Last summer saw a top-drawer clash between The Church and Sony, thanks to Resistance: Fall of Man. One gun battle in the game took place in the hallowed surroundings of Manchester Cathedral, which prompted the Bishop of Manchester to bash Sony in the media-face for promoting gun crime. Fast forward to 2008, and the titanic face-off appears to have been a blessing in disguise for the iconic building, where visitor numbers have risen sharply.
"Since the story broke, Manchester Cathedral has seen a significant rise in visitor numbers," says David Marshall, director of communications for the Diocese of Manchester. "Teachers tell us that teenagers in particular are interested to see a building which they thought was fictional." Fictional? What are they teaching them nowadays, etc, and so on.
But the good news doesn't end there, as Marshall explains in this month's Official PlayStation Magazine: "We have also seen general tourist numbers rise following the broadcast of pictures taken inside the cathedral."
Right then, The Church. You owe us one. How about a Super Smash Bros. stage set in Westminster Cathedral?
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