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Nintendo takes wraps off of WiiWare
Nintendo is the latest on the indie console-development bandwagon with WiiWare, a "game-creation service that will allow developers large and small to create new downloadable video game content" that the company announced this morning. The company is making it clear that they're looking for little guys to make games for the console, though it's currently unclear exactly how that will be done. Interestingly, Reggie Fils-Amie told N'Gai Croal of Newsweek that the games would be checked for bugs but not vetted by Nintendo. Developers would be responsible for securing an ESRB rating (AO titles won't be welcome, sorry Manhunt 2.) Look for the first WiiWare to start appearing in early 2008.Nintendo will also be deciding how many points the games will be sold for when they're put on the Wii Shop channel. With this brave new world of indie development, who knows where the next big Wii game will come from now? Well, we do, it will come from Nintendo. But thanks to WiiWare, the search for the next big way to wait for the next big Nintendo game just got a lot more interesting.Read -- Nintendo's WiiWare Paves The Way ...Read -- What is WiiWare? Level Up Gets the Scoop ...
ESRB seeks to rate game trailers [update]
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is looking to rate gameplay trailers, according to information obtained by Gamasutra. Footage for D3 Publisher's Dark Sector was requested to be pulled because it contained "excessive or offensive content," even though it was behind an age gate. 2K Games told Gamasutra that they had to receive a separate rating for The Darkness trailer and that "game publishers that do not comply with the age gate requirement are subject to enforcement actions by the ESRB," though what those actions entail is not made clear.If the ESRB is indeed moving to rate trailers, many questions are left unanswered. Our biggest concern would be with user-created footage and machinima. Would the ESRB see that as falling under their sphere of influence? Much like the Oblivion "skin-cident", could publishers be punished for content made by the community? And does the organization have the manpower to enforce such a policy change?Update: Game Politics has provided some historical context to this news, noting that the ESRB's actions are not without precedent.
NIMF hails Manhunt 2 rating as 'victory' for parents
The National Institute on Media and Family, an advocacy group that tasks itself with monitoring media for content they deem dangerous to children, is pleased with the ESRB's decision to rate Manhunt 2 as AO. They have previously criticized the ESRB for their lack of use of the Adults Only rating in their 2005 Video Game Report Card.In their statement, the NIMF said "Hopefully Take-Two has learned from its Manhunt 2 experience and will undertake preventive measures to ensure its future games, including Grand Theft Auto IV, are appropriate for families and gamers." Does that sound like a threat to anyone else?The fact that the AO rating basically bans the game isn't directly mentioned, but we think that might have something to do with their advocacy of its use. But since the game can no longer be released in its original form, the only "victory" here is for censors, which the NIMF explicitly claims not to be.
Manhunt 2 controversy may boost sales
The AP reports that the decision to suspend the distribution of Manhunt 2 may actually help sales by boosting curiosity of gamers who will want to see what all the drama was about. Well, duh! Speaking with analysts, the AP says that the controversy will benefit the game in the long run. Of course, they couldn't get anyone from Take-Two or Rockstar to go on the record about that -- welcome to the club AP."It's free publicity," says Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets. Rick Munarriz, a senior analyst from The Motley Fool said, "If anything, with this suspension there's going to be a demand for it because of the controversy." Also, Take-Two's stock went up Friday by 21 cents. With no announcement of cancellation, especially with Take-Two's CEO calling it a work of art, looks like Manhunt 2 will come back out of the gate with an M rating and a heck of a lot more free publicity in a few months. Meanwhile, Take-Two and Rockstar are poised to do a one-two punch with GTA IV, which is still on track for its October release.
Postal designer speaks out on Manhunt 2 bans
After recent ratings and banning fiascoes surrounding Manhunt 2, GameSpot sat down with Vince Desi, CEO of Running with Scissors, developer of another controversial series, Postal. Desi speaks out about the ESRB and its power over the gaming industry as well as his (lack of) jealousy that Rockstar "managed to land an AO rating" before Running with Scissors did.Desi doesn't think the Manhunt ratings increase will accomplish much more than appease politicians and hurt Rockstar, kids will still get their hands on the game. "The video game industry is too easy for [politicians] to complain about, and with a presidential election next year ... it could be the only issue the Democrats and Republicans agree upon.". In other words, it's a game of politics and business, not concern for anyone's well-being.
Friday Video: Passion burns and danger calls
We'll admit it: the video in this week's spotlight is a bit of a stretch, but bear with us and we think you'll agree that it's simply perfect. With this week's controversy over Manhunt 2, our colleagues over at GayGamer decided to delve into the history of controversial games, and they've dubbed this Night Trap week. Night Trap was an FMV-based game starring Dana Plato that is infamous for its overacting and horrible scenes. No, wait ... that's just our opinion now. At the time, Night Trap was considered sexist, ultra-violent, and downright shameful. My, how far we've come. Night Trap seems far less horrific than the slasher films we grew up watching, and these days, this sort of "violence" would be considered laughable in games. Check out this little slice of history after the jump.
Undertow, Puzzle Fighter rated by ESRB
The ESRB database has been updated with several new Xbox 360 titles. Most notable among these are the Xbox Live Arcade releases, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (E) and Undertow (E10+ oh noes!). Also rated was Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, a title with which we are completely unfamiliar. A quick look around the internet reveals that it's exactly what it sounds like: Dynasty Warriors with giant mechs instead of human warriors. Also rated was Hour of Victory, which recently had a (terrible) demo released on Xbox Live Marketplace. We already knew Puzzle Fighter was planned as a July release, but this may mean that Undertow will be coming sooner than we thought. Let's hope so; we can't wait to try out underwater Battlefield. [Via GameStooge]
Remembering Thrill Kill, the 'other' violent AO-rated game
Searching the Entertainment Software Rating Board website by the Adults Only rating yields only two games without strong sexual content or mature sexual themes: Peak Entertainment Casinos for featuring "gambling" and Thrill Kill for Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence.Game Revolution has found a video of the PlayStation One title which never saw the light of day -- not a good sign for the recently AO-ed Manhunt 2. More information can be found on the Wikipedia entry; video (NSFW) embedded after the break.[Via Game Politics]
Super Turrican 1 and 2 VC bound
Upon checking out the ESRB site, one might find the entries for Super Turrican and Super Turrican 2 under the Wii section to be a bit alarming. And you should be, as the game was added to the site only recently. Obviously, this causes us to believe the game will be headed to the Wii's Virtual Console service, leaving us clueless as to when it will arrive.Do we have any Super Turrican fans in the house?[Via Go Nintendo]
The Political Game: Winners & losers in Manhunt 2 meltdown
Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games: Perception is reality, except when it isn't. And in the case of Manhunt 2, it's not as easy as you may think to pick out the winners and losers from this week's craziness.Start with the Adults Only rating that the ESRB slapped on Manhunt 2. That may seem like a bad thing, but it's not. Just as new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently cracked down on thug players for the good of the sport, the ESRB needed to prove to parents and politicians that the video game industry could police itself. By assigning an AO to Manhunt 2 ESRB president Patricia Vance certainly did just that. Surely new ESA top dog Mike Gallagher was in on the final decision as well.In any case, Gallagher and Vance did what needed to be done. The bottom line is that the industry comes out smelling like a rose. And -- bonus cliché -- the proverbial line in the sand has now been drawn. While some content creators will understandably chafe at any sort of limits, the fact is that video games are not only big business but a form of entertainment which people invite into their homes. There needs to be a certain amount of public trust. Designers who can't deal with the realities of the market are welcome to go the Ryan Lambourn route.
DS Daily: Do game ratings even matter?
With all the controversy surrounding the Wii's Manhunt 2, we're reminded of a question we've been pondering for some time. In fact, since we here at DS Fanboy were discussing the issue just today, it seems like a good time to get your take on it: do game ratings even matter? It seems as though we all had stories that seemed to indicate that they didn't; so many people don't seem to pay attention to the content of games. In her column at GameSetWatch, Leigh Alexander mentioned something along these lines recently when talking about our secret favorite game: "Look at the bright-and-sunny box art-if parents can be dense enough to grab more forbidding-looking games for their inappropriately-aged kids, you can imagine how many weekend dads will try and bring home a pink-haired cartoon witch to their elementary-school daughters."It's funny because it's true. Too many parents don't pay attention to anything except the cover, if that, and sometimes it seems that the ratings don't even matter. Anyone who's worked in retail around games can testify to that. It's much worse than with the movie industry, wherein the rating actually seems to make a difference at times. But that's just our opinion -- we're here to find out what you think.
Manhunt 2 release "temporarily suspended"
Well, we can cross off one more game off the already-crowded PSP summer release calendar. Manhunt 2 was scheduled for release at the beginning of July, but due to its recent AO rating from the ESRB, Take-Two must reconsider. In a statement to Gamespot, Take-Two stated it 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."It seems like an edit of the game is most likely. However, they also admitted that "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." Let's hope the game doesn't undergo too much of a drastic change.[Via Joystiq]
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.
Nintendo and Sony won't touch Manhunt 2 with AO rating
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Nintendo_and_Sony_won_t_touch_AO_rated_Manhunt_2'; Forget retail and renting, if Manhunt 2 maintains its AO rating it won't even be allowed licence or playback on Nintendo's Wii or Sony's PlayStation. In Nintendo's own Nintendo Buyer's Guide the company clearly states, "Please note that Nintendo does not sell or license games that carry the ESRB rating 'AO' (Adults Only)." Joystiq also spoke with Sony spokesman Dave Karraker who stated, "Currently it's SCE's policy not to allow the playback of AO rated content on our systems." Manhunt 2 won't be available on Microsoft's consoles.And that's the ballgame: Rockstar can either edit Manhunt 2 or -- given its current AO rating -- leave it as a game that can't easily be played or obtained on the PlayStation 2, PSP and Wii consoles. Given the options available to Rockstar, it looks like they'll have no choice but to edit the game or just end Manhunt 2's life and move on.We asked Microsoft to comment on their AO policy, but they had not yet responded by the time of publication.Update: Full statement from Nintendo regarding this story after the break.
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.
Manhunt 2 gets AO rating from ESRB
After being rejected by the BBFC in the UK, Rockstar's Manhunt 2 is seemingly getting banned in America as well. According to Game Politics, the "murder simulator" is getting an AO (Adults Only) rating, which effectively bans it from all major video game retailers.Take Two games will certainly fight this decision as fiercely as possible in the coming days. Remember, the game's release is supposed to be only a few weeks away ...[Via Joystiq]
Manhunt 2 rated AO by ESRB
Manhunt 2 isn't in as dire a situation in the US as it is in the UK, but it's close. The ESRB has labeled Rockstar's controversial game with an AO "Adults Only" rating. If the game ships with this rating, most retailers will refuse to carry it, cutting sales massively. The only other console game to have an AO rating in stores? Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which was re-rated following the Hot Coffee scandal, and quickly re-released in an edited form.Rockstar has the option to appeal the rating, or they can edit the game and resubmit it. We doubt they'll release the game at AO, because they like selling their products.[Via Joystiq]
Retail murder: ESRB rates Manhunt 2 'Adults Only'
GamePolitics is reporting that Take-Two, publisher of Rockstar's controversial Manhunt 2 (which was rejected by the UK's BBFC today) has confirmed that the game has received the retail kiss-of-death from the ESRB: an Adults Only rating. What does this mean for Take-Two? An AO rating ensures the title will not be carried in many mainstream family-friendly retail establishments (think Wal-Mart), reducing possible sales and making the path to profitability even more burdensome.Take-Two can appeal the decision and dispute the AO rating, but something tells us this game has become a line in the sand that ratings boards, eager to prove their efficacy, won't cross. The ESRB's website hasn't been updated with the new rating just yet. More on this story is (surely) forthcoming.Update: MTV News spoke with a representative for Rockstar who, when asked if the AO rating would result in a delay, replied, "That's the last thing we want, but it's too early to say."
Manhunt 2 under fire, watchdog demands AO rating for Wii version
When it rains, it pours for Take Two Interactive and Rockstar. Most likely inspired by the UK's rejection of the game, the Center for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) released a press release this morning, calling for the ESRB to give the Wii version of Manhunt 2 an Adults-Only rating.Game Politics reports that the press release was sent at the same time as a letter to ESRB president Patricia Vance. Both the letter and the press release call out the Wii version of the ultra-violent sequel for allowing players to act out forms of brutality using the Wii remote. The AO rating guarantees failure for any video game, as many mainstream retail stores refuse to carry titles bearing the Adults-Only symbol.It's also worth noting that the PS2 and PSP versions of Manhunt 2 were not brought up by the CCFC, so it can be assumed that the standard control methods of these versions do not warrant a similar rating, by the CCFC's logic.
Zonk gets ESRB'd
We knew it was coming, since it's been released in Japan, but the ESRB's ratings page has provided further confirmation that Air Zonk is on the way. Bonk fans and shooter fans alike (that had better include everybody) would do well to check out this adorable horizontal shmup starring the "punkic cyborg" descendent of the original Turbografx-16 mascot. Appropriately, Zonk was the mascot for the Turbo Duo, which was a later TG16 variation that included built-in CD hardware.[Via Siliconera]
