BBFC rejects Manhunt 2

I don't think we'll being seeing Manhunt 2 anytime soon.

Yeah, an AO rating in the US is like a commercial death sentence. I think there're only like 20 games that've ever received it.

I can't help but feel that Rockstar has really pushed it too far. I mean, only a decade ago Nintendo were well known for censoring games, having the blood removed in Mortal Kombat, etc.

It might seem weird but we're still moving out of an era of heavy censorship. In the UK, at least. The 70s and 80s were absolutely full of film bans from the BBFC, and according to the internets they had the power (and exercised the power) to ban films based on political content for propaganda reasons before t'war.

I wonder what China think of this game. :roll:

@ friechamp - the problem with letting the powers-that-be decide what is right and wrong for us is that, just like the religious leaders before them, they are easily pushed in a certain direction from outside forces.

I don't even know if there is a gamers lobbyist group that lobbies the governments etc. The UK has a massive amount of game developers here, and to start having the government tell people what they can and can't do to entertain themselves in their own homes is disgusting and offensive. We're being treated like children - it's not surprising really when you look at our societies, kids running wild, violent assault and murder are up - yet we're not going to look at or blame the poor parenting, we're going to punish the middle classes who work on and play the majority of computer games.

Fucked up logic and utterly retarded imho.

GTA1 was outrageous at it's time, it got discussed in parliament (as much as a bunch of out-of-touch old perverts can discuss video games) but even that wasn't banned.

Who's to say that some pressure group have been involved in getting manhunt2 banned? Why was the first one allowed through? You suffocated people with plastic bags, cut throats, used chainsaws to sever limbs, used guns in gunning down massive amounts of 'people' yet now all of a sudden (after yet another school shooting..) it's not acceptable?

Political Correctness is destroying our freedoms. If I want to be suppressed and told how to live I'll go and live in Saudi Arabia.

It's not destroying them at all; as I said earlier, we're actually coming out of a long age of immense censorship, and it's far better now than it's ever been. Things like this are an inevitability when you bear that in mind -- especially when those who grew up throughout the censorship make most of the decisions.

An interesting point, but I would say things hit a peak at the end of the 90's and are going to retract in on themselves as the media and more powerful groups push for things to be censored to protect us silly public who can't be trusted to make decisions.

Just a hunch, I may be wrong

i just dont get it guys, even if you don't care about the game, its OUR media, how can you not get bothered with the fact that other groups are trying to take control over it?

if manhunt2 never sees the light of the day, that's a point for jt's trouppe. and you can be sure that it won't stop there. succeding in banning an extreme game makes banning milder games way more likely.

i'm from a country that went through a terrible military dictatorship, and even being born right on the year it ended, i still see the scars. people fought and died for our freedom, you should take care of yours too.

Let the market decide. If its really a shitty game thats just about killing people, then it'll get shitty reviews and no one will buy it, Rockstar's reputation will take a hit, and next time when they release manhunt 3, even fewer people will buy it until they decide its just not worth the $$. I'm all for game ratings and enforcing them as best as possible.

I agree with you fonfa on the violence vs. sex thing. I really don't understand it, especially in America. Its fucked up here, I can flick on the TV and see someone get shot, blown up, decapitated, or any other way someone can think of to kill someone. God forbid a nipple appears on screen though. Can't have that. Who knows what'll happen if someone sees an act of love or tenderness or care, it might offset some of that desensitizing violence.

Then again, Jack Bauer can't go about saving the world from nuclear destruction with titties in his face :roll:

Now that's an episode of 24 I would like to see.

wtf you on about, he is practically a giant boob anyway!

just kidding, I love that guy, when he had his beard I would have turned gay

Quote from twiz

Let the market (UK nonwithstanding) decide.

Quote from Rick_D

wtf you on about, he is practically a giant boob anyway! just kidding, I love that guy, when he had his beard I would have turned gay

lol i hate keifer sutherland with a passion.

Cock envy.

Quote

Manhunt 2 "Suspended," Pushed out of Julyby Chris Remo Jun 21, 2007 11:32pm CST

Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has "temporarily suspended" the release of its controversial game Manhunt 2 (PS2, Wii, PSP), which this week was Rated "Adults Only" by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. The game will no longer ship July 10 as originally planned; a new release projection has not been given.

In a statement issued today, Take-Two expressed its confidence in the game, which but did not give any indication as to its planned course of action. "We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game," reads the statement. "We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment."

The rating refusal on the part of the BBFC effectively bans Manhunt 2 from sale entirely in the UK. The ESRB's AO rating does not legally preclude the game from being sold, but serves as de facto retail death, with console companies Sony and Nintendo forbidding AO-rated games on their systems and major retailers refusing to sell AO-rated products.

Take-Two is expected to appeal the ESRB's decision or resubmit a modified version of the game for reclassification.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/47554

i heard there was some trouble about nintendo not accepting manhunt 2 as well, but i've just seen you can preorder the title for wii, so i guess it'll be out for wii...

I don't understand the point of marketing a console towards adults (and not just kids) and then not supporting AO titles. As for retailers you'll be hard pressed to find a major chain that will sell18 games to minors as the legal consequences wouldn't be worth their time. I even remember an independent store around here that shied away from selling them to minors because they'd get closed down, instead of just lumbered with a fine and some bad publicity.

I wonder what the next game 'banned' will be? CoD4 for portraying war as an arcadey good-time party experience?