ESRB Rates Manhunt 2 "Adults Only"

Regarding the banning (in the UK, and from retail stores in the US effectively), everyone's up in arms because it's a game - how about we grow up and stop defending it just because it is a game. There are many stupid complaints made against game content and violence in games, but that doesn't mean that games won't genuinely cross a line one day.

We don't know enough - or anything really - about this game. The defense comes solely from it being a game. Considering what a good job the BBFC has done with game ratings and not getting drawn into re-classifying things, like the ERSB, if the BBFC are saying this crosses the line where there is absolutely no redeeming characteristics, then I'm inclined to believe them. This isn't an attack from a certain mental-case lawyer or the uninformed press - this is a refusal of classification. Jumping up and down shouting it's wrong/not fair just because it's a game does not do the industry any good.

The IFCO just banned it in Ireland too....

I'm buying several copies!

Why focus on the gore? it's the atmosphere that does it! rock on Rockstar!!!!

maximizing violence and sex in games is the only thing what the developmers can do? really creative.

I wonder what (that isn't in any other game) caused the game to get this rating. I want to know!!!

The single most worthwhile thing the ESA could do on behalf of the gaming industry is promote the idea that gaming isn't just for children. That's where almost all the problems related to proposed censorship, government enforced censorship (in Europe and elsewhere) or self-censorship stem from. The pervasive notion among the majority of non-gamers that this medium is primarily for people of an age that need protection means it will always be a target for politicians looking to score easy points with an electorate, retailers will continue to avoid stocking certain games in order to appear family friendly, and game developers and publishers will continue to self-censor in a bid to comply with mainstream tastes and assumptions.

Given this, I'm surprised to hear people complain about the ESRB's decision to choose an Adult's Only rating. While one can't prove that being subjected to violent images increases the chance of behaving in a violent fashion, and therefore censorship can be considered unreasonable, I don't think it's too harsh to merely issue a recommendation that games featuring prurient and gratuitous acts of extreme violence, such as those found in the Manhunt series, be played only by people who are more likely to be of a maturity that enables them to set the violence in some sort of context - ie those of 18 or over.

When used only in isolated cases, the Adult's Only rating is virtually useless. The industry simply looks like an exploitative peddler of snuff, constantly passing off nasty little games to youngsters under the cover of more vague ratings like 'Mature', then every once in a while trying to foist some behemoth of filth upon the unsuspecting kiddies, only to be warded off in their attempt by an AO rating. The message is that the AO is used as a blockade to prevent the industry meeting its goal of delivering its sickness to children, rather than a more straightforward means of informing the public that the game is aimed at, and only suitable for, adults.

If more games were given an AO rating - and since it's only a guide, rather than a legally enforceable classification as in the UK, there's no good reason for not doing so - it would send a clear message that the games aren't just for children and would give the industry a good defence when hit by claims that they aren't doing enough to protect young people from material that may be unsuitable.

The quickest way for the AO rating to become acceptable would be for Rockstar to release a game like GTA4 rated AO. Most stores outside of Wal-mart would carry the game rather than lose the sales.

Too bad this game isn't popular enough to make that kind of impact.

That story image is just brutal.

We need more AO games. Go online distribution.

What a stupid world we live in.

I still don't get the big difference between 'M' games and adults only. One year older age requirment? How much difference can a year make. The ESRB makes no fucking sense

This is all a weird situation for the Wii. I was pretty excited to see some support from Rockstar, especially when I heard it would be a mature title, and more importantly, an original title. For months, the system has gotten "reworked" ports. I saw this as an opening for original mature titles on the system, but I don't know how this news is going to affect that. If it's got an AO rating, then it's probably not going to sell well, and i'm not sure how publishers will view that. Maybe if it gets critical praise and relative commercial success for an AO title, there's still a good chance for more original mature titles on the system.

Is the violence in Manhunt 2 really worse that something like, say, Soldier of Fortune II (recieved an M rating)? If not, then action like this speaks volumes about the need to standardize such ratings; it seems right now that they are completely ambiguous, given out on whimsies - much like the heavily criticized way in which American films are rated.

It's interesting seeing the existing list of AO rated videogames:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AO_rated_computer_and_video_games

Pretty much everything on there is for sex (and one for gambling, lol).

Another brilliant move by Take Two.

So if normal stores aren't going to stock this who will, this is one of the reasons I want to get a wii, but if I can't buy the game anywhere what's the point...

The only issue here is most stores not stocking AO games. Then again I suspect if stores did sell AO games that more and more games would get that rating somewhat diluting its meaning.

How sad. =[

I can see it now:

Politician: "Won't someone think of the children?!?!"

Politician aide: "Um sir/ma'am, it's an Adult Only game."

Politician: "Well, what can we complain about?"



Bring on the sexy games. ;)

Awesome.

This makes it pretty cut and dry, and it makes telling my younger step brother that he can't play this game yet even easier.

We need to embrace the AO rating, and EB/Gamestop/funco/THATSHITCORPERATION needs to start stocking games with the rating.

Can't wait to see what pushed them over the edge. There has to be something fundamentally different this time around, otherwise this is a ploy to get them to censor stuff to get the rating down.

Either way, I hope the game is untouched, the AO rating gets stamped on it, and people wise up.

What I find sad about all of this is that in Germany violence in movies and games is so restricted and given all sorts of similar "adult only" ratings. Despite all of that, it is highly accepted that high levels of violence in movies and games doesn't change the sales at all. A movie that would be rated nc-17 in America wouldn't be able to do well at all, yet in Germany a similar rating would not affect the sales negatively at all, it might even help them in some cases.

Basically I think America is a whiny country with too many companies being afraid of being sued and chased after by "moral crusaders." I am pretty sick of it and I think it is about time for people to start fighting against these "family values" type organizations for ruining their entertainment.

I wasn't planning on getting this game, but if take two releases the AO version, I'll buy it. If they cave in and scrap the AO version entirely, they can eat it. I'll vote with my $$$.

God I am so excited. Manhunt is a very niche game, but holy christ it ruled.

Remember that rating system that some games used during the 90s where certain aspects like violence, sex, and language had their own individual ratings instead of a single letter rating? I wish that was the one people used, then we wouldn't have to put up with crap like stores censoring games based on a letter rating and people could actually judge whether a game was appropriate or not for themselves. I guess it was too confusing for parents.

I can't say this surprises me. The first Manhunt was really brutal, and most of it seemed to be brutality for its own sake.

I'm not surprised. The ESRB isn't going to take any chance here and we all know it's an incredibly violent game. They'll either tone it down or they should just forge ahead and hope to make AO a little more mainstream. What I find ridiculous really is that M and AO is really only 1 year in age difference. Just seems silly. Why not dump mature and make a new comparable rating to AO separating violent games and sexual games. I don't think stores really care about selling games with a high level of violence.

Whatever. I don't really care.

Well, we saw this coming. If it's bad enough for BBFC to give it a ban, an ESRB rating of AO was pretty much inevitable. At least it's still feasible to buy it in North America, if you want it.