Manhunt 2 - Banned?

[Bluto]

The upcoming violent video game ''Manhunt 2'' faced an uncertain future Thursday after being banned by two countries this week and facing a ratings controversy in the United States.

But the game's publisher, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., said it was determined to bring the title to market.

''We intend in the days ahead to continue to explore all of our options with regard to the rating of this extraordinary game,'' the company said in a prepared statement.

The controversy comes after Britain and Ireland banned the game because of concerns about its violent content. It depicts the escape of an amnesiac scientist and a psychotic killer from an asylum and their subsequent killing spree. In the Nintendo Wii version, the console's motion-sensitive remote is waved around to control a virtual murder weapon.

In the United States, the video game industry's self-regulated ratings board has given a preliminary version of ''Manhunt 2'' an ''adults only'' rating instead of the more lenient, and far more popular, ''mature'' rating for ages 17 and up.

Slapping ''Manhunt 2'' with the Entertainment Software Rating Board's most stringent rating would likely doom sales. Large retailers including Best Buy Co., Target Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. won't stock AO-rated games.

At the same time, Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp. said their policies bar any AO-rated content on their systems. Microsoft has a similar policy, but ''Manhunt 2'' wasn't planned for the Xbox 360. There are no such restrictions on games for personal computers.

Rockstar has 30 days after receiving the ESRB's suggested rating to present an appeal or make changes to the game. The official Web site for ''Manhunt 2'' still says ''coming July 2007.''

Rockstar and Take-Two have long been a focal point for debate over the effect of video-game violence on children.

Rockstar's ''Grand Theft Auto'' series features characters who develop underworld careers through bank robberies, assassinations, drug-dealing, pimping and other crime. Two years ago Rockstar was forced to replace its first edition of ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' after a hacker discovered a password-protected game inside it that involved a sexual encounter.

Take-Two shares were down 3 cents, or about a half percent, to $20.62 in afternoon trading.

[Bluto]

i dont know about you guys, but i wanna lay my hands on that title as quick as possible 

[MikeThaMachine]

Sounds like a great game, if parents aren't responsible it's not the game comapnies fault. I am an adult and would like to be able to play it, WTF if it wasn't for my generation there would not be a Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation 3.

[Bluto]

yeah problem is sales. when major chains wont store a title and boycott it software companies will think twice about making em and start censoring their games... which sucks

i wonder if chains store movies like hostel etc? i dont know since i dont live in the us

its about time we get some games that are strictly for adults. just as we have in movies for decades.

[Bluto]

"The latest target is ''Manhunt 2,'' a simulated murder spree through such charming locations as an insane asylum and an extreme sex club. For fans of movies like ''Saw'' and ''Hostel,'' it's probably nothing shocking, but the interactive element - the fact that you're doing the killing - has gotten under the skin of game watchdogs.

Britain and Ireland have banned the game outright. The Entertainment Software Rating Board, which evaluates games in the U.S., slapped ''Manhunt 2'' with an AO (adults only) tag - in effect banning it, since Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony won't allow AO-rated titles on their consoles. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, eventually pulled the game from distribution.

We probably haven't seen the last of ''Manhunt 2.'' Most analysts expect Rockstar to tone down the gore enough so that the ESRB will change the rating to a less restrictive M (for mature). And Rockstar has once again milked plenty of free publicity out of controversy. A lot of players who didn't care about ''Manhunt 2'' are interested now, and the demand will surely be there when the game finally emerges, even if it is watered down."

that sucks. i dont want a watered down version!

and neither nintendo, ms or sony will allow ao rated titles?

thats fucking bullshit

thats the strength of pc.

that companies can put their shit up on the net for download and dont have to have the permission of companies.

games like postal probably never would've been allowed on a console.

[MikeThaMachine]

"The latest target is ''Manhunt 2,'' a simulated murder spree through such charming locations as an insane asylum and an extreme sex club. For fans of movies like ''Saw'' and ''Hostel,'' it's probably nothing shocking, but the interactive element - the fact that you're doing the killing - has gotten under the skin of game watchdogs.

Britain and Ireland have banned the game outright. The Entertainment Software Rating Board, which evaluates games in the U.S., slapped ''Manhunt 2'' with an AO (adults only) tag - in effect banning it, since Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony won't allow AO-rated titles on their consoles. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, eventually pulled the game from distribution.

We probably haven't seen the last of ''Manhunt 2.'' Most analysts expect Rockstar to tone down the gore enough so that the ESRB will change the rating to a less restrictive M (for mature). And Rockstar has once again milked plenty of free publicity out of controversy. A lot of players who didn't care about ''Manhunt 2'' are interested now, and the demand will surely be there when the game finally emerges, even if it is watered down."

that sucks. i dont want a watered down version!

and neither nintendo, ms or sony will allow ao rated titles?

thats fucking bullshit

thats the strength of pc.

that companies can put their shit up on the net for download and dont have to have the permission of companies.

games like postal probably never would've been allowed on a console.

Well if it really came down to it I am sure someone would take the time to make a copy of it that is compatible with other systems. I knew a guy who made games from every system for his Dreamcast, he could convert them over and set the controls how he wanted.

[Bluto]

yes but there should be an adult market in video games just as in movies.

what if say sony and panasonic and a half dozen others would say "we wont allow porn and horror movies like hostel to play on our blu-ray and hd-dvd machines"

right now any company even thinking about putting something adult out for xbox 360 or ps3 can forget about it. and that sucks.

[Slin1]

COOOL