Toned-down 'Manhunt 2' still banned in U.K

[tucsoncoyote]

Related Link(s): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21195453/

Well sorry to say this to the Folks over in the United Kingdom, but if you are wanting that Manhunt 2 game from Rockstar Games, you might have to wait quite a bit longer.

Apparently Rockstar (Part of Take Two Interactive) who wanted Manhunt 2 to be released world wide Still can't get into the U.K. and what's the reason as to why?

It's still too violent in the eyes of the U.K. Gaming board.

wait a second...

Still too violent? Even after Rockstar decided to tone it down a bit and have the game released in a 'uber-water downed' version?

Apparently yes...

When Rockstar Games released Manhunt 2 initially the game was considered way too violent by everyone, even the U.S Entertainment Software Rating Board, Rockstar decided to tone it down a bit so they could sell this game world wide.. so in came the programmers and they watered it down.

But even after they got it toned down a bit and the ERSB gave it an 'M' Rating for it's violence, gore and god knows what, you would think it could ship to the U.K. as well, right?

Wrong..

Apparently the British Board of Film Classification group still think it's too violent. and in fact the board's head, Mr. David Cooke, had this to say about the game :


"The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the game play, is clearly insufficient,"

So what is Rockstar and Take two supposed to do? Water it down even further, and re-release it in a further toned down version.


So what does Rockstar and Take two say about this little setback in the UK?


"The changes necessary in order to publish the game in Britain are unacceptable to us and represent a setback for video games. The BBFC allows adults the freedom to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in movies and we think adults should be similarly allowed to decide for themselves when it comes to horror in video games, such as Manhunt 2."

So there you go all you Manhunt 2 game fans. If the brits think the game is too violent, then it's too violent.. in their eyes alone. But then I think in a way maybe the BBFC is being a bit hypocritical here.. And it's odd, Doesn't the BBFC even rate films, and if this is true, then isn't it odd that they might let some 'adult oriented' film in, yet they say a video game is too violent?

I mean how whack is that?

But let's hear it from all sides, American, British and even the rest of the world.

What makes something like this so off the wall, that a video game company is allowed to sell their wares elsewhere in the world, but not even 1 or two countries, even it's been toned down already, I mean how does this affect sales of the product.

If this were the case, then maybe the folks at Rockstar should reconsider that maybe they have gone too far as it is.. or maybe it's the BBFC who's come up short.. But what are you feelings on this one folks? I myself say it's partially Rockstar's fault and partially the BBFC's fault as well. One (Rockstar) for going too far..and the other (The BBFC) for not allowing this game in. I mean how is it that the BBFC might let say the Sims 2 in, yet not other games?

But let's let the discussion begin..(After all it makes you wonder. What's next for games? every country banning them because they're too violent, or too adult?)

P.S. if folks want a poll, just ask.. I'll put one up..

:coyote:

[HG Revolution]

It might be less graphic now, but it still sounds awfully similar to the "murder simulators" many games get stereotyped as.

[Shawn Hopkins]

It has always seemed to me that, more often than not, European gamers have gotten the short end of the stick. Sure, sometimes they get stuff the U.S. and Japan misses, but more often there seemed to be later or missing releases, games poorly optimized for the PAL format and heavy censorship.

[Wussycat]

Since when were the BBFC given the job of rating games? They're the British Board of Film Classification.

They should give the job back to whoever rated games previously.

[tucsoncoyote]

It might be less graphic now, but it still sounds awfully similar to the "murder simulators" many games get stereotyped as.

Well then if the BBFC feels these Murder simulators are that way, I dunno why they don't consider older games such as Doom or Quake to be such. But still watering down anything, is still like playing a cheap lame game. Also another issue I have is that if a company isn't allowed in say, the Uk, then they shouldn't be allowed in the US.. After all what's to stop a person from going online and purchasing the game online to get it shipped to them? So then the Rating system I feel would be pointless (After all if you can go online and get a game from Japan, what's to stop a UK Gamer from getting a game from say, the US?


It has always seemed to me that, more often than not, European gamers have gotten the short end of the stick. Sure, sometimes they get stuff the U.S. and Japan misses, but more often there seemed to be later or missing releases, games poorly optimized for the PAL format and heavy censorship.

And yet it's also ironic Shawn that we in America have TV Shows that are censored that won't allow certain things, yet over in Britian they do anything they darn please.. I mean you've heard of Desperate Housewives right? Well over in Britian they have a similar show called "Footballers Wives" (Same type of show as Desperate Housewives), and yet the Brits allow a lot more than Desperate Housewives on ABC will allow.

So then we go back to the BBFC and say, Hey how come the BBC and the other British channels allow all of what they do yet here in America we only get "The Insinuation." I mean that's double standards that works both ways.


Since when were the BBFC given the job of rating games? They're the British Board of Film Classification.

They should give the job back to whoever rated games previously.

That's a good question, Wussycat. Why should a Film rating system be in control of the Ratings for a video game set up? See that's why we have the ERSB and the MPAA isn't rating these games. If they were as stringent as the BBFC, then maybe the MPAA would be banning all those "Murder simulators yet will let R-rated movies to be run. Hence my comment about Britian having a bit of a Hypocritical standard... Oh we can let you watch A Clockwork Orange, but we can't let you play Manhunt 2... Sounds crazy doesn't it?

:coyote:

[MattThomasM2B]

Lol, they're not going to release this game until it's about kittens and flowers.

[EscaflownePilot]

Bull. Rockstar has nothing they've gone "too far" with - their job is to create a game that is entertaining and fun to play, and they just so happen to do that while focusing on the mature, adult gamer. Nothing is wrong with that, and no governmental ratings board has any place to say otherwise.

Both this AND the ESRB giving this game an AO rating originally (which, honestly, is just one step shy of being as good as a governmental banning and the ESRB knew it - that's the only reason they gave the rating to the original version!) is nothing more than an exercise in power to push a biased agenda against video games. Because to them, all the fake studies that show that violent video games harm children is more than enough reason for the games to be kept from all gamers of all age, and that parents ought not to have to do their job.

I should state I have no interest in Manhunt 2 - I feel weird playing Grand Theft Auto, I couldn't imagine my conscience while playing Manhunt 2. But I have a choice - I, along with any others offended by the game, can simply choose not to buy it, while those who are interested can, SURPRISE, choose TO buy it, instead. It's how the free market works, and forcing any more than that on consumers is just plain wrong - whether it's flat out denying a rating, or rating it so undeservedly high that nobody will sell it, it's all as good as censorship - assuming you (the ratings board) knows better than the average individual, and therefor should choose FOR them.

The idea that the game had to be toned down for the US is disgusting enough, but what the UK has going on is even worse, and were I in the UK, I would be mailing so many complaints over this it wouldn't be funny. At any rate, we as gamers need to start fighting back somehow, because I can guarantee you this won't be the last of it in either country.

[Wussycat]

This country is screwed up. We're okay with bloody violence in films, but in games it's suddenly wrong. And we don't cut ethnic stereotypes from old cartoons, but we cut out smoking.

[NintyScreen]

Maybe they just hate Manhunt 2.

[Mandouga]

Bull. Rockstar has nothing they've gone "too far" with - their job is to create a game that is entertaining and fun to play, and they just so happen to do that while focusing on the mature, adult gamer. Nothing is wrong with that, and no governmental ratings board has any place to say otherwise.

Both this AND the ESRB giving this game an AO rating originally (which, honestly, is just one step shy of being as good as a governmental banning and the ESRB knew it - that's the only reason they gave the rating to the original version!) is nothing more than an exercise in power to push a biased agenda against video games. Because to them, all the fake studies that show that violent video games harm children is more than enough reason for the games to be kept from all gamers of all age, and that parents ought not to have to do their job.

I should state I have no interest in Manhunt 2 - I feel weird playing Grand Theft Auto, I couldn't imagine my conscience while playing Manhunt 2. But I have a choice - I, along with any others offended by the game, can simply choose not to buy it, while those who are interested can, SURPRISE, choose TO buy it, instead. It's how the free market works, and forcing any more than that on consumers is just plain wrong - whether it's flat out denying a rating, or rating it so undeservedly high that nobody will sell it, it's all as good as censorship - assuming you (the ratings board) knows better than the average individual, and therefor should choose FOR them.

The idea that the game had to be toned down for the US is disgusting enough, but what the UK has going on is even worse, and were I in the UK, I would be mailing so many complaints over this it wouldn't be funny. At any rate, we as gamers need to start fighting back somehow, because I can guarantee you this won't be the last of it in either country.

(quoted for emphasis)

Unfortunately, it's your type of indifferent, nonchalant, "I'm over 17/18, so it doesn't bother me", "If you don't like it don't buy it" attitude that actually partially contributes to the problem.

Now, please don't flame me for the above comment. It's just my opinion.

Anyhow, as I live in the U.S., I can't comment about something I don't know anything about; in this case, how a ratings board and government in another country work.

[EscaflownePilot]

(quoted for emphasis)

Unfortunately, it's your type of indifferent, nonchalant, "I'm over 17/18, so it doesn't bother me", "If you don't like it don't buy it" attitude that actually partially contributes to the problem.

Now, please don't flame me for the above comment. It's just my opinion.I would never flame someone just for disagreeing with me. But you are going to have to expand upon that thought - how does my attitude contribute to the problem? It's the basics of our great free market - if people want something, they'll buy it and it will succeed. If they don't, then it won't. We don't need a ratings board with inconsistent standards and an agenda against the industry to interfere with that. So I'm curious what you mean by that.

[Conan-san]

And yet another thousand pounds in the pocket of the BBFC.
As far as I'm concerned, all the BBFC are concerned with is Racketearing as much money as possible and driving prices for things they rate.

What as stupid, heavyhanded, outdated system, it reeks of the English in thought and design.