Manhunt 2 is offically the most controversial game in video game history.
In June 2007 it was banned by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) due to its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone.
It is now at the centre of a continous legal row that is defining what is and what is not acceptable in video games.

With Manhunt 2 being released in the US. Many desperate UK dwellers have purchased a US copy only playable on the US version game console’s from auction sites such as eBay.
Many gamers who brought the game are left puzzled of why this game cannot hit UK shores.
Such is the serious of this despite, developers Rockstar are not even legally able to share the game with UK journalists.

Developer Rockstar are no strangers to controversy.
They faced criticism over last year’s title Bully, mainly from press which mis-understood the game and assumed the player took on the role of a bully. While in fact, the player’s role was to challenge the bullies.
Rockstar’s most successful game series to date is its Grand Theft Auto series. Unsurprising, that game has had some share of the criticism. I wonder why?…

The BBFC says its position is clear concerning Manhunt 2. BBFC claims that the tone of the game worries them about the safety of individuals playing the game.
A BBFC spokeswomen comments she made comparisons between Manhunt 2 and the film; Saw.
She comments that Saw is a blood-laden, gore-fest which features torture, mutilation and strong violence throughout.
Manhunt 2 however goes one step too far for this spokeswomen.
She boasts it contains far more murder methods…

Manhunt 2 centers round a playable character called Danny, who makes his escape from a mental institution leaving behind a trail of murdered guards and inmates.
The player can stab, kick, beat, axe and even suffocate other characters in the game to progress.
There is even an option to make the deaths more spectacular. All the player has to do is hold a certain button longer, causing a more violent and ensuring death.
The game also contains puzzle elements within the story.

Rockstar says its position is equally transparent. They comment their games are “well within the bounds established by other 18+ games”.
Many claim that the violence is stylised - and not particularly real. The deaths play out as mini-scenes reminiscent of action in the current crop of horror movies that are doing so well at the box office, such as Hostel and Cabin Fever.
The amount of killing in the game is not even greater than Call of Duty 4 or Bioshock.

BBFC has been the UK’s “censor” for more than 90 years concerning content realised to the general British population, but in the last 20 years it has asked for fewer cuts in films, reflecting both a modernised certification system and a more liberal attitude.
There is also currently a voluntary “censor” system, called PEGI.
Many reviewers and those in contact with children are in favour of PEGI replacing the BBFC.
Some people see that the recent banning of Manhunt 2 is the BBFC trying to prove it has teeth in an attempt to avoid being pushed out of the way in favour of PEGI.

Rockstar however lay quietly confident that their game, Manhunt 2, will hit Uk stores from an over-ruling in its favour.
Another spokeswoman for the BBFC said no date was in the diary.
She stated “Classification is not a science; it’s a judgement based on guidelines.

My questions is; will this current conflict have an effect on future encounters between the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and Rockstar?

Tags : manhunt : manhunt 2 : playstation 2 : playstation portable : rockstar : rockstar games : take two interactive : Wii

Comments

By: Dragonfly On: 07:54 Feb 11th, 2008 Offline	At this stage, I don't see it being released. At the rate this is going, if it ever was, the relevant formats will probably be obsolete by the time it is anyway.

By: deanogee On: 08:34 Feb 11th, 2008 Offline	This game doesnt really interest me.. however i watched a few trailers and... as its in the PS2 and Wii.. the graphics are well.. extremely poor even for thsoe platforms... and the killings are rather comical after a while.. blood just flying everywhere haha even when you choke a guy .. blood is flowing out of him.. who knew death could be so fun and entertaining.. its ok for people over 18.. which it is going to be sold too.. i dont see the problem as such..

By: Evren On: 10:37 Feb 13th, 2008 Offline	....Bored now. rly. So very tired of this. shakes head They should start concentrating on the freaking crime outside before they start accusing games of this crap. As before, Very. Very bored.