Azcentral.com published an interesting article several days back slating Rockstar Games and Take2 Interactive. The article blamed to two companies for “trash[ing] the reputation of the entire game industry [more] than any other companies ever” apparently. So I decided to put this so called “article” to the test and discover the flaws in its information and, already evident, biasness towards the two companies.

“When the pair announced that Manhunt 2, the sequel to a poorly reviewed but notably violent game, was coming to the Nintendo Wii, the buzz started almost immediately.”

I find it interesting in this part of the article (3rd paragraph) that the author only refers to the Nintendo Wii, where we know the game was scheduled for release on three consoles, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii. The article states that Manhunt was “poorly reviewed” where facts show that it received a average of 76% ( MetaCritic, 2003 ) which isn’t at all a bad rating for any game. The top 3 gaming website gave it an 8.5/10 (IGN), 8.3/10 (GameSpot) and a 5.0/10 (1UP.com). These don’t seem to me like “poor” reviews; even 5.0/10 makes the game average.

“I won't reprint some of the information included in previews of the game written by some of the gaming Web sites, particularly IGN, but suffice to say that enemies can be dismembered and killed in ways that make movies such as Fargo, Seven and Reservoir Dogs look tame.”

One thing you should never do when writing an article is refuse to show facts, although you don’t require a rewrite of the articles being related to links and in-text referencing would do a world of good. Relating games to movies has always been a pet peeve of mine. How anybody can compare a movie made in the real world using real actors; real props and real effects generated by computer using the blue and green screen technique to a game made using pixels and 3d models with scripted storylines is beyond me. There is no relation between the two, one is real; one is fake. Movies are more realistic then games due to the fact they use real affects, games depend on spooky noises, scary voices and gruesome photoshopped textures for 3d models to add shock value for the player. A game cannot make a movie look tame, an 18 year old could watch Reservoir Dogs an possible have nightmares about it or trouble sleeping, whereas they could play a violent game and not think twice about it once they have switched off the console.

“The AO rating is extremely rare, especially for mainstream games. It's the equivalent of a XXX rating on movies.”

An AO rating is rare yes, but it is not exactly equivalent to an XXX rating on movies. An XXX rating on a movie means the movie contains material of a pornographic and explicit manner. Most games that have had the AO sticker slapped on them, as in the case of Manhunt 2, have nothing more than strong violence and gore. An AO rating is also only applicable in the US. The UK and Australia have a different rating system altogether. The UK has 18+ which is similar to the AO but doesn’t cover the same depth as the AO does, and Australia currently lacks a rating higher then MA 15+ meaning at the current point in time Manhunt would not even be looked at for release. MA 15+ is the same rating all Grand Theft Auto games have received as well as the original Manhunt early before being banned.

“So where does that leave the companies that created the game?

Well, they're trying to argue that a game that lets you saw a man in half should be recognized as art.”

So wait a second, don’t we call movies art? How can movies be classified as art and games not? Everyone seems to have this idea that games, nothing more than pixels; models and scripts, are worse than a movie with the same, if not more, scale of horror and gore that uses real people and special effect. If games are in the same league as movies then shouldn’t they also be classified as art?

The article by Victor Godinez of Azcentral.com was one sided, with no facts or evidence to back up his claims. With all honesty it made no sense and really didn’t warrant an entire article. Your opinion isn’t news, it’s your opinion.

I wish Rockstar Games and Take-Two all the luck in the world, in my opinion games should not be rated harder then movies, at little they should be rated the same, if not easier. At the end of the day it should all come down to the consumer, which in this situation is parents and adults. The government can’t dictate what you play or watch, but they can advice, which is what ratings are for. It falls into the hands of the parents as being their job to monitor what their children play and watch. If they aren’t doing that then they aren’t doing their job. If parents cannot control their children, who can? As a society we have the right to our own opinions, as well as the right to play what we want in just cause.

Via rockstargames.com:

We wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to contact us about Manhunt 2, which we had been planning to release on PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii. As you know, Manhunt 2 was effectively banned around much of the world, after it was refused certification in the United Kingdom, prohibited in Ireland, and denied an M rating in the United States.

We are very proud of Manhunt 2 and believe it builds on what the team accomplished with the first title in the series. The game was developed as a horror experience, and to be an M rated title, aligning it with similar horror content created in other forms of media. Unlike many other people, we do not think video games should be singled out for special treatment from the authorities. We hope to have more information for you soon, but in the meantime, we wanted you to know how much we value all of your messages of support.

That's the price an analyst believes it'll cost to bring down the AO rating.

These are strange times for Rockstar games, who last week saw Manhunt 2 slammed and banned by the BBFC in the UK, and given an AO Adult Only rating in America. They say no publicity is bad publicity, but even we are unsure on this one!

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Patcher has recently made a statement, predicting that it will cost Rockstar approximately $1 million dolllars to 'rework' the game, in an attempt to bring down its AO classification rating.

"They will probably spend $1 million or so to rework the game," he said. "They will not have revenue from the game this quarter (ending July), so they will likely miss their guidance, but will make up most of it in a future quarter when the game is released."

He added, "The overall financial impact is not that serious, provided sales don't suffer. It is hard to know whether the publicity helps or hurts, but my guess is that it hurts."

So, maybe there is hope for them after all. But, certainly not an easy obstacle to overcome.

CVG has gotten word from a anonymous source that Take-Two/Rockstar will appeal the ban of Manhunt 2 rather than modifying the game. Keep in mind that is from a anonymous source, not Take-Two. If successful, Manhunt 2 will be most likely to release with the content deemed "harmful" by the BBFC in tact. When CVG contacted Rockstar, the response was "Take-Two is considering all its options".

Source:CVG

The link from Gamespot

An exert from Gamespot's article:GameSpot has confirmed with Nintendo and Sony that one of those options, which would be to accept the ESRB's judgment and release the game with the AO rating, isn't an option at all. Both companies forbid licensed third-party publishers from releasing games rated AO for Adults Only on their various hardware platforms. Though Manhunt 2 isn't slated for any of Microsoft's systems, the company has also confirmed that it does not allow AO-rated titles on the Xbox or Xbox 360.

The link from Gamespot.

An exert from the article: "Take-Two Interactive Software has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the British Board of Film Classification and Entertainment Software Rating Board," a representative told GameSpot. "We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment."

Now there is only three options for Take Two. Either tone it down to get it on the consoles, release it for the PC, or cancel it (which I highly doubt is going to happen). Well, I guess it looks like Daniel will be staying in his cell for a while longer

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=166215

Looks like Manhunt 2 has succeeded at getting itself banned, even before it's released. We'll have to watch this one carefully and track developments!
I'll need to check up on our law and see if it is actually banned. But it certainly looks that way for the PS2 version anyway.

UPDATE: 'GAME', a popular UK games retailer, has removed Manhunt 2 from their site, and stopped accepting pre-orders. www.game.co.uk

This is a very very bad day for Take Two and Rockstar. Manhunt 2 just got rated AO. Most console manufactures will not let publishers publish AO games on their consoles.
Story

British mag, NGamer has gotten the World's Exclusive Manhunt 2 review. And guess what? It got a whopping 92% Subscribers to the mag will have recieved their copy by now, otherwise, you can expect to see Issue 12 on the shelves on 20th June. Well done Rockstar!