Manhunt 2 Banned In The UK
Manhunt 2 has officially been banned in the United Kingdom by the British Board of Film Classification. The title will be released on the Wii and PS2 will be illegal to sell throughout the UK. In an official statement, BBFC director David Cook had this to say about the ruling:
“Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board’s published Guidelines.According to the terms of terms of the Video Recordings Act, Rockstar may appeal the ruling, but has not discussed their planned course of action.In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. 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.
Against this background, 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, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public.”
I can understand any responsible person not wanting this game falling into the hands of children. If the sequel is anything like the original, this title is for mature adults only. The setting is dark, brooding, and starkly violent. While the stealth aspect of the game makes the protagonist seem like a cold, calculated predator, the fact remains if you don’t kill them, they tear you to pieces. So are we now sheltering adults from the evils contained within? My point being, killing things is part of gaming, like it or not. Even Mario kills his enemies by jumping on them. Granted, I’ve never seen the Italian plumber garrote a goomba, but I wouldn’t put it past Peach. Now the tortures contained within Manhunt 2 couldn’t possibly rival the gratuitous "realistic" violence of a movie like Hostel. Is it the visual depiction of violence the problem, or it is the interactive nature of the game the real issue? Take the player out the equation and you have some disturbing imagery. Add someone controlling the action, and you have a situation that is worthy of debate.
Check out the Manhunt 2 Official site, and make your own call. Is it a dark gritty experience, or just fuel for the next game burning?
For David Cook's entire statement about the ruling, make the jump.
Manhunt 2 Banned in the UK [Next Generation]
“Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board’s published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. 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.“Although the difference should not be exaggerated the fact of the game’s unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer, together with the different overall narrative context, contribute towards differentiating this submission from the original Manhunt game. That work was classified ‘18’ in 2003, before the BBFC’s recent games research had been undertaken, but was already at the very top end of what the Board judged to be acceptable at that category.”
“Against this background, 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, and accordingly that its availability, even if statutorily confined to adults, would be unacceptable to the public.”
Toots
Posted to Video Games on 19 June 2007
· Comments (9)
Other stuff like this: banned, manhunt 2, ps2, rockstar, wii
Hey! That guy has my tattoo!
In a way, i kinda agree with this statement. This is definitely not a game i want to found hidden under the bed of my kid. It's violent, cruel and gory. Though not as much as movies like hostel or Apocalypto (or *cough* the morning news *cough*) the violence is still there.
However! Banning of videogames isn't the correct way to dis encourage the market. For me this is an act of stupidity. I've never played this game or it's prequel but I stand behind the freedom of speech in all it's form even if it encourage hate and violence as long as it doesn't harm anyone. The British Board of Film Classification should of thought of another way to settle this problem, perhaps through harsher game sell towards minor...
In out of context, that man reminds me of the band rancid if he taken out the mask. And who would have the guts or patience to get tattoos like that ;) (notice the heart on his upper right chest)
This is a pretty dicey issue. Freedom of Speech is freedom of speech, but one must admit this is a pretty disturbing "game". I'm not sure when in time we got to the point that mutilating other human beings with garden tools was considered fun (ancient Rome notwithstanding), but frankly I think we continue to cross lines and push violence further and further and give it the stamp of approval in the name of "free speech".
Keep in mind that these developers aren't heroes- they are not just testing the elasticity of a tolerant society, it's done to generate publicity, it's done to sell games, and it's done to make money. These developers and publishers don't need to be held up as champions of free speech, and they are not doing something noble. They're pushing an envelope for attention and cashing in on the transgressive thrill of being "naughty". In that way, I don't really feel to sorry for them getting this game banned.
I will now laugh everytime I see someone from the UK say that they have less censorship then we do. This is just pathetic, and it is free speech. Why should the Government regulate what I play on my free time, it's not harming me or anyone else who is sane.
So the UK mod market is gonna get a jump from this. I want to play this game even more now (same thing with GTA 2 when it came out, I think that one was banned in a couple places too). If I was in the UK I would just mod my PS2 and download the game.
with manhunt being banned in the uk and most possibly in germany as well, it will not be sold in the 2 most important european countries... in germany you wouldn't expect anything else, but it sounds like a big surprise it gets banned in the uk.
manhunt 2 sounds like a very interesting game to me and it's likely that i will get a copy for my wii early next month. hostel was definitely more brainless and violent entertainment than the first manhunt, which i still consider to be a very stylish, even though sometimes rather frightening piece of videogame art.
i could think that it's not a clever idea to give it to a kid, but it can be a very interesting experience for a sane adult. (well, if i can be considered sane)
It's always interesting to hear both sides of what people think on a situation like this.
I have never like using 'free speech' as an argument as the line must be drawn somewhere. Remember, there's a lot of things we can't do by law and they all probably prohibit free speech.
While there is a lot more violence in other media, there's still a difference between watching and doing. Watching someone get multilated in Hostel is different to someone who is actually doing the multilation. How much more realistic do games have to become for us to say 'no' to doing something in a game?
Is simulating rape in a game okay?
ManHunt is a very interesting game, but how many people would think it's fun to multilate virtual people realistically and whether that kind of thinking is okay.
MME..
there are so many flaws in that, I'm not sure where to start.
"I have never like using 'free speech' as an argument as the line must be drawn somewhere."
It must? Why is that?
"Remember, there's a lot of things we can't do by law and they all probably prohibit free speech."
There are a lot of bad laws.
"While there is a lot more violence in other media, there's still a difference between watching and doing. Watching someone get multilated in Hostel is different to someone who is actually doing the multilation. How much more realistic do games have to become for us to say 'no' to doing something in a game?"
Surely that's up to the individual adult when to say "no"?
"Is simulating rape in a game okay?"
yes.
"ManHunt is a very interesting game, but how many people would think it's fun to multilate virtual people realistically and whether that kind of thinking is okay."
I.. can't understand that. Maybe you could reword it?
Hey Rosethornn,
The line must be drawn somewhere otherwise there will be a lot more people going around murdering people, or destroying property etc
Why is simulating rape okay? If there are two people in the room - one is willing to simulate rape, and the other one isn't, who do you think is the more stable? How about if a game simulate raping a member of your family - would you still think that's okay?
What I meant in that last paragraph, is that games keep becoming more realistic. How realistic does it have to get before it becomes too realistic. This does on depending how you answer the top two of course.
IMO, to me, I think it's unacceptable to even 'think' about certain things. Even though thinking and doing is two different things, it is still a step closer. I would trust the person who are unwilling to think it, or do it in simulation more than the other who will.
A few years ago, there's a question circling around testing whether a person could be a pychopath. The question is relayed in such a way to test how you think. Thinking a certain way does not of course mean you are a pychopath, but there's is a higher chance.
I hope you know what I mean because sometimes my thought get ahead of me.