Gameinfo.biz has reported that Rockstar's Manhunt 2 will not be available for sale in the UK on either the PS2 or Wii.
"Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing.
"There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game," he continued.
the Board’s carefully considered view is that to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2, on either platform, would involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors, within the terms of the Video Recordings Act..."
I have a few problems with this. One - why is a board concerned with film classifications passing rulings on video games? Two - what is the rating system for? If it works, then trust it, if it doesn't work, then it cleary needs changing.
Surprise of the day? A pro-censorship Guardian writer!
9 comments:
I'd like to concur while adding mmm, nice graphics. Dat bald guy he burn good.
I don't even want to play it. It's just as a 36 year old, it would be nice to have the choice. Nome sane?
Screenshot actually from the outtakes reel of the new Dirty Sanches movie - C'mon Baby Light My Farts.
But we're only 30 something's with jobs, partners and families!
We can't possibly be trusted to decide anything for ourselves!
Put an 18 on the box and severely fine any shop selling to minors.
Or perhaps we need a new certificate?
How about 45, perhaps we could be trusted by then!
Nevermind, not really my sort of game anyway.
The trouble with certs is that Joe Blow in GAME says "No," to the kid who then goes off and pesters Mummy until she comes in and gets the game.
Joe Blow tells Mum it's an 18 cert, with graphic and unrelenting violence, but the kid shouts louder and Mum caves, thinking "It's just a video game, how bad can it be?"
Dad finds kid emulating strangulation and stabbing someone in the eye with a syringe (no shit) and calls The Daily Wankah.
Who do the tabloids blame? The kid? No. The parents? No. The shop? No. The BBFC? No. Rockstar - creators of Bully, GTA etc.? MMmmmm... reckon.
Regardless of all this, the BBFC reckon there is nothing to redeem this game. It's not (they say) a matter of age - it's not suitable entertainment for anyone.
I'd still like to be able to make up my own mind though.
I was disappointed to see the editor of C&VG dot com on BBC Breakfast News this morning explaining to the general public that the reason for this ban is that the Wii Remote makes murder all the more immersive.
If that's the case then why is the PS2 version also not being given a rating?
Of course the self-appointed crone in charge of Thinking of the Kids made even less sense explaining that this game allowed you to actually strangle people instead of taking your frustrations out on inanimate objects.
Mrs h i r 0 thought she caught a reference to Jamie Bolger in an earlier report too, despite the fact that this game has nothing to do with children whatsoever, unless it was a possible (and fallacious) reference to Bully.
If Rockstar have a clue they will of course be making this game region free.
When a shop sells age related products, they have to give training and information to the staff, so cigarettes, alcohol, pr0n, knives, butane etc are all hard for kids to buy *and*are supposed to be hard for 'dults to buy for kids.
Game shops typically hire Perrys though, who are typically (myself excepted -- I worked in EB for a while, shee, painting myself into a corner here) dumb as dogsh and have no social or citizenship skills. (Wait, that *is* me.) They don't really get told what's what with age restrictions, and don't tend to have to think through what happens when a little kid gets hold of a game that has themes that are more mature than they can handle.
Parental controls and age restrictions, and to some extent, bans are all well and good, but when the weak link is the kid behind the counter and the parents then the state is always going to fail to stop kids seeing this sort of thing, and banning it only gives it hype and kudos.
In the end I suppose everyone representing the game shop, from the Saturday Perrys to the manager has the right to refuse to sell a game to anyone if they believe that game will be given to a minor to play. I'd be interested to know how many gamestore managers would support Perry's decision to do just that though.
In the end though, even if they were refused at the till, they could just go home and order online.
In the end it's a parental responsibility to prevent your children accessing material that's clearly not suitable for them.
How many people would buy GTA 4 (f'rex) for l'il Johnny? How many of those would rent them Hostel or Saw III? How many would buy Playboy for their kids? What about something harder? I bet a lot of parents would draw the line after video games.
The solution to this problem isn't to ban certain videogames. The solution is to education. Sadly the way I see a lot of parents acting in front of their kids I don't see us making a lot of progress on this front.
Shoulda previewed. Pls excuse bad grammar. K Thx Bye.
Munchk will remember a while ago we were in Game in Guildford and the Perrys had a boxing game demoing on the 360 and it was a pretty bloody game. There were two little kids playing it and they were clearly fascinated by the gore and the damage to the players faces. The game was a 15 rating I think, and I sport-bitched at the Perrys briefly to remind them about the rating and to point out the ages of the little kids playing it.
After we had finished shopping, Munchk and I popped in to see what game was on demo, and the Perrys had decided to punish the world by demoing a Sonic game.
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