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Manhunt 2 is scary-looking
Just in case you haven't seen or heard anything about Manhunt 2, or you are terrible at making inferences or something, this new trailer for the game contains violent content and is best suited for adults. If you watch it, and you're surprised and appalled by gruesome imagery, we can't feel too bad, because you were warned! If you're surprised and appalled by gruesome jaggies-- well, that, we totally sympathize with. We've posted the trailer after the break for obvious reasons. We've posted the Manhunt 2 Wii up at the top instead, just because we like it. In other Manhunt 2 news, this Aeropause post brings up an interesting loophole that Rockstar could use to sell Manhunt 2 in the UK. While the BBFC banned the game from being sold in stores, the ban apparently doesn't include games sold in not-stores. It covers physical media only. Therefore, if Manhunt 2 were to be released as a download, it could be sold even in its unexpurgated form! That's a neat idea, but we doubt Rockstar will take advantage of it. Especially since the Wii's storage space is so limited (and the PS2's hard drive is in so few households.)
UK could still get Manhunt 2 as a download
The wild frontier that is the internet can be scary at times, what with all the card sharks who would shoot you as soon as look at you and snake oil men out to make a quick buck. Also: pirates. But it does have it's plus sides too. For instance, it could make it possible for our friends in the UK to buy Manhunt 2, even though it's been effectively banned there. Because of a loophole in the UK's 1984 Video Recordings Act, downloadable games don't need to go through the certification process required for retail games, meaning that a downloadable version of Manhunt 2 could be permitted. Of course, even if Rockstar decided that was an avenue they wanted to pursue, it would be an impossibility on the PS2 and a giant paradigm shift for the Wii's Virtual Console, so it still doesn't seem terribly likely. Ah well, at least we know that when Manhunt 2 turns our nation into a pack of murderous zombies, we'll have a country where we can chill out. [Via CVG]
UK-banned Manhunt 2 is same as M-rated version
Well now, color us shocked that the recent version of Manhunt 2 that was cleaned up for our friends across the pond turned out to be the same exact game that received a "Mature" rating by the ESRB here in the states. So, what's mature to us is absolutely intolerable to them, apparently.This might cause one to think that the BBFC is tougher on games than, say, movies, as the country had no problem allowing films such as Hostel and Saw into the country. BBFC spokesperson Sue Clark says otherwise, stating "If we were more tough on games than any other medium, don't you think we'd be banning far more titles? Manhunt 2 is the second game we have rejected in 23 years. I'd hardly call that draconian." She goes on further to add "Manhunt 2 went beyond our guidelines when it came to gross violence and we had a public duty to reject it."Looks like there is still a lot of debate left here.See also: Croal goes on CNN to discuss Manhunt 2
UK's banned Manhunt 2 same as ESRB's M-rated
Just in case there was any confusion as to whether or not the version of Manhunt 2 The British Board Of Film Classification recently decided was still not appropriate for UK audiences was the same as the retooled version the ESRB granted an M-rating to, MCV reveals that – lo and behold – the two versions presented to the ratings bodies were, in fact, the same. So, while the ESRB has agreed that the changes, notably the obscuration of some of the more violent animations, were enough to remove the AO-rating, the BBFC still found the game "had not gone far enough." The contradiction that the same ratings board has approved the release of violent films like Hostel 2 is not lost on Rockstar. BBFC spokesperson Sue Clark told MCV, "If we were more tough on games than any other medium, don't you think we'd be banning far more titles? Manhunt 2 is the second game we have rejected in 23 years. I'd hardly call that draconian."Well Rockstar would. They're set to appeal the BBFC's decision.%Gallery-3533%
The Political Game: The Battle of Britain
Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games: Suddenly, surprisingly, the UK has become Ground Zero in the political and cultural war surrounding video games.For a long time, England was a backwater in this fight. The video game struggle raged primarily in state legislatures and federal courthouses around the United States. Oh, there was Keith Vaz, of course, a Labour Parliamentarian who made some noise about the original Manhunt in 2004 and would occasionally surface to criticize this game or that.But in 2007 the video game issue simply exploded in the UK as one major game controversy after another made headlines. At the same time, game legislation tailed off in the US. While six states passed laws in 2005-2006, none have been passed so far this year. American politicians, seemingly, are getting the message that games are protected by the First Amendment. Not so in Britain, however.
Manhunt 2 rejected by BBFC again
It looks like Rockstar may have to go back to the drawing board for a second time as the British Board of Film Classification has again rejected Manhunt 2. The first version of the game was rejected by the BBFC in June, which caused Rockstar to tone down the violence before resubmitting it for review. "We recognize that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version," said David Cooke, director of the BBFC. "The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills,' but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature."Cooke said the BBFC made even more suggested changes that went ignored, which caused the second rejection. It's interesting to see the BBFC's latest decision as the ESRB recently awarded the revised Manhunt 2 a Mature rating after it initially rejected it, too. Take 2 has the right to appeal the decision, and frankly, we hope they do.
Manhunt 2 still not tame enough for UK, Rockstar appealing
The saga continues, as word hits that the latest version of Manhunt 2 hasn't received the A-OK from the BBFC. Turns out, the game is still too violent for the UK, as David Cooke, director of the BBFC, recognizes the changes made, but says the game's content is still far too violent. Cooke explains "We recognise that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version." He goes on further to add that the "impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient."Rockstar isn't taking this lying down, however, as they are appealing the decision. Fat lot of good their appeal is bound to do for them, as it looks like the suggestions made by the BBFC for how the game should be changed are "unacceptable" to Rockstar. Rockstar further commented that "The BBFC allows adults the freedom to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in movies and we think adults should be similarly allowed to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in video games, such as Manhunt 2."Read: BBFC rejects Manhunt 2 againRead: Rockstar to appeal
Rockstar to appeal second British Manhunt 2 ban
Rockstar Games, whose Manhunt 2 has effectively been banned twice in Britain (though finally OK'd in the United States), have announced that they are appealing the most recent rejection.The British Board of Film Classification has made further suggestions to the game's content that the developer has deemed "unacceptable." In a statement released this morning (via Gamespot), Rockstar said, "The BBFC allows adults the freedom to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in movies and we think adults should be similarly allowed to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in video games, such as Manhunt 2."Is there a double standard when it comes to video games and movie censorship? Is it warranted? The purported psychological effects on interactive entertainment have been the subject of debate for much time now. Unfortunately, the BBFC's suggestions are not public record so we cannot debate the merits of their revisions. Will British gamers ever get to play this game?
British Manhunt 2 petition as effective as every other online petition
An online petition to the British government asking for an 18 rating (and therefore a possible release) for Rockstar's Manhunt 2 was unsuccessful in swaying the British Board of Film Classification. The office of the Prime Minister responded to the petition, leaving responsibility for game rating decisions with the BBFC, as expected: "The BBFC considered Manhunt 2 and concluded that, within the current guidelines, it could not be given a classification. The BBFC takes its responsibilities very seriously and it uses its powers to reject works extremely rarely." The statement then registered the government's agreement with the BBFC's ruling.The big news here isn't the failure of the petition, but rather the fact that the Prime Minister's website has its own integrated petitioning system, and that someone in the office reads the things. That is just cool. You go, British government.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
London Review of Books weighs in on Manhunt 2
British novelist and journalist John Lanchester has penned a piece for the London Review of Books discussing the Manhunt 2 ban. While not taking sides, Lanchester does opine that the BBFC's decision will help the industry if it gets developers to focus more on pushing video games as a form of art.The article gets some important facts right, specifically when it comes to how the public and news outlets can unfairly blame video games for acts of violence. However, others facts presented seem based on a lot of FUD, particularly with Rockstar's history. Lanchester wrote that the infamous sex sequence was "unlockable," implying it could be done in-game without modifications (not true). He also talks about Bully (or Canis Canem Edit in the UK) in a manner to imply public outcry was justified, when anyone who did play the game realized it actually punished bullying and rewarded you for being a good student.[Thanks, amit]
Six weeks later: Rockstar fights back
Six weeks after Manhunt 2's ban from the BBFC (and subsequently, an AO rating from the ESRB), Rockstar has finally formulated an appeal. The Video Appeals Committee (VAC) will have to analyze both the BBFC and Rockstar's position on the game, and choose whether or not to uphold the ban.It's good to see Rockstar finally fighting back: hopefully, gamers will be able to see the version of Manhunt 2 Rockstar intended to make all along -- not an edited version created to satiate the meek.[Via 1UP]
Rockstar appealing British Manhunt 2 ban
Rockstar yesterday filed an appeal with the Video Appeals Committee (VAC) over Manhunt 2's rejection by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), according to MCV. The UK board can overturn the BBFC's ban; given that six weeks are permitted to file an appeal, the developer appears to have waited until the eleventh hour before making their dramatic request for a new decision.Following the BBFC's decision, the "Banhunt" spread globally, with an effective banning in the US due to a AO-rating from the ESRB and word that both Australia and Germany would very likely not allow the game sold withing their respective borders.What's unclear here is if Rockstar will appeal the decision with the current build, previously defended by the New York Times, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal and MTV News Stephen Totilo, or if they'll show off a "cleaner" version of the game.%Gallery-3533%
IGN provides BBFC primer for non-Brits
Let's face it, most gamers outside of Great Britain couldn't pick the British Board of Film Classification out of a lineup before their recent, controversial decision to deny classification to Manhunt 2. IGN decided to help us non-Brits out with a nice, in-depth interview with BBFC Press Office Manager Susan Clark.While the BBFC officially uses the same set of guidelines in evaluating both games and movies, Clark acknowledged that the board takes repetition and interactivity into account when making decisions about games. "We might say 'Okay, if that had been a film, it would be okay in a linear format but with the element of interactivity in games, with the ability to do it over and over again, we might bump the rating up to a higher category,'" Clark said. Clark also admitted that, by law, the board has to "bear in mind the fact that these games will be potentially accessed by younger viewers ... We know that games are very, very attractive to under-aged players, particularly the 18 rated games." What, and violent movies aren't?Despite the double standards, there's a lot to be praised about the BBFC system. Unlike the ESRB, the BBFC actually plays every game they review for about five hours, and they are the only regulator in the world not controlled politically or by the industry, according to Clark. All in all, if there's going to be occasional censorship, we can't think of a better group of people to be doing it.
Newsweek's Croal, MTV's Totilo hands-on with Manhunt 2
Newsweek's N'gai Croal hasn't been afraid to defend his tastes on his LevelUp blog. The site's Vs. Mode debates feature some of the best back-and-forth gameplay analysis to be found anywhere. So when Croal and MTV News game writer Stephen Totilo got to play the first few levels of Manhunt 2 at Rockstar's office, you know the resulting conversation is going to be good.Totilo's portion includes some graphic descriptions of the asylum escape in level one, which includes scenes of public urination, in-cell hangings and stealth kills via syringe and axe-based decapitation. The protagonist isn't completely cold to his role, though -- Totilo describes how he "watched Daniel vomit because of his quick-passing guilt."Most of the discussion so far, though, deals with the game through the lens of comparative media studies, comparing it to controversial movies like Natural Born Killers and Taxi Driver. Croal and Totilo both harp on the idea of organizations like the BBFC and IFCO and companies like Nintendo and Sony imposing content decisions on consumers. As Croal aptly puts it, "Unless they have good reason to believe that this game is an imminent threat to the public order, or that it will in and of itself incite adults to violence, [the BBFC and IFCO's] decision seems to me to be based on taste, and I will never believe in substituting anyone else's tastes for my own." Amen!
Manhunt 2 'temporarily suspended' says Take-Two
Following our report yesterday that neither Nintendo or Sony would allow Manhunt 2 on their consoles with an AO rating, Take-Two says the game will not make its July ship date and is being "temporarily suspended." A Take-Two representative says, "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."Well, if they stand behind it, expect the editing option to be Take-Two's approach in getting Manhunt 2 out to the public with an M rating. The M rating might not stop some other forms of controversy, but it'll allow the title to be available for rent and sold in stores. For now, the saga seems to be over.[Via WiiFanboy]
Manhunt 2 not likely for Australia, Germany
After Britain, the United States and Ireland, where do Australia and Germany stand on the issue of Manhunt 2? Australian officials are saying a release in their country is doubtful, meanwhile an official for the German USK ratings board has told Joystiq that game has not been submitted.Insiders in the Australian government reportedly told Smarthouse (via GamePolitics) that the game is likely not to be released down under. "We don't want to preempt the decision of the Office of Film and Literature Classification Review Board but it is looking very doubtful," they said. The Office of Film and Literature Classification was closed when Joystiq tried to reach them for comment, but Jason Hill of The Age reports that as of yesterday, the game had not been submitted for a rating.In an email correspondence with Joystiq, the USK's Christine Schulz told us as of this morning there was no application submitted for the game. Should Take Two and Rockstar forego submitting Manhunt 2 for any country, it would not be surprising.Both German and Australian ratings boards are notorious for banning games, by refusal of rating, with too much violent content. For the German USK, past titles to not get rated have included Dead Rising, Crackdown and Gears of War -- and the banning protocol is rather confusing. Australia's OFLC has Restricted 18+ ratings, but they are not applied to video games, so the highest rating for a game is Mature 15+ age. Hence, if a game were to be deemed too inappropriate for MA15, then it would be refused classification and the game must either be edited and resubmitted or just not sold. Games who were refused classification include Reservoir Dogs and Marck Ecko's Getting Up.
GameFly, Blockbuster won't carry Manhunt 2 with AO rating
Joystiq spoke with game rental service GameFly and we were informed Manhunt 2, now with an AO rating, will not be carried by the company. A GameFly spokesperson said, "GameFly as a general policy does not carry AO rated titles." When asked if they have ever made an exception to the "general policy," the representive said, "Not that I know of, there's been no exceptions." GameFly also points out that you must be 18 to subscribe to their service which absolves them of any sticky issues regarding M rated titles, and that it is the credit card holder's responsibility to monitor the games rented on the service.This is the first time GameFly has been put into this position as no other title from a major publisher has ever received an AO rating right out of the gate (GTA: San Andreas ver. 1.0 received its AO rating later, GameFly also swapped all their versions for the new M rated one). Manhunt 2 is still available to queue up for rental July 11, but that may or may not change once Rockstar officially states what they plan to do. We also contacted Blockbuster corporate and they informed us, "Blockbuster does not carry adult or NC-17 movies, or AO rated games." So, it looks like not only will Manhunt 2 have trouble at retail, but the rental outlets aren't going to carry it either.
Pachter poses Manhunt 2 costing Take-Two millions
Industry fortune teller, Wedbush-Morgan's Michael Pachter, says Manhunt 2's freedom of expression will cost publisher Take-Two millions -- good thing Take-Two may have gotten that GTA IV advance money! Pachter believes the game would have generated $25 million in revenues this quarter, along with another $15 million in reorders. He sees three options for Take-Two at this point: Ship the game the way it is. Edit the game, bringing it in line with UK morals and the ESRB's M rating criteria. Cancel the game. Pachter believes canceling isn't a reasonable outcome. The other two options leave Take-Two with either lower sales because of the AO rating and the banning, or increased development costs due to the edit. Pachter guesses that either option costs the company half their potential revenue. He also goes on to say that this incident hurts the longevity of the franchise, which is funny for those who feel Manhunt 2 came out of left field anyway. Take-Two can probably cut their marketing budget by half, look at all this yummy free advertising. We already know FOX News has a story locked and loaded for public consumption closer to the Manhunt 2's July release.
No political influence in Manhunt decision says BBFC
The BBFC claims there wasn't any political influence in today's decision banning Manhunt 2 from being sold in the UK. The board's Sue Clark tells GI.biz that past incidents involving Bully (oh, sorry, Canis Canem Edit) Dead Rising and the original Manhunt had nothing to do with the decision today. Clark says, "We are independent of government and independent of the industry and we reached this decision based on our guidelines and our concerns and not on any other basis at all." Clark even pointed out that negative press surrounding games actually encourages sales. But, she puts it quite simply, "We've rejected this game so you can't buy it legally in the UK."Whether you agree with the BBFC's decision or not, it's interesting to watch the saga of these ratings boards. We don't know if movies like Hostel or the other hardcore horror movies have been banned in the UK, but if they haven't, that feels like a double standard.
Rockstar: We 'emphatically disagree' with UK's Manhunt 2 ban
Rockstar has issued a statement in response to the BBFC's earlier decision to reject Manhunt 2 for classification and thus prohibit it from being sold in the UK. "We are disappointed with the recent decision by the British Board of Film Classification to refuse classification of Manhunt 2, said the Grand Theft Auto creator. "While we respect the authority of the classification board and will abide by the rules, we emphatically disagree with this particular decision."Rockstar goes on to defend Manhunt 2 by pointing out that its subject matter is no different than that of "other mainstream entertainment choices for adult consumers," noting that "adult consumers who would play this game fully understand that it is fictional interactive entertainment and nothing more." A rational defense, no doubt, but perhaps one better suited to a world where only "adult consumers" would be in a position to play the game. ELSPA earlier declared that the ban "demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the UK that is effective," when it really seems to imply the opposite. Had game ratings been truly effective, the BBFC could have simply slapped the appropriate rating on the box and trusted adults and parents to judge the game's content accordingly. In the real world, however, the sloppy enforcement of ratings and general apathy towards content descriptors have prompted the certification body to add an extra barrier of entry, underlining a clear lack of faith in the effectiveness of its own warning labels. The ratings system should be powerful and heeded enough to handle any video game, no matter how violent it may be.
