No, I didn't see it either, but yesterday's Mail on Sunday reported on a "depraved" God of War II press event which featured a headless goat. Makes a change from legless journalist I guess, but the Mail didn't see the funny side. Pictures of the event - due to appear in the Official Playstation mag - have been removed by a suitably chastened Future Publishing.
Right then, where do we start? Clearly this is good news for Sony - sales, or at least awareness, of God of War II will increase. Notoriety never harmed a game. Future won't be happy with the cost implications, although they may flog a few more issues. And the article itself is a laughable semi-parody - "We have reproduced the spread but have pixellated the image to spare readers the sight of the goat's decapitated head" etc - and comes complete with typically outraged quotes from MP Keith Vaz. But what does this say about the games industry as a whole? Is it the vibrant, fast-growing entertainment industry - "bigger than Hollywood!" - that we often hear about or is it still the niche immature business stuck selling shlock to teenage boys?
Of course, the Mail on Sunday is hardly the voice of reason, but this story will confirm what many people, and not just MoS readers, think - ie that games are a bad thing. Obviously this is nonsense but perception is important. What do you think then? Typical overreaction from the tabloid press or symptomatic of a games industry that still hasn't grown up?
