Manhunt 2 banned in UK

[WHiKWiRE]

Any parent supplying their children with adult content should be charged with child abuse. Including you, Giselle Pakeerah.

Shouldn't the crime fit the punishment.

[towerblocks]

There was a little article in the paper yesterday here in the uk that this had been banned, But get this, Even though its been banned from being sold here, Its not illegal to posses the game here in the uk, People still can order the game, But it will have to be from abroad.

[Cheese]

Will it stayed banned though? As the original article notes Carmageddon* was the last game to get banned over here and that had its ban overturned. This ban is stupid, they'll let virtual snuff-movies like Hostel through which is far more disturbing and sick than Manhunt was.


*

[asmithz]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/original/ni...unt-270741.php

Nintendo won't support a A/O rated game. Sony stated that they wont let it be on there systems either. (can't find the artical) And Microsoft wasn't even offered the game. So we might even see this game, unless they edit down to a M rating.

[popopot]

Apparently, its a fine piece of art:

A video game banned in Britain and Ireland and facing restricted sales in the United States due to its violent content was a fine piece of art, the game's publisher said on Wednesday.

Manhunt 2, in which a player become an insane asylum escapee killing enemies in gruesome ways, was made by Rockstar Games, a label of Take-Two Interactive Software which was behind the controversial Grand Theft Auto series.

British and Irish censors this week banned the game, citing an unacceptable level of "gratuitous violence." It is the first time in 10 years that British censors have refused a video game a rating and the first time ever Ireland has banned a game.

Despite the controversy, Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick said he stood behind the game "fully," and parents and consumers should be able to make their own choices once they are informed about a product.

"The Rockstar team has come up with a game that fits squarely within the horror genre and was intended to do so," Zelnick said in a statement.
"It brings a unique, formerly unheard of cinematic quality to interactive entertainment, and is also a fine piece of art," he said.

A spokesman for Rockstar Games on Wednesday said a US self-regulatory group set up to classify video games had imposed its most stringent rating, "Adults Only," on the game, meaning many major retailers will not stock it.
This group, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, said any rating could be appealed, or a game modified to obtain a less restrictive label. Rockstar declined to say whether it would overhaul the game or appeal the rating.
The jury is still out on whether violent video games lead to violent behavior, but many big retailers, such as Wal-Mart Stores, which accounts for 25 per cent of US video game sales, refuse to carry "Adults Only" titles.

The game was slated for a July 10 release for Sony's PlayStation 2 console and PSP handheld device, and for Nintndo's Wii console. But the game's fate is unclear because Sony and Nintendo do not allow "Adults Only" content on their systems. The developments, however, are not expected to have a major impact on the bottom line of Take-Two, a troubled publisher that installed Zelnick and other new executives in March after a shareholder-led coup.

The company reported revenue last year of just over $US1 billion, and Manhunt 2 had been expected to post sales of about $US40 million, according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.

That could be halved if the "Adults Only" rating sticks, or be trimmed to $US35 million if Rockstar reworks the game to get a less-restrictive "Mature" rating.

"This is one of the tasks ahead of new management, to rein in that creative talent and tell those guys we are in the business of making money and you should make games that will sell, not games that are artistically beautiful but not available at Wal-Mart," Pachter told Reuters.

[Busyman™]

Ok now I'm definitely going to buy this game.

[peat moss]

Ok now I'm definitely going to buy this game.

Well for scientific studies , I mean test for the kids right ?

[Busyman™]

Ok now I'm definitely going to buy this game.

Well for scientific studies , I mean test for the kids right ?

Yeah, yeah, that's it.

[towerblocks]

In the wake of international bans and an Adults Only rating in the US, Manhunt 2 won't make its July 10 release date, Take-Two Interactive has confirmed. The game had been expected to ship that day for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo Wii.

"Take-Two Interactive Software has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the British Board of Film Classification and Entertainment Software Rating Board," a representative told GameSpot. "We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment."

[Hairbautt]

Rockstar appeals UK Manhunt 2 ban from Gamespot added.