, Mafia, Mercenaries, Midnight Club, Mister Mosquito, Nicktoons, Psychonauts, Scooby Doo, Truckers, etc.
Zed suggested that India and all other countries of the world should come up with national content rating organisations for video games.
He stressed that Hindus were all for free speech -  so long as their religious feelings weren’t hurt. Video game makers should be more sensitive while handling faith-related subjects, as these games left lasting impact on the minds of highly impressionable children, teens and other young people.
What Zed failed to mention is that, as video games go, Hanuman: Boy Warrior is a steaming pile of poo. According to this Indian review:
There are good games and there are bad games; then there are sorry excuses for games developed by studios who don’t give a flying falooda about quality.
Hanuman – Boy Warrior falls under the last category … The game boasts of being the first ever Indian game to be released on the PlayStation 2; if Indian developers are going to develop this sort of crap for consoles, let’s hope it’s the last.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
April 19th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
WEll I suppose it makes a change from having some right wing conservative christian fundie having a go at games, though I suppose Zed like most of these conservative christians has never actually played any of the games he is critisising I mean some of the games he listed there were total flops which nobody gave a shit about anyway and if the reviews of this game are anything to go by this game will be a flop as well.
April 19th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Hanuman has definitely got something wrong with his lips. He needs to see a doctor. They are swollen and I am not just talking about a bee sting here. And what is that perpendicular line in the upper lip? Could be very serious.
April 19th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
When are these people going to grow up and get a life? Of all the imaginary freinds, the Hindu ones are the most laughable and this guy is getting a bazzy on because someone has used one in a video game. At least the video game character actually exists even if only within the program and on the screen. Of course the ironic thing is that if this game does become a success it will be entirely down to this moron’s whining.
April 19th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Reminds me of last year when the release of the Playstation game Little Big Planet was delayed to remove a song which contained verses from the Qu’ran in its lyrics from the game. Totally ridiculous if you ask me. It’s a sentiment which is voiced often on these pages, but if these gods are so powerful, why is it their devotees who have to protect them from ridicule and exploitation, and not the gods themselves…?
April 19th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Wait until someone tires to release ‘Command & Conquer: The Rise of Islam’…
April 19th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Broga: Nothing wrong with Hanuman’s lips. Their appearance is the result of Hanuman being part monkey. He also has a tail. He was commonly referred to as the Monkey God, but Hindus apparently regard the term as “offensive” so it is no longer used.
April 19th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Command & Conquer the rise of Islam might be a major seller
Does anyone remember when that game “Left behind:Eternal forces” came out??
It was supposed to be th wholeshome christian alternativ to games like GTA and Doom, give me GTA and Doom anyday
April 20th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Message for Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism.
This is a game which shows Hanuman – The Monkey God – as a fun person.
Go on Rajan and enjoy life a little. Hindus know hw to enjoy life even if they live in poverty.
Have you seen a Japanese TV production – Monkey.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Does anyone remember when that game “Left behind:Eternal forces†came out??,
Ahh, was that the RTS where you could “convert” sinners to join your side, and when you did they turned into white people in suits, even if they were black before?
My brother bought a vaguely Christian-related shooter years ago called “Requiem: Avenging Angel”, it was pretty good for the time it came out in, but hardly anybody bought it.
What i want to know is when we’re gonna get “Rule of Rose”. It featured little girls in Edwardian costume but with black lipstick. As this is apparently a “sick fetish” according to the Daily Mail, some tossers in the Lords had it banned. It was set in Britian too, but we can’t play it here!
April 20th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
“as these games left lasting impact on the minds of highly impressionable children, teens and other young people.”
Hmm. How dare those game makers do this! This is an exclusively religious tactic!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
On the subject of using deities and profits for profit in children’s toys, I’ve had a brain-wave: “Scary Jesus”.
The idea is simple, a range of toys & products designed to frighten babies and toddlers shitless to a truly deep level when they see the image of Christ on paper or in three dimensions. Certainly this may *seem* cruel in the short term but in the end could prove a valuable tool for parental discipline as well as a preventative for religious indoctrination in the child’s early life.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I’m looking forward to unlocking the secret ‘Jesus’ character in Street Fighter 4. He shoots lasers from his stigmata!
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:39 pm
“Video game makers should be more sensitive while handling faith-related subjects, as these games left lasting impact on the minds of highly impressionable children, teens and other young people”
Aaargh, ‘Godless not Gormless’ got there before me.
However, regarding the hare lip, isn’t it just a distorted version of Homer Simpson’s smackers? Imagine an Alternative Simpsons, where the god-botherer next door was an actual god! You know, the one with all those arms, used in a timeless cartoon to extract credit cards from tourists pockets. (Can anyone remind me of the details? Private Eye, perhaps? Early Independent?)