Italian Officials Taking Action Against Gran Turismo 5

Another video game has pissed off another official, though the players in this particular bour are not the usual ones. A Grand Theft Auto isn’t being labeled “interactive rape,” and a BioWare RPG isn’t being lambasted for its “interactive homosexual pornography.”

In fact, the game under fire contains no violent or sexual content whatsoever, though to some people, that hardly makes a difference. Gran Turismo 5 may seem an unlikely target for officials, but Anna Carli, the CEO of Siena, Italy’s Consortium for the Protection of the Palio, has sent Sony a “diplomatic request” regarding the inclusion of the city’s historic Piazza del Campo in the racing game’s kart mode, seen in the video above.

There’s a lot more to this issue than a simple phobia of video games, which can usually explain these sorts of requests. The historic plaza, home to buildings dating as far back as the 1300s, according to Kotaku, is also the site of a traditional bareback horse race known as the Palio di Siena. The race has been run around the plaza since 1656, and it seems officials resent the location’s portrayal for any other purpose, including kart racing.

Furthermore, Carli claims that it’s illegal to use images of Siena’s 17 “Contrade,” or districts, without permission, which they don’t tend to give out frivolously. In the case of GT5, the images of all 17 flags appear to be visible in the plaza.

“You can not use images of Contrade, in this case the flags without authorization,” Carli told Corriere Fiorentino, an Italian paper. “Given the relevance of the game with no history and references to our party, in particular with the use of images of flags of the Contrade, we would not otherwise authorize the use.”

Despite translation issues, her meaning is clear. Will her request hold any sway with Sony, though? Not likely. The publisher has refused to budge when faced with similar requests in the past, such as the 2007 controversy regarding the Manchester Cathedral’s depiction in Resistance: Fall of Man.

Kotaku ironically observes that Italy’s tourism minister has supposedly been urging Sienese officials to end the centuries-old tradition of the Palio horse race due to its “notorious brutality for both riders and horses.” It appears the city and its officials are a little hung up on tradition, no matter the cost, whether it’s animal brutality or a legal battle with a major game publisher.

If Sony refuses to comply with the requests, Carli claims their lawyers will attempt to seize the game upon its November 3 release in Europe. Whether this refers just to copies sold in Siena or to a broader seizure is unclear, though one thing that is clear is that this dispute will surely escalate.