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Manhunt 2 to get a UK release
LewieP
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
The BBFC has been given "no alternative" but to issue Manhunt 2 with an 18 certificate.
The Video Appeals Committee voted by a majority of four to three to allow the long-contested game to go on sale in the UK.
Manhunt 2 was was resubmitted to the VAC in January, to be judged under "new guidelines" specified by the High Court.
The BBFC has routinely opposed the game and was not happy at the result.
"As I have said previously, we never take rejection decisions lightly, and they always involve a complex balance of considerations," said BBFC director David Cooke.
"We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk.
"However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an 18 certificate to the game."
No new release date for Manhunt 2 has been announced.
Not entirely sure how I feel about this.
My opinions related to the issue -
1. I didn't enjoy Manhunt 1 at all, it was immature, gratuitous violence, and a pretty bad game. I hav eno intention of buying Manhunt 2.
2. I strongly feel that games should be rated, not censored.
3. I think that the BBFC and similar ratings boards are broken.
4. The tabloids should have less impact on censorship than common sense, but I don't think this is the case.
5. The mainstream media will not understand the issues at hand here, and Rockstar will never get a fair shake.
6. If Rockstar didn't make GTA, Manhunt would be seen as less controversial.
7. Games like this are interesting.
So, discuss.
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That article in point 7 has very little information. Holocaust seems to be a touchy issue, too touchy in my opinion. Still, I'm intrigued.
I think it highlights that something is wrong with the videogames industry that there is controversy over a game about the holocaust (without knowing anything about it other than the theme) that there is about hundreds of games which do glorify war.
Call of Duty (1 - 3), for example, is a series in which you kill hundreds of Nazis. This is completely acceptable in the market (I think rightfully so)
The Diary of Anne Frank is a fantastic book, and widely regarded as a classic.
A mature and intelligent games industry would embrace games with any theme, as long as it is tastefully done. If it is not tastefully done (in my opinion, like Manhunt) it would be ignored.
edit: I really don't think the name of Rockstar was significant at all in the decisions, at least compared to the fact it was a sequel to manhunt which did have a lot of media attention.
This doesn't set any sort of precedent, does it? Carmegeddon already went through the same rigmarole.
I'd still prefer the BBFC run the rating system, rather than the PEGI. The TV doctor is going to recommend games be rating solely by the PEGI, apparently. I think having the same board rate games and films - with the same labels - is vital..
I only wish the fuss could have been over a game that was actually worth playing. The only ones making a deal about the game is those who don’t even play games, gamers themselves have pretty much gave a collective shrug of indifference about the game.
It's very rare you get something good that needs defending. For every Lady Chatterley's Lover and Jerry Springer the Opera you get a hundred awful Mohammed Cartoons and Manhunt 2 to defend.
So it's even more annoying when people can't separate protecting "bad art" to permit future "good art."
2009 is a year of Updates - one every Monday. Hopefully. xx
They may cut out a scene in order to get a lower rating.
So, the headbutt would've remained in at a 15 rating, but then you would've excluded all under-15s from seeing a Star Wars movie. So the headbutt was cut so kids could watch it.
It's a different kettle of fish, I think.
It's kinda weird in that LotR:FotR has a headbutt in it, but managed to scrape in as a PG I think.
Yeah, but instead we got the Amidala nude scene.
Fair trade.
Blurrovision, I believe.
The first MH was a brilliant and unfairly maligned game and although I object to the censorship here, I will buy MH2 just to make a point.
What is it with the US and nipples? :P
*weeps*
Mass Effect has headbutts, blue alien sex and swearing and is still only a 12.
I wonder which films they'd equate with Manhunt 2. Men Behind the Sun? Addio Zio Tom?
Saw, incidentally, is pretty tame stuff by the standards of... anything, really.