LETTER : Racism is not the name of the game

Sir: As publishers of the game Street Racer, we would wish to deny that it is racist, as suggested by Paul George in his open letter to Nintendo (26 January). You take the words "race riot" out of context. The actual phrase used is "Race Riot ... Street Racer". The message is clear: the game is about taking part in a race; and riot refers to the commonly used expression "it was a riot", meaning amusing revelry. Whatever your feelings towards the marketing of the product, we can assure you that no offence was ever intended.

As a multicultural team, we are very sensitive to the issue of racism in society, and I must stress that we are not in the business of peddling such politics and feel very unhappy about your irresponsible diatribe. We have received nothing but praise for this title, and have come across nobody who remotely agrees with your views on Street Racer.

Yours sincerely,

VERA SHAH

Marketing Manager

UBI Soft Ltd

Hampton Court, Surrey

6 February