Sony attacked for glamorising gun crime to sell 'seamy' computer game
By Ian Burrell Home Affairs Correspondent
08 February 2003
Sony was accused by the Culture Minister Kim Howells last night of attempting to profit from Britain's growing problem of gun crime through a cynical advertising strategy targeted at fans of rap music and glorifying gun violence.
The global media company has placed three-page colour advertisements in the world's leading rap magazine, The Source, luridly describing gun "massacres" and "bloody turf struggles" between Yardies, Triads and other gangs on the streets of London.
A mocked-up newspaper article, headed "Bloody London", is designed to encourage rap fans to buy copies of Sony's new Playstation 2 computer game The Getaway, which claims to recreate "London's seamy underbelly".
Mr Howells – who last month said violent rap lyrics had "created a culture where killing is almost a fashion accessory" – accused Sony of a "cynical attempt to glamorise and exploit violence".
He said: "I have no doubt whatsoever that Sony is responsible for this and yet they present themselves as a respectable company and world-wide operation. They must know there has been a general glamorisation of gun culture and they are seeking to exploit it and sell more games."
Parents of gun crime victims said Sony's decision to glorify British gun violence to a rap audience was an irresponsible money-making exercise. Lucy Cope, who founded the campaign group Mothers Against Guns after her son Damian, 22, was shot dead outside a central London night club in July last year, said the promotion was "an absolute disgrace". She said: "Why should Sony be allowed to make a vast amount of money out of our kids' deaths? They should withdraw that game immediately for the safety of our future generation. We are in the middle of an English Bronx and we don't need any hype over that."
Police said the advertisement – in an American-produced magazine that is on sale in Britain – was "an appalling thing for a major corporation to do".
A spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment said its American office had produced the ads. He said Sony "would not use this creative approach in the UK" and that in Britain "we've been very careful to take note of the current political and social climate".
