Rockstar to battle BBFC over Manhunt 2 ban
Developer says ban is a 'setback for all videogames'
Manhunt 2 developer Rockstar will fight the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) over the organisation's second refusal to grant the game a UK rating - a verdict it said was "unacceptable".
Manhunt 2: still too gory for grown-up Brits?
In a statement, the game developer also branded the BBFC’s latest decision, which effectively bans the game from UK sale, as a “setback for all videogames”.
Rockstar has already tried to tone-down the game’s gory graphics following the BBFC’s earlier refusal to grant it a classification, but the organisation still doesn’t feel these changes are enough to get the game onto UK shop shelves.
Rockstar said it believes gamers should be allowed to decide for themselves the level of horror they see in a videogame, just as they do in the movies that BBFC classifies for UK viewing.
If you’re desperate to get your hands on a copy of Manhunt 2 to find out what all the fuss is about, then you could pop over to the US later this month. The game goes on sale there on 31 October with a Mature (M) rating for gamers aged 17 or more.
COMMENTS
Well:
It should NOT be banned, I grew up playing SOF and GTA. I have never felt the urge to go out and shoot/stab people.
Whats next: I can also see the BBFC also banning all car games incase the local car theif kills someone in a car they cannot control while driving said stolen car at 100 mph. I can just see the papers - I could drive at 100 on my PS3!
And after that all Flight simulators incase it may teach the terrorists how to fly
After that RPGs like Final Fantasy with its sword fights.
Even Mario could be banned when kids say that they were copying Mario after jumping on someone.
I can see that in about 10 years Pong may make a serious comeback.
FFS people its about time Parents stopped letting kids play the games unless thay can bring their kids up knowing right from wrong and the REAL respect NOT Street CRED Respect
*rant over
Gameplay
I still own the original Manhunt (32 by the way). I feel the game is a good release from a stressful day at work (it tech). There is a storyline to manhunt, you are taken away from death row, and put into some sick f@cks video nasty, you have to survive, the only way is to suffocate, stab, maim, decapitate, shoot, and numerous other ways to finish the bad guys off. My gf and her mom just laugh when I creep up behind someone and saw their head off with a garrott, then use it as a distraction.
Anonymous Coward
Get your story right, the kid who was killed owned the game, the teen who done it had never played the game and he did it over money
Thought Police?
"This material puts you in a state of mind of which we do not approve, no game for you."
It's not that far fetched considering it is _not_ a particular sentiment explicitly expressed in the game that is being censored (eg, Communism > Democracy, Apple > Microsoft, Linux > Both, etc. etc.), but content which they claim has a certain effect on the player's psyche.
(we really need a "watching you" icon for stories involving government creepiness)
Peace and Tinfoil hats for all!
but wasn't manhunt the one that....
Manhunt had the teenage kid take his mate out to a wood somewhere near London and he used a claw hammer on his head killing him. It was on the BBC news and the kid admitted "manhunt" was the reason he did it.
Rockstar didn't learn from that and come back with a second game. Genius.
Yes it is a form of censorhip, but then again it's a sick and pointless game, run round and kill people for no reason because you can. Still shocked grand theft auto which said yes to stealing cars was allowed.
Ahh the hipocracy of the censors.
