Manhunt 2 banned in UK

[Essay @ Kustom]

Manhunt 2, the upcoming Rockstar game for the Wii and PS2, has been banned from sale anywhere in the UK. The ruling is likely to result in it being banned in Germany and Australia as well. In the US, it will be sold as an Adult Only game, which means it will only be sold in "specialist" shops, and not the more common Wallmart / Target.

Digital Spy article (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/a61955/manhunt-2-banned-from-sale-in-the-uk.html), sent in by [M]uuhh (http://forums.kustompcs.co.uk/member.php?u=2778)

http://kustompcs.co.uk/news/gaming/manhunt.jpg

[Fireblade]

In the US, it will be sold as an Adult Only game...

And that's exactly how it should've been rated here in the UK as well IMO :rolleyes:

As a responsible adult (/old git :D), in a [supposedly] democratic society... I don't like having my ability to make my own choices taken away from me... and that includes the films/games I can watch/buy :mad:

[kier357]

TBH i don't really mind, as it was for Wii and PS2 only, and i have neither :rolleyes:
If it was gonna be released for PC or even X360 then i'd be slightly upset cuz i really liked the first one lol :D

[jacobzcoool]

IMO censorship is wrong and this makes me want to get it more to **** off the government.

[nicky munchkin]

I kinda agree in the sense that adults will always buy the game for kids as most parents these days don't care about the age certification.

[jesush++]

It had actual CCTV footage of Jamie Bulger. Thats not right. Thats the reason it was banned. Think how you would feel if your kid got murdered, and then they put into a game. I reckon its fair to be honest. Mindless violence against fictional characters is one thing, but an actual person that was murdered is in bad taste.

[ArTizan]

You're confusing this with another game jesush - Law & Order

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=78062

Manhunt 2 is banner merely on the general content.

[jesush++]

Apologies, I got my wires crossed, which caused a short circuit of the brain. :o

[movinginthedark]

I didn't think it was footage? I thought it was a still? But either way it's not right.
As for Manhunt 2 - I don't like the fact that the game wont be allowed to be distributed here. You would think that 99% of adults would be responcible enough to make there own descisions about whether to buy the game or not...

[Essay @ Kustom]

We know folk that work in some of the gaming shops and some of the stories they have...well, you'd cry if you didn't laugh.

One of my favourites is about a woman buying GTA:SA for her clearly 8 year old kid. The guy behind the counter points out that it's an 18 rated game and really isn't suitable for young kids. The mum brushes him aside saying "it can't be that bad, it's just a game". Needless to say, she was back in the shop a few days later outraged that this child's game had such...mature content.

I forget how the story ends, I was hearing it 3rd hand after all, but it just shows that until games are seen by all as a valid medium, just like movies and books, where the classification on the box is enforced by the parents ( and shop staff ) , they will continue to be treated as kids playthings.

< / preaching >

[InsolentMinx]

Having worked in stores that sell dvd's and games, the age certificate thing is pushed hard on the salespeople, and if anyone looks underage you ID them otherwise you as the person who sold them the game can get huge fines, but I've had parents (as in the previous story) who buy it for their kids. As long as they give you the money and you hand the game to the adult, then you can't do anything to stop the sale short of refusing to sell it to them.

I think it's terrible how parents disregard the laws, but that's no right to refuse to distribute a game. I'd image 90% of the people who buy Manhunt 2 are over 18 and of a sane/stable mind. And of the rest, 9% will probably still not be influenced to go out killing people, and the final 1% who will possibly go out and try to recreate the game are not mentally stable and would probably commit the crimes with or without the game.

I for one would like to have played it as i missed the first one and just want to see what all the fuss is about...

I hate it when medias like games/films/music being blamed for crimes. But i imagine Marilyn Manson's glad to be out of the spotlight...

[kopite]

The adults only rating its received in american means they cant release it now because Sony and nintendo wont allow ao games on tehir console.


I saw a review of Manhunt 2 on another site and they gave it 92% I think it was c and VG magazine who did the review So one of the more established places.

The big problem with the gaming world is that its still perceived as a childish persuit. As essays story said Parents think that its a computer game it cant be that bad.

The thing to remember is that a large portion of gamers are now into 2nd gen gamers they`ve been playing since the speccy days so now want more mature games. Companies try and do this but the Parent groups kick off saying violent games kill people because their 13 yr old played gta and started acting up.

[Big Adam]

In all honesty, Rockstar Games are laughing all the way to the bank on this one. Forget the advertising budget boys, let the media sell this one for us.

Banned in UK and Germany? Meh, last time I looked there were a few more countries in the EU and I could be wrong but I heard you can buy things over the internet now? Gosh that's handy.

There's one thing I've never understood about age restrictions on games and videos. Why is it not also applied to books? A child can wander into Waterstones and buy a novel with graphic descriptions of hard core sex and violence and no-one bats an eyelid!

When I was 13 years old, my local lending library upgraded my library card from "child" to "teen". This meant that I was now allowed to borrow up to three books from the adult section. As well as gorging myself on Dean Koontz and James Herbert, one of the first books I borrowed was a novel called "Headhunter" by Michael Slade (you can tell it had an effect on my by the fact I can remember these details 20 years later). The front cover had a picture of a bloodied girl's dismembered head impaled on a spike, yet the librarian scanned it out without questions. The book was full of extend passages describing in full technicolour scenes of rape/murder/prostitution/fetishism/torture etc which, if commited to film or represented in a video game, would today have the BBFC censor in a frenzy.

Yet there is apparantly no problem with having this type of stuff in print?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating printed censorship but I just don't understand why there is such a fuss over one medium and not another.

I guess it's because today's youth don't read anything unless it concerns a footballer's girlfriend or is communicated via mobile phone?

[kopite]

I think the main reason that there isnt as much of a fuss over the written media as there is about games is because games are still a relatively young media.

The film industry used to get vilified for some of the films that came out things like the exorcist and texas chainsaw massacre. Now though games have improved in graphics and because The older generation want more adult orientated games THey are getting released.

TO me Books are the most dangerous media. In films the violence is all directed for you all the detail is there on the screen with nothing left to imagine. GAmes allow you to take part in the violence but its still already been rendered for you.
Books on the other hand leave a lot to your imagination. The author describes the scene and what is happening but its your imagination that gives it flesh.

I love to read, I read a hell of a lot. I also love to watch films and play violent games sometimes. None of this has made me a violent person or affected me in any way.

I agree with the ratings system on games and hope that it can be enforced more and parents will actually pay attention to it. I only hope though that the fact that games like manhunt 2 get banned because og the violence wouldnt be suitable for kids to see doesnt stop COmpanies making games like this

Interesting read and kind of on topic http://www.jackthompson.org/index.htm


I particularly like this quote that jack said in a 1up article

EGM: You once compared Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, to Saddam Hussein.
JT: If I did, I want to apologize to Saddam Hussein. Doug is a propagandist to whom the facts don't matter.
http://www.jackthompson.org/archives/transcripts.htm#06_02_05_01

[jacobzcoool]

Violent games are fine, ratings should be actually enforced i.e. people should refuse to sell games to people who are obviously buying for younger people. A game should not be banned because of its content though, that is just stupid.

Jack Thompson is a complete idiot, and IMO he is more like Saddam Hussein than anyone else.

[Stocky]

Jack Thompson is a complete idiot, and IMO he is more like Saddam Hussein than anyone else.

lol at avatar :D

It does all seem to be a bit of an over-reaction to a computer game...

[jacobzcoool]

lol at avatar :D

It does all seem to be a bit of an over-reaction to a computer game...
Yeah, I decided to change it again just for this thread.
For the record as I change my av a lot:
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9556/jackthompsonbogrolldt5.jpg

[kopite]

HEres a good read about jacky boy

http://kotaku.com/gaming/feature/feature-dissecting-jacks-lies-252914.php

Its from just after the virginia tech massacre when everyones favourite nutter gave his expert opinion on the event

[jacobzcoool]

HEres a good read about jacky boy

http://kotaku.com/gaming/feature/feature-dissecting-jacks-lies-252914.php

Its from just after the virginia tech massacre when everyones favourite nutter gave his expert opinion on the event

'expert' compared to what exactly? A braindead cow? :p

[kopite]

The sad thing is that a lot of the news channels in america seem to class him as an expert even though most of the bile he spouts has no substance.

It annoys me still that manhunt 1 was blamed for a murder. doesnt matter that it was a botched theft that went wrong or the fact that the victim was the actual manunt nutter.

Parents need to take more responsibility for the games their parents play. If your kid kills someone and has been playing an 18 rated game I dont understand how the parents can be so quick to blame the game instead of their own parenting for buying the game in the first place

[Cosmo_1847]

http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=allproducts&searchstring=manhunt&page=search&pa=search&go.x=0&go.y=0

It's available for pre-order on play.com. I'm also interested in the first one now.

[kopite]

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172928.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6172928

AN interview with running with scisors about Manhunt 2
(running with scisors are the company behind postal series)

[DarkEntity]

There is an advert for Manhunt2 in the manual for Darkness on the 360....Manhunt in glorious HD wohooo cant wait :D

[master baits]

did runnign with scissors not do postal , with the same outrage.

STill they wont ban guns in yankland , but they blame a game when someone uses one like gta taking pot shots at cars.... or some student that cant get none decides to shoot up his school.

well back to my bible , theres no bad stuff in there...pun inteneded

[kopite]

hehe read an article the other day that JAck thompson has been told by the florida bar that he will be disbarred for 91 days and will be asked to have psychiatric tests done.

[jacobzcoool]

http://www.forumspile.com/Owned/Owned-TankOcean.gif

[Cosmo_1847]

Is it possible that Manhunt 2 will be released on PC?

[kopite]

IMO that would be the best way to get the game out.

THey could even get it released on Steam or something to similar to get by the shops taht refuse to stock violent games.

Its a shame because everything I have read about the game says its a brilliant game

[SoapSud]

Has anyone heard the latest news about this game?

Their supposidly now lowering the rating of the game in the US because the makers agreed to feature the killing of Arabs instead of citizens.

Heard it from my brother so it may not be true. if it is true, does anyone have any links?

[kopite]

There is also news that its been given a release data in Holland.

[Essay @ Kustom]

Holland only (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25888389), thus far in Europe...

But I think the USA will be getting a "lite" version (http://www.dailytech.com/Manhunt+2+Receives+M+Rating+Release+Set+for+Hallow een/article8616.htm)...rated M, rather then AO, with stuff presumable cut from it (http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/08/29/manhun-2-re-rating-causes-controversy-over-what-was-cut) to make it more...palatable.

[DarkEntity]

http://www.forumspile.com/Owned/Owned-TankOcean.gif

You do realise that tank has been thrown off the side on purpose..

[nx-hosting]

I think is shocking that Manhunt has been banned, isnt there Worse Games out there?

[Hydralore]

Grand Theft Auto springs to mind.. lol

Its the way kills are executed in manhunt that got it banned i think.. .?

[Cosmo_1847]

I think the main reason that is was rejected is because the objective of the game is to kill people in the worst possible way.

[Euphoria]

Is Manhunt 2 available at all? US PS3 release?

[kopite]

ITs available in the US I think and also ine europe .

[Euphoria]

I had a look around last night, but didn't find it anywhere!

[Euphoria]

Maybe it's not available on the PS3...

[Archaon]

Maybe it's not available on the PS3...
PS2, PSP and Wii mate.

[Euphoria]

Yup, so GameSpot said also! Ah well, scrap that idea!

[Cosmo_1847]

Isn't it to be ported to PC later in the year?

[zealot]

Have it for the psp not played it much though, still on the first level :(

[IceMonkey]

Im 14 and if i want to tear someones head off i would do it on a screen than as a chav in real life