Sony offers goat sacrifice to 'God of War'

Many believe violent video games are unhealthy for kids. Last month, Sony proved it: a decapitated goat was the centerpiece of a party the company threw in Greece to promote the PlayStation 2 title God of War II.

The theatrical dramatization, which according to reports, also featured topless women feeding grapes to partygoers, was supposed to be in keeping with the video game's Greek mythology theme. But according to media reports from Europe, animal rights groups were outraged and video game critics said the scene was symbolic of the industry's blood lust.

Sony issued a press release apologizing and also denied some reports that party guests were invited to dine on offal removed from the goat's stomach.

Being accused of butchering a goat to sell video games couldn't come at a worse time for Sony. Observers were already questioning the company's instincts on consumer tastes following the dismal debut of the PS3 video game console. Detractors are sure to point out that by presenting a slaughtered animal as a conversation piece, Sony is guilty of the poorest taste.

Sony said the goat was acquired by a butcher in Athens, where the party was held. Taking a page out of the reality TV genre, promoters created a list of challenges for the journalists in attendance. Sony later explained that the "entrails" that partygoers were invited to feast on were really a meat soup provided by a local caterer.

Sony has launched an internal investigation, the company said in a statement.

"The goat was returned to the butcher," Sony said. "On this occasion we recognize that we fell short of our normal high standards of conduct."

[rustik_one]

Oh Dear!

Suppose they'll be after me in a while, because I intend pull on my cow skin shoes in a bit, hit the drive-thru and eat me some flame broiled cow flesh burgers.

Even if they HAD dined on the goat, at least they would've eaten the darned thing! That's what animals are for.

If humans weren't meant to be carnivores, we wouldn't have canine teeth. And we wouldn't find so many members of the animal kingdom to be so delicious!

[theprof00]

so true

i agree 100%
It seems now you can't do anything without protein deprived people turning up their Omega-3 fatty acid deficient noses up at you.

[soup_ignorant]

So...

By having canine teeth, we're meant by nature to eat meat? Why didn't the Chinese Water Deer get the memo? Another thing we have in common with the herbivores are longer intestinal tracts; because you know...meat breaks down and rots extremely quickly. I'd love to find something on herbivorous animals and their rate of developing colon cancer.

I'm not arguing that you shouldn't eat meat. Just that you shouldn't conclude that you can from such negligible characteristics. Whether a human is omnivore or herbivore is entirely up to your coherence to your needs and values.

[pgp_protector]

Fast edit

I see they reedited the story & changed the title.

[open-mind]

Goat Carcass, It's Not Just For Breakfast Any More

In fact, raw goat is becoming the preferred finger-food at all the
popular technology events. And 4 out of 5 strippers recommend
goat carcass as a daily source of protein:

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/
sonygoatMS2804_468x448.jpg

Personally, I prefer goat carcass slowly roasted over a large pile
of flaming Sony batteries.

Welcome to the world of Sony.

[`WarpKat]

Vend-A-Goat Anyone???

I wonder if they had one of these at the party...

(For those of you devoid of Internet lore, Google it...I swear to whatever deity you pray to you'll chuckle for a bit...)

[Strages]

What does this have to do with?

What the hell kinda commentary is this? The first paragraph is absurd and a stretch by a stretch of the words meaning (the word being "stretch"). How in the hell does a decapitated goat head prove that gaming is bad for kids? It has NOTHING TO DO WITH KIDS!?! Not to mention that it's a MATURE game - no kids allowed! Maybe this was a sarcastic piece, but it didn't read like it (if it was, I apologize).
This annoys me more and more lately, people making absolutely absurd connections between two things that are completely unrelated.

[marccooper]

Oh No! A goat was butchered! Get real people.

People eat goats. Goats get killed. I am sure this goat was killed in the way that most goats are killed, whether that was by slitting its throat, decapitating it, or doing something else and then cutting off its head when it was dead. If you want to protest this, go protest Whole Foods organic market, which also displays some meats, albeit in conventional 1lb slices. Goats do not have a civil right to only be seen in small cuts once they are slaughtered. Nothing in this story gives any more evidence of abuse than a cheeseburger or chicken nugget.

[open-mind]

Butchered For Meat?

Doesn't look like it was butchered for meat. Look at the picture again...

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/sonygoatMS2804_468x448.jpg

(You will probably have to paste the above link back together.)

It looks like the furry warm carcus was just sitting out during the party as a type of pagan symbol.

Can you safely butcher and eat a goat after its carcass has been sitting out warm half a day at a hedonistic Sony technology party? I'll add that question to my "never thought I'd have to ask it" bucket. Would a reputable butcher stil render and sell the meat after it's been the centerpiece of a "gamers-gone-wild" party?

Not being familiar with safe meat processing procedures, I honestly don't know.

[ColdMast]

Agreed

I'm a vegetarian, and if people are going to get worked up about a single goat head, they should be outside protesting everything:

from WAR to KFC

sony was merely trying to set a theme {sounds like an episode of "The Apprentice"}, maybe they should of used a stuffed goat head rather than a bloody one.

It's not liked they ate a baby.

[SeizeCTRL]

I Don't Know About You...

But it sounds like Sony sure knows how to throw a party :]

That almost makes me want to buy a PS3 now and I am a devoted PC/Wii fanatic!

It's ONE freaking goat people, what's it going to mean? a little less cheese on your burrito? I'm fairly certain the world will not end with the decapitation of a goat.

I think the goat is over-shadowing the TOPLESS WOMEN FEEDING YOU GRAPES aspect of this party.

[umbrae]

Really?

"On this occasion we recognize that we fell short of our normal high standards of conduct."

Like vandalizing public property for their PSP campaign. Someone needs to take this company down. Why not commission a fake head? Using a real one is just bad taste, and surely breaks some health codes.

[SeizeCTRL]

LMAO

You can't be serious... really, you are upset over the PSP graffiti campaign and this? You must be working on your Uptight Asshat badge or something.

Apparently this game and this party was not meant for you.

[Methuss]

"High standards of conduct" ???

Yeah right. Tell that to all the developers of SOE's Planetside which were laid off and cheated out of their royalties to the tune of several million dollars.

High standards of conduct indeed!