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The Itate Hyozu Shrine in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture is taking action over Ubisoft’s usage of the religious site in the upcoming Assassins Creed Shadows, it’s been confirmed. On the other hand, rumors about Japan’s Association of Shinto Shrines taking action against Ubisoft have been debunked.

Last week, controversy was kicked up around a gameplay video from Assassin’s Creed Shadows that was shared around the beginning of February. In the video, it is shown that the player can enter Itate Hyozu Shrine (in-game location based on the real-life shrine of the same name) and destroy parts of it, including its altar and sacred objects, which caused mixed reactions.

Some users claimed that the shrine being destroyable was inherently disrespectful to Japanese religion and culture, while others argued that it was just part of making the player’s interaction with the world feel realistic. It may be worth noting here that ransacking the shrine is not part of game progression, as well as the fact that footage of its destruction was not used for promotion of the game.

Following the controversy, rumors started spreading that the shrine’s real-life official were “furious” with Ubisoft and asking for Itate Hyozu’s removal from Shadows. However, there had not been any credible sources or official statements from the parties in question to verify the story. But on February 20, Japan’s Sankei News published statements by Itate Hyozu Shrine’s officials on the matter. According to the report, the shrine’s representatives are “taking appropriate action” regarding the portrayal of the religious site in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

When asked whether they had received prior notice from Ubisoft about the shrine’s use, Itate Hyozu’s official commented, “No, if they had contacted us, we would have refused.” The official did not provide details about what “taking appropriate action” entails, so it remains unclear whether they are asking for the shrine’s removal from the game, adjustments to what the player can do in it, or some other form of action.

In addition, rumors on social media also claimed that Japan’s Association of Shinto Shrines was “taking action” against Ubisoft, but this has been debunked by an official interviewed by The Sankei News.

Assassins Creed Shadows: Real-life Japanese shrine officials are "taking action” over Ubisoft's portrayal of religious site - AUTOMATON WEST

It's been confirmed that officials of the Itate Hyozu Shrine in Japan are taking action over its portrayal in Ubisoft's Assassins's Creed Shadows.

automaton-media.com

 

[PanzerCute]

Sorry, but what a bunch of fucking pussies.
Ridiculous.

 

[The Chairman]

Weird because i was told by gaming journalists that this was all western manufactured outrage by western chuds larping as Japanese.

 

[Chuck Berry]

This game is really death by a thousand cuts, man

 

[od-chan]

Fuck this game and fuck Ubisoft, but fuck the religious fruitcakes even more.

 

[Hookshot]

Has there ever been a game where we can destroy American holy sites or does McDonalds not allow their likeness to be used?

 

[Schmendrick]

I'm siding with Ubisoft here.
Fuck religious nutcases in general.

 

[SJRB]

Sorry, but what a bunch of fucking pussies.
Ridiculous.

Agreed, why won't these dumb Japanese people just shut up and let us westerners wipe our asses with their religions, cultures, customs and traditions?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Did Ubisoft intend this game to sell in Japan?

 

[PanzerCute]

Has there ever been a game where we can destroy American holy sites or does McDonalds not allow their likeness to be used?

I think the Capitol gets litterally destroyed in a COD episode.

Agreed, why won't these dumb Japanese people just shut up and let us westerners wipe our asses with their religions, cultures, customs and traditions?

This is fiction ffs! The intro of Vanquish, a japanese game, is San Francisco being fucking nuked!

 

[winjer]

Ubisoft has no respect for Japan, its people, its culture and religion.

 

[Kiraly]

I'm sure all these people had the same reaction when all the previous games allowed you to pillage, loot and massacre innocents in churches and temples.

Unless it's not ACTUALLY about the destruction of Japanese religious sites, is it hmmm....

 

[Tsaki]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I wonder what these same people said about TLOU2 not letting you shoot religious symbols and items in the synagogue.

 

[rofif]

lol everyone so butthurt about a video game not being 1000% accurate. Japanese are getting w bit annoying. Chill out, it’s a stupid Ubisoft game. This is embarrassing

 

[FewRope]

Bro in AC 2 you fucking mugged the Pope in the final act, stop being a fucking pussy

 

[Three]

Reminds me of that dumb cathedral controversy that insomniac recieved for Resistance.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | Cathedral row over video war game

news.bbc.co.uk

Had those cathedral officials trying to get it delisted from the BAFTAs.

 

[Jakk]

I don't even care for this game too much, it doesn't look too interesting to me, but people getting triggered by a religious site getting destroyed in a game should seek professional treatment.

 

[Doom85]

Agreed, why won't these dumb Japanese people just shut up and let us westerners wipe our asses with their religions, cultures, customs and traditions?

Various Japanese fiction is hardly guilt free in displaying stereotypical and/or widely inaccurate elements of different cultures and such, and I don’t remember anyone from those cultures “taking action” against those Japanese writers.

Fair play is fair play.

 

[Ironman_Bad]

Smoke and mirrors we know why they really mad

 

[kruis]

Ubisoft's "Get out of jail" card seems to have stopped working for AC: Shadows

 

[Kabelly]

oh shit now y'all care about cultural appropriation?

i swear that was a thing only SJW's cared about.

 

[Branded]

I don't even care for this game too much, it doesn't look too interesting to me, but people getting triggered by a religious site getting destroyed in a game should seek professional treatment.

What a retarded take.

 

[Generic]

I feel living in the 2000's all over again.

 

[Topher]

oh shit now y'all care about cultural appropriation?

i swear that was a thing only SJW's cared about.

This has nothing to do with cultural appropriation.

 

[Kabelly]

This has nothing to do with cultural appropriation.

so this has nothing to do with Japanese culture? Got it!

Don't know why those Japanese people are so mad then.

 

[Skifi28]

I feel living in the 2000's all over again.

I get similar vibes.

 

[Doom85]

Ubisoft's "Get out of jail" card seems to have stopped working for AC: Shadows

“Inspired”
“Work of fiction”

You know, maybe the families of the victims of Ed Gein should have sued the filmmakers of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (“Inspired by a True Story” as it was advertised) for clearly taking the serial killer and using his story for a profitable slasher film but also wildly changing the details like having it set in Texas, changing the killers name and having him use a chainsaw, etc……oh wait, the families didn’t do that. In fact, just like year the film was placed in the US National Film Registry.

Should Christians start suing every work of fiction that uses Jesus in an “inaccurate” manner? Or God for that matter? Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman better watch out!

 

[Topher]

so this has nothing to do with Japanese culture? Got it!

Don't know why those Japanese people are so mad then.

This is about a lack of respect to Japanese culture, not appropriation of it. There is a difference.

 

[GymWolf]

Japan is going full retard i see.

Nobody ever gave a fuck about destructible props in videogames, no matter the location or religion.

 

[DrMano]

“Inspired”
“Work of fiction”

You know, maybe the families of the victims of Ed Gein should have sued the filmmakers of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (“Inspired by a True Story” as it was advertised) for clearly taking the serial killer and using his story for a profitable slasher film but also wildly changing the details like having it set in Texas, changing the killers name and having him use a chainsaw, etc……oh wait, the families didn’t do that. In fact, just like year the film was placed in the US National Film Registry.

Should Christians start suing every work of fiction that uses Jesus in an “inaccurate” manner? Or God for that matter? Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman better watch out!

Why don't you ask them why they didn't sue? Maybe they were paid off?

 

[=GabrielKnight=]

They should sue players who destroy the shrines in game instead

 

[Kabelly]

This is about a lack of respect to Japanese culture, not appropriation of it. There is a difference.

Please don't gaslight me.

"Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way."

Isn't the whole controversy around this game that Ubsisoft is making the main characters are a black samurai and a woman?

All this time I was being told games are just fiction.

 

[Gonzito]

Is there a lore reason why Ubisoft loves to shoot themselves in the foot every week? Are they stupid?

 

[Kiya's Guard]

Cause I'm sure the japaneses themselves didn't destroy a bunch of them over the centuries of internal turmoil. Fuck them

 

[Northeastmonk]

All I see is someone roughing up the villagers and destroying objects in the environment. Pretty much what sandbox games have allowed in the last decade+. IIRC I shot someone inside a church in RDR. I must not give a .

 

[sainraja]

Reminds me of that dumb cathedral controversy that insomniac recieved for Resistance.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | Cathedral row over video war game

news.bbc.co.uk

Had those cathedral officials trying to get it delisted from the BAFTAs.

Man, I miss Resistance. Specially the first. I loved the way the story was told... it was just too good! (It is also what got me into first-person shooter games!)

 

[Donald mac Ronald]

At this point this is manufactured outrage over a few inanimate objects and props in a game.

Isn't like the character is taking a shit on a Quran is it.

 

[Topher]

Please don't gaslight me.

"Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way."

Isn't the whole controversy around this game that Ubsisoft is making the main characters are a black samurai and a woman?

All this time I was being told games are just fiction.

I'm not gaslighting a thing. Simply having elements of Japanese culture in a video game could be called "cultural appropriation", but that is not the issue being taken up here. Neither is the main characters being black and a woman.

 

[Saber]

Ubisoft has no respect for Japan, its people, its culture and religion.

I'm actually stunned that people are actually on Ubisoft side this time.
Maybe they don't care about culture because they don't have one? Or maybe its just Japan and people are naturally inclined to dogpilled on them.

 

[kindaGoth]

lol the RE thread is a slew of people claiming only white guys take issue with this game leading up to this news being posted.

 

[MMaRsu]

Again with this? Listen I dont think the game looks good but the fact you can destroy a few boxes in a shrine who gives a shit man

 

[Shubh_C63]

Its like the world is conspiring against this game at every turn.
Nice not knowing you Ubisoft. Hand over the keys to Tencent on your way out.

 

[MMaRsu]

Its like the world is conspiring against this game at every turn.
Nice not knowing you Ubisoft. Hand over the keys to Tencent on your way out.

The world? No just some grifters.

Nobody cares about being able to destroy a chair and a table inside a shrine. Give me a break

 

[Shtof]

Seems like woke has entered Japan.

 

[Hookshot]

Is it just a run of the mill shrine or is it one of the highly sacred, super exclusive ones where only the Emperors family and the shrine head is allowed to enter?

 

[Topher]

At this point this is manufactured outrage over a few inanimate objects and props in a game.

Isn't like the character is taking a shit on a Quran is it.

What if it were? Quran is an inanimate object.

 

[Physiognomonics]

It's a symbol, sure, but this is about japanese (over)protecting their culture and religion while they still can.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Out of control, people becoming what they claim to hate.

 

[Kabelly]

I'm not gaslighting a thing. Simply having elements of Japanese culture in a video game could be called "cultural appropriation", but that is not the issue being taken up here. Neither is the main characters being black and a woman.

So you're telling, that Ubisoft taking a Japanese shrine from Japanese culture and allowing users to break some things on it is disrespectful?

At this point we're running around semantics.

Good talk.

 

[Fake]

Sorry, but what a bunch of fucking pussies.
Ridiculous.

The irony... from the same folks that force other countries to use pronouns, type A/type B, unskipped woke/cringe scenes, put LGBT flags into a fucking viking ship.