Manhunt 2 UK release edges closer
Post a plea to Santa
UK gamers may yet find copies of controversial videogame Manhunt 2 underneath the Christmas tree this year, following a decision by the Video Appeals Committee (VAC) to overturn the British Board of Film Classification decision to effectively ban on the game.
Manhunt 2: will you be playing it this Christmas?
Developer Rockstar submitted Manhunt 2 to the VAC after the BBFC refused a second time to certify the game. Vides and games can't be sold in the UK legally unless they are given a certificate which indicates the age groups for which they're suitable.
Yesterday, the VAC's seven members judged in Rockstar's favour by just a single vote. It won four votes to three.
The BBFC, which claimed to have played Manhunt 2 for over 30 hours, refused to grant the game a certificate in June and then again in October because it felt that the title was too violent and bloodthirsty.
Today, a BBFC spokeswoman told Register Hardware that the VAC’s decision doesn’t necessarily mean the game will appear on UK shelves straight away. The organisation will examine the VAC’s decision, she said. If it disagrees with the verdict then it can continue its fight to keep the game out of UK stores by seeking a judicial review at the English High Court.
But if the BBFC decides to take the matter no further then Manhunt 2 will be granted a UK sales certificate. However, the spokeswoman warned that the game isn’t likely to receive anything less than an 18 certificate.
COMMENTS
Nanny state
Im sick to death of the BBFC being able to make the decisions as to what we can, and cant watch/play. Can they not understand that when a rating of 18 is put on a game then the onus is on the 'responsible parent' to make sure that their children do not play on these games until they are the correct age. It should not be upto someone to tell me as a fully grown adult that a game is too violent for me, If i don't want to buy the game then I wont buy it... but taking that choice away is wrong. I'll admit this may be a marketing stunt by Rockstar, but the point being this isn't the first time the people in power are deciding what we can/cant do. When will this nanny state end?
@JP
Yup, I can step up as one of those accounts of the game being terrible. I "acquired" a copy of the uncensored version after seeing the reports on el Reg. Have never been so bored of a game in my life. Slow, boring, and the gradual realisation that it's based on a premise that's meant to be nothing but controversial. There is no game play once you've stripped this out.
It's a blatant marketing stunt - they know exactly what they can get past the censors and so stick something in that's a bit risque to get a ban. IIRC it's been going on for years, Carmageddon being my first vivid memory of it. (I was younger then, and seem to remember I fell for it though)
ManHunt 2
Erm has this on wii for a while also got the PSP un edited version.
Odd though been playing games since my commodore pet and never had teh desire to kill anyone lol
Ban was the best thing for Rockstar
They were lucky it initially got banned. By most accounts the game is terrible, so it would probably have disappeared without a trace without the notoriety it's now achieved.
Should now make a killing! Hoho! (Sorry)
Santa's sack o' crap
If I find Manhunt 2 in my stocking this year I'll write a letter to Father Christmas asking him if I can have some coal instead.
Just let them publish already so El Reg can stop giving them free publicity. If necessary they can invent a new category specially for Manhunt 2 and its ilk. LJO - suitable for Lazy Journalists Only.
