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Manhunt 2 rated AO in US, banned in IrelandThursday 21 Jun 2007 Earlier this week the BBFC refused classification to Manhunt 2, banning it from sale in the UK. The ESRB has followed suit by issuing an Adults Only (AO) rating to Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Game’s latest controversial title. According to Gamespot, a Take-Two representative has confirmed that the ESRB has issued an initial rating of AO to Manhunt 2. Although somewhat more lenient than the outright ban in the UK, this rating would limit Manhunt 2’s sales potential because most major American retailers elect not to supply AO rated games. Here is how the ESRB rates a game: after rating a game it notifies the publisher 30 days to publicly releasing its decision, hence the phrase ‘initial rating,’ thereafter if the publisher is not happy with the rating they can modify the game and resubmit for a second assessment or challenge the rating before the ESRB’s appeals board. The Irish Film Censor’s Office has followed in the footsteps of the BBFC, banning Manhunt 2 in Ireland due to the ‘gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence.’ This is the first ban which Ireland has imposed on a video game. It does beg the question of how many more countries are going to follow suit. Take Two exploring their options“We believe the process of rating video games is to help people make informed entertainment choices and not to limit them,” a Take-Two representative said. “Manhunt 2 was created for mature audiences and we strongly believe it should receive an M (Mature) rating, aligning it with similar content created in other forms of media. We are exploring our options with regard to the rating of Manhunt 2.” Manhunt 2 took yet another blow with the announcement from Sony and Nintendo that they would be sticking to their policies which prevent licensed third parties from releasing Adults Only titles on their systems in the US. Manhunt 2 is set to be released on Sony’s PS2 and PSP and on Nintendo’s Wii. Microsoft has also confirmed that it will not allow AO rated titles on its systems, denying manhunting on the Xbox 360 even though it is not slated to be released on any Microsoft systems. Nintendo and Sony refuse AO titlesBoth Sony and Nintendo seem to be sticking to their guns. Sony confirmed their position to Gamespot, “It’s currently our policy not to allow the playback of AO-rated content on our systems.” Nintendo followed suit with a statement that read, “Games made for Nintendo systems enjoy a broad variety of styles, genres, and ratings. These are some of the reasons our Wii and Nintendo DS systems appeal to such a broad range of people. But as with books, television, and movies, different content is meant for different audiences. That’s why the ESRB provides ratings to help consumers understand the content of a game before they purchase it. As stated on Nintendo.com, Nintendo does not allow any AO-rated content on its systems.” No console videogame has ever been released with an AO rating. There has only been one exception to this rule so far. It was in 2005 when Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, although already released, was rated AO retroactively for sexually explicit content. The game was pulled from the shelves and Take Two suspended production of the game and chose to recall it rather than sell it with the new rating. Whether Take-Two and Rockstar Games will modify Manhunt 2 and have it rerated, appeal against the ESRB’s AO rating or merely accept the AO rating remains to be seen. Somehow I don’t think that they are just going to roll over meekly on this one, but one thing is for sure, with the game’s release date of 10th of July just around the corner, whatever they do, they are going to have to do it quickly. Check out more information about the BBFC’s decision to ban Manhunt 2 and gamers views of the ban. |
| Contributor: | Lisa |
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