We knew this was coming ...

LONDON - Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). apologized Friday to the Church of England for a violent computer game that features a bloody shootout inside an Anglican cathedral. ("Sony: Sorry for cathedral shootout game," Yahoo! News)

Here is more:

The cathedral's dean, the Very Rev. Rogers Govender, said he had received a letter from Sony.

"It was not our intention to cause offense by using a representation of Manchester Cathedral in chapter eight of the work," the letter said. "If we have done so, we sincerely apologize." 

...

In its letter, Sony said it did not accept "that there is any connection between contemporary issues in 21st century Manchester and the work of science fiction in which a fictitious 1950s Britain is under attack by aliens."

"We believe a comprehensive viewing of the work will make its content and context clear," Sony said, adding that "Resistance: Fall of Man" has sold more than 2 million units around the world.

So they are both sticking by their (quite valid) "it's all make believe" defense ... and apologizing.

But, note, it is one of those pro forma corporate "sorry if you were offended" apologies. Sony isn't really sorry, they are just going through the necessary motions while counting the profits from having sold over 2 million units of the offending game. I'll look for the full text of the letter.