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SMITE: Hi Rez Responds to Hindus Upset with Deity Inclusion
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
A group of Hindus has lodged a complaint with SMITE developer Hi-Rez Studios about the inclusion of several deities withing the game. SMITE includes Kali, Vamana and Agni. The group maintains that using images of important deities hurts devotees of Hinduism.
In response to the issue, Hi Rez Studios CEO Todd Harris had this to say:
"SMITE includes deities inspired from a diverse and ever expanding set of pantheons including Greek, Chinese, Egyptian, and Norse. Hinduism, being one of the world's oldest, largest and most diverse traditions, also provides inspiration toward deities in our game. In fact, given Hinduism's concept of a single truth with multiple physical manifestations one could validly interpret ALL the gods within SMITE to be Hindu. And all gods outside of SMITE as well. Ponder that for a minute. Anyway, going forward SMITE will include even more deities, not fewer." - Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios Chief Operating Officer
Comments
I like what he say
He smart
He right
He win
And the game is good so yep
people lodge complaints about everything! It's getting old and annoying.
I WANT JESUS!
Beta tester maniac
I think an issue arrises when religious figures that are still believed in and revered today are used. For example, there would be real issues with including Jesus or Muhammad. This is so intuitive that I don't believe Hi-Rez would ever, even for a second, consider doing so. The very inclusion of the chosen gods in SMITE assumes that they are indeed mytholigical--not real. This obviously would be offensive to anyone who happens to still believe in any of them.
Lets see them try and include Jesus or Muhammed, then you'll see true butthurt.
Well... Hinduism is still believed in and revered. So your point about not using Jesus or Muhammad validly fits the Hindu faith as well.
I'm still waiting for them to include deities from Abrahamic religions. There's really no reason to exclude them when there's deities from other active religions in the game. Why should Islam and Christianity be exempt?
Jesus would suck as an ingame character anyway
I think they could give Jesus some cool powers. He can maybe float , come back to life after death(limited), have some kind of holy AOE, shoot out crosses, have a cool glowing white cape.
Hard not to offend anyone these days. Too many people feel empowered by the can't hurt anyone's feelings brigade that has inundated our society. It is a game, nothing whatsoever to do with a religion.
I agree 100% and loved Todd's responce to the issue.
Has this Rajan Zed ever heard of Digital Devil Saga? That game is also entirely based on Hindu mythology and has your character turning into demon versions of Hindu gods (Agni, Prithvi, Varna, etc.) and EATING PEOPLE.
That game came out on the PS2 in 2004! You can't pick and choose what you can complain about. If this group cares so much about Hindu gods being portrayed in games, they should pay more attention. SMITE sure isn't the first game to use Hindu gods, I'm sure theres many others than Digital Devil Saga.
I'm really glad the Hi Rez CEO brushed this off, because it should be. We going to see someone complain about Zeus and Athena in God of War next?
Technically Jesus is a son of a god! *drums* *claps* o_X
Beta tester maniac
LOL!
Beta tester maniac
No kidding! You should see the forums at mmorpg.com! It's just crazy I tell you!!
You know that no one believes in greek mithology, right?
He basically said " And I care why ?"
What's the big deal? This stuff is just imaginary. Do people really believe in gods and magic? If they do, the problem lies within them, and not with game developers.
Because they bitch the loudest and tend to vote in blocks.
Love how Todd Harris hangs them with their own rope in the response though. What a clever, pre-evolved hominid.
Neither Jesus nor Muhammad are dieties, they are both prophets or in the case of Jesus the most you could say is Demi-God but that is pushing it. Jesus wasn't even considered the son of God until the Council of Nicea (I believe, or at least that was when it was affirmed).
So adding them as playable dieties wouldn't make any sense and since the game is using Panteons it requires that the religion have more than one god in it. Yaweh, wouldn't make since either being that he is not a member of a pantheon.
Arachne and Sun Wukong are not dieties either but they are included.
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True, and an argument could be made using them but their story is vastly different from that of Muhammad or Jesus, both where mortal, Arachne was changed by a god into spider and Su Wukong was never really mortal (a monkey born of a stone with supernatural abilities).
Technically the Egyptian pantheon weren't gods either, simply Pharoes worshiped as gods.
It comes down to where you want to draw the line, and since it is Hi-Rez's game they get to draw the line.
Though I wouldn't mind seeing some of the "Saints" make an appearance, that would be fair.
Hindus are mostly peaceful people. How many times have we seen there dieties being used on just everything? t shirts, shoes, liquor bottles...and yet ever heard of a hindu threatning to blow up people? so Hi Rez got nothing to worry about.
I mean Bhagwad Geeta was banned in Russia because some people feared it will brain wash masses and what did Hindus do? peaceful protest.
Try banning book of Muslims or Christains or put their respective prophets in game or put their pictures on liquor or shoes and see all hell break loose.
Hi Rez are just bunch of hypocrites.
Hi-Rez stance on jesus
''/\/\'' Posted using Iphone bunni
( o.o)
(")(")
**This bunny was cloned from bunnies belonging to Gobla and is part of the Quizzical Fanclub and the The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club**
If they are going to put Jesus in the game, shouldn't he be a gardener or something like that?