manhunt 2 banned in UK

[Lenardo]

Manhunt 2 banned from sale in UK // GamesIndustry.biz

[Kiely]

Fuckers. Seriously.
Now they force me into "crime" by downloading it illegally, as opposed to "preventing" crimes from taking place after people play it.
edit.. well, just checked and it's true >.<
MANHUNT 2 Rejected by the BBFC

[Eomer]

I dunno, Andy over at VE3D stated that the BBFC is pretty reasonable, and that if they refused to rate the game there's probably a pretty good reason for it. Perhaps Rockstar really did cross a line?

[Angerz]

Originally Posted by Eomer

I dunno, Andy over at VE3D stated that the BBFC is pretty reasonable, and that if they refused to rate the game there's probably a pretty good reason for it. Perhaps Rockstar really did cross a line?

Apparently filthy Euro's can't handle a 21st century murder sim.

Sarcasm aside, I cant wait to get this for my Wii. It'll be nice to have something to play again.

[mek]

July 10th baby, everyone buy 10 copies and then sell them to UK gamers at a 100% markup! :P

[Akileese]

From what I heard from an industry friend, it's the Wii version that has most people up in arms because you're actually simulating murderous actions with real movements. The game does cross the line. It makes the first manhunt seem like my little ponies.

[Kolle]

they should just make manhunt UK version a game about being the head politician...president/pm etc... that way you can make choices that kill thousands or millions without all the murderous imagery

[Sithro]

Originally Posted by Akileese

From what I heard from an industry friend, it's the Wii version that has most people up in arms because you're actually simulating murderous actions with real movements. The game does cross the line. It makes the first manhunt seem like my little ponies.

Jeeze... The first one was pretty violent, I hear.

[Nakilos]

I dunno, Andy over at VE3D stated that the BBFC is pretty reasonable, and that if they refused to rate the game there's probably a pretty good reason for it. Perhaps Rockstar really did cross a line?

I don't really get how a rating system can ban the sale of a product. I mean the purpose behind ratings should be so consumers (mainly parents) can make an informed decision about what they are buying and whether its appropriate content for their children. I really have a problem with stuff like this. Not that I have a particular interest in this game, I really just dislike censorship.

Honestly anyone who would commit murders from playing a video game would probably commit murders because the bus showed up to the bus stop 3 minutes late.

[Arbuste]

I can beat up hookers all day in GTA3 and laugh about it, or drive over kids and beavers in Carmaggedon2, but Manhunt was a pretty bad game. Extremely violent, yes, but it all felt excessively gratuitous. I was curious to see how many different ways they found to decapitate a guy with a shard of glass, but it got old very, very fast. And it was a bit sickening. And repetitive. And the controls sucked.
I'll never be in favor of banning a game, but if they have to ban one, Manhunt is the best choice I can think of.

Originally Posted by Akileese

The game does cross the line. It makes the first manhunt seem like my little ponies.

Honestly, it's hard to believe. I can't imagine how they could make it any more violent and gratuitous (except by putting in children, puppies and kittens to slaughter, add rape - but the game is about killing other "criminals.")

[Cor]

Originally Posted by mek

July 10th baby, everyone buy 10 copies and then sell them to UK gamers at a 100% markup! :P

Wii isn't region free. Curse you Nintendo!

[Ronne]

Manhunt was a great game if you like stealthers. It just happened to have some pretty amazing violence thrown in along the way. The plastic bag is still the best execution by far. And the pig guy was pretty creepy.

[mek]

Originally Posted by Nakilos

I don't really get how a rating system can ban the sale of a product.

It's a bit of a loophole... government passes law requiring games to be rated, industry creates an independent body responsible for the rating of games. Independent body realizes "hey, if we simply refuse to rate something, it's illegal to sell it!" Consequently a third party gains the ability to censor.

If the law compelled the rating of a game in a timely manner, this wouldn't be a concern. But it doesn't.

This isn't a concern in the USA/Canada because games are not legally required to be rated there. It's simply that most big-box retailers won't carry unrated games; they're still available for purchase elsewhere though.

[Nakilos]

Honestly, it's hard to believe. I can't imagine how they could make it any more violent and gratuitous (except by putting in children, puppies and kittens to slaughter, add rape - but the game is about killing other "criminals.")

Well the stupid thing is controversy is what will help sales of the product. Its probably nothing special as a game, I don't recall hearing anything decent about the first one, and it probably is excessively violent.

Its like when people were shitting their pants because Mortal Kombat was going to be coming out on the Genesis and SNES. It absolutely had a positive impact on sales, and I guarantee without the controversy the games probably wouldn't have done nearly as well.

This isn't a concern in the USA/Canada because games are not legally required to be rated there. It's simply that most big-box retailers won't carry unrated games; they're still available for purchase elsewhere though.

I got no issue with that, as there is a difference between blatant censorship and informing the consumer. There is definately content not suitable for children out there, and people should be informed of it. However, I can't understand why people in Europe don't have a bigger problem with the choice simply being removed based on the arbitrary decision of a random group of morons.

[Kiely]

The fact it's on the wii-mote, given that you physically interact with executing yor victims, plus the fact there was the media outcry a couple of years ago when some dude murdered another friend or so "Man Hunt style" which resulted in the game being removed off the shelves for a while (even though now the police discredited this), to me they are just playing it "safe" as opposed to there being something really over the line.