Did Sony Really Slaughter a Goat?

The UK's Daily Mail reported Sunday that Sony slaughtered a goat at the release party for their Playstation 2 game God of War II. The story has been picked up all over the internet and has even made its way to the Fox News website, but evidence of the slaughter is lacking, leaving some to wonder if the story is true.

According to the Daily Mail, the goat was beheaded and used as a centerpiece at the party, which reportedly took place in Athens, Greece. Topless girls fed grapes to the guests, who were then invited to reach into the still-warm goat and eat as much offal as they could. The Daily mail also reports that guests threw knives and played in snake pits.

Photos of the party were to be published in a two-page spread in the Official Playstation Magazine. After being criticized for the stunt, Sony reportedly canceled the print run. The magazine containing the photos will not be on newsstands on May 1 as scheduled, but copies have already been mailed to subscribers.

"Sony does not condone or sanction any inappropriate behaviour by its staff or subcontracted staff," a statement from Sony is quoted as saying. "It has come to our attention that at the God of War II launch showcase, an element of the event was of an unsuitable nature."

The Daily Mail reports that the International Fund for Animal Welfare said slaughtering a goat just to make a few video game sales is outrageous.

Smarthouse, a technology guide, reports that Nick Sharples, Director of Corporate Communications for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, released a statement that said the incident was in poor taste.

However, statements from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Sony could not be found. There is no indication of an apology nor is there any mention of the incident on the Playstation website or the Official Playstation Magazine Website. There is no mention of it on the PETA website or any other animal rights website. Sharples' statement has not been published on the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe website.

Nearly all articles written on the subject point to the Daily Mail article as the source. None offer new information or supporting links. While it's possible the statements simply haven't been published yet, the lack of information is leaving many to wonder if the story is a horrific stunt pulled by Sony or if it's a reporter's embellishment.

SOURCES:

"Slaughter: Horror at Sony's depraved promotion stunt with decapitated goat," Daily Mail, April 29, 2007
URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=451414&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

"Sony Responds To Gory Goat PS2 Drama," Smarthouse, April 30, 2007
URL: http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Industry/S4N2K6F7?page=1

International Fund for Animal Welfare
URL: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=3