Sony Is Being Accused of Homophobia

Sony has a Playstation Home service accessible with a PS3. It's social networking service so that users can interact with another with animated avatars. Users can chat in forums and buy things in an Online store. There are a list of words that cannot be used in the service. It makes sense that you can't use profanity so that people don't get offended. People are not complaining over that. What some people are complaining is that the words "gay, bisexual, lesbian" cannot be used. Sony is being hammered for "discrimination". My question is: "It is a virtual playground, why would a person's sexual orientation or tastes be an issue or come up considering the kind of service Sony is intending to create?" My answer is that it should not matter. Of course, the writer of the article I read disagrees with me.

Sony has issued a statement:

"'The key message is it's a beta and it's evolving on a daily basis. We've said early on that user behavior and feedback will shape where we go with Home.' In the case of the censored words,Seybold said, Home employed filters to prevent defamation in Home's closed test version. But when the service went public, he said, it should have started allowing those words."

It sound like to me that Sony will cave in under the pressure. I hope they won't. But considering that PS3 is bringing up the rear in the current console war, they can't afford to alienate anyone. Sony is loosing big time against Nintendo and Microsoft. That combined with the global economy means that they have to make every sale count. Personally, I wish I could get a PS3 now myself, but it's too expensive to afford one at the moment. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the same boat as I.

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