Manhunt 2 Banned

Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive, the makers of the very controversial “Grand Theft Auto (GTA)” series, are once again causing a stir with their new video game, Manhunt 2, the sequel to 2003’s Manhunt. Manhunt is about a man who is being hunted for sport and the only way out is to kill your way out.

 

And if you couldn’t already tell, here is where the game’s problems begin…

 

The tactics used to kill in Manhunt 2 are about as horrific and violent as any game out there. Therefore, this has lead Ireland and

Britain to ban the game and the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) to rate the game “Adults Only.”

Source: ESRB.org

 

Now here’s the dilemma: many large retailers will not carry games with “Adults Only.” This includes Best Buy and Wal-Mart. In fact the highest rating a game could be to be sold in any of these places is “M” for mature.

 

Source: ESRB.org

 

This is all VERY bad for the business!!!

 

Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Interactive’s chairman, responded by saying the game, “Brings a unique formerly unheard of cinematic quality to interactive entertainment, and is also a fine piece of art.”

 

I will be the first to say that video games are just as much a piece of art as any, but when you are in the business of making video games that sell for profit, good games that never get a place on store shelves are bad games for business!

 

Still, it will be very interesting to see what comes out of all this. Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive have pushed the envelope before with GTA, so they are no strangers controversy.

 

Even so, doesn’t it seem a bit peculiar that Rockstar Games is the only game maker with such troubles?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but we see many games that are full of violence come out everyday. In fact, most don’t seem to have a problem getting by with “M” ratings. Could it be that Rockstar is really being the one hunted in all this? They have already come under great political scrutiny regarding their upcoming GTA release. I guess only time will tell…

 

As of right now the game makers have decided to suspend the release of the game, which was originally slated to release July 10, in the hope that the game can somehow get the ESRB to change the rating to “M.”

 

Happy “M” hunting!