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Developer: Rockstar
Publisher: Rockstar Games and Take 2
Genre: Action
Sub-Genre: Survival Horror
Release Date: Jul 10th, 2007
Additonal Info:
Developer: Gaia Industries
Publisher: TBA
Genre: Action
Sub-Genre: N/A
Release Date: TBA 2009
Additonal Info: Also available on Xbox 360
Developer: BlackFoot Studios
Publisher: TBA
Genre: Action
Sub-Genre: N/A
Release Date: Q1 2009
Additonal Info: Also available on Xbox 360 a...
Leave it Rockstar to stir up the media, with recent reports coming in that child advocates are trying to persuade parents not to buy the company’s latest instalment in the controversial Manhunt series.
The title in question, Manhunt 2, is the sequel to the 2003 original, and takes place within a secret research facility. The protagonist, Daniel Lamb, is one of many scientists working on the "The Pickman Project" which is led by Dr. Laura Whyte and Dr. Pickman. The project deals with various controversial experiments and when the funding is cut, the facility is shut down. Dr. Pickman and his colleagues decide to continue either way and move the whole project underground.
Among some of the scientists still on board, Lamb agrees to become one of the many guinea pigs. However, an unforeseen defect appears in many of the subjects and they are sent to the Dixmor Asylum for the Criminally Insane. During his time, Lamb becomes confused and brain washed with paranoia questioning what part of his life was real or imaginary. Six years later, a freakish lightning storm knocks out the asylum's power resulting in the whole security system to shut down. Lamb decides to escape, but isn't the only inmate coming out of his cell.
The title goes on sale today, appropriately rated “mature” by the ESRB. Of course, that means it is only suitable for people who are 17 years of age and up. Manhunt 2 was originally given the rating of “adults only” and would have excluded it from bigger retailers such as Wal-Mart. Afterwards; producers at Rockstar Games submitted a modified version of the title later, which ended up with only the “mature” rating.
The ESRB stated, “This is a very clear and firm warning to parents that the game is no way intended for children.”
Unfortunately, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently said that the changes don’t “go far enough”, banning the game from release in PAL areas. The BBFC added, “The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the ‘execution kills,’ but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature.”
Even the CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that advises parents about TV, movies, internet sites, and video games that may be inappropriate for children, got a say in the matter:
James Steyer said, “In my opinion, it’s the most senselessly violent and offensive thing I’ve ever watched.” However, Steyer was referring to the original version that received an “Adults Only” (AO) rating, without having viewed the edited copy. The former contains more violence and sexually explicit content such has a scene where a man’s testicles are mutilated with a pair of pliers.
He continued to say, “It’s disgusting. It’s so violent; it struck me personally as a pornographic violence.” Funny enough, that scene isn’t in the official version although gamers can use pliers for torture. A representative from Take-Two Interactive also stepped in, but to defend Manhunt 2, stating, “Take-Two believes in freedom of creative expressions”.
“We also believe in social responsibility. Not all of our products are intended for all consumers and we responsibly market our mature products to adults. We firmly believe that informed adults should be able to make their own choices about entertainment products for themselves and their families.”
The representative later acknowledged that Manhunt 2 was meant, “specifically for those players mature enough to appreciate it.”
Manhunt 2 is now available across North America for PS2, PSP and Wii.
Source: Associated Press
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Manhunt 2 Trailer
all i got to say to this is wow!
Does the BBFC or ESRB realize that measures like this only make these games MORE appealing to youngsters?
Brandon
this game is just plain brilliant, i completed the first one and im sure as #ell going to do this one
"has a scene where a man’s testicles are mutilated with a pair of pliers"....ROFLMAO!!!
...ok, ok..I'm good now. Heck, they showed the same thing in Hostel 2..what the big deal? The game was developed for adults!...sheesh. I will only play the un-edited version (yes..pirated!)...I don't want to miss out on nothing!
Wow who wrote this article? Have you even played the game or watched any of the stealth kills in both versions of the game? When that guy James Steyer was saying that the violence was pornographic in nature, he ment OVERALL, as in how the whole game was/is as a whole. It sounds like the writer is trying to defend a game that he knows little to nothing about. Yea, we should have our choice in games, but others also have a right to voice their opinion, like the mothers of those little children who apparently never read the ratings on the boxes for little Billy. But if you guys really do want to play this game, especially in its original tone, just go and look at that video of 10 minutes of non stop kills from the game. After that I'm sure that some of you will understand why a lot of this has been happening to this game.
http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=106129
I can see this now. As ussual, leave it to cry babies to mess up a perfectly fine game. This game is going to come out, youll be expecting mass amounts of blood and something shocking, but once again, be let down to see the same old stuff weve been seeing in video games since MK part 1. The ESRB, soccer moms, you name it complain way to much about this stuff. If it offends you, dont play it. If its offensive to you as a parent, dont let your kids play it. The game is most likely going to be so hyped up thanks all this that I will be expecting something along the lines of the games characters to jump out of the TV and take shots at me with there weapons.
They need to chill.
A mans testicles being ripped off is fine in Hostel 2 but ruled out in the video game world of PAL, whats more realistic? get real BBFC!!
Rockstar has got to be loving this to some extent, lot's of free publicity. This game is sticking out like a sore thumb.
hey i just read this that theres a new ps3 coming soon but i dont no if its true plz check it owt coz i need to no! i hope its not true coz im happy with the ps3 the way it is!
http://www.pspsps.tv/2007/10/sony_planning_yet_another_ps3.html
i should come back to say why is this so controversy?
if this isnt suited for kids then it must not be for kids and must only be for adults, and why is there a AO rating if they dont even let games reach that rating?
@5.....Damn! That 10min video on all the execution kills for MH2 (unedited) was heIla awesome. Thanks homeslice!
Manhunt gets all this crap... but what about SAW, SAW II, SAW III, SAW IV, Hostel, Hostel 2, The Hills Have Eyes, The Hills Have Eyes 2... etc. There were some VERY disturbing scenes in each one of those movies... where's the outrage? Where's the uproar?
sure its violent. but if you're scared your kid is going to go columbine, then MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE A BETTER PARENT. im sick of these parents these days who dont punish, and dont regulate things themselves. what kind of world are we living in. DONT BUY IT if you dont want your kid to have it.
I hate it how they censor these games and it is really destroying the industry.
i wasnt intrested but after all this news ima gonna get it lol
they didn't censor the game you idiot. rockstar did. they can release the game in its original form it is just companys like walmart and target and the best buys of the world aren't going to sell AO games. we as a society have a responsibility to protect children. you want to buy a game like this you have every right. i am sure it is available on the internet along with all the porn. games are generally marketed towards young people. the fact is if companies did their jobs right and carded all the kids buying rated r games then we wouldn't need to take action but they don't. so society has to step in and put pressure to make these games difficult to obtain for youngsters for their own safety. the day and age where people had stay at home moms are long gone. it takes most families two incomes to stay afloat and it is very hard on working moms and single moms to watch 24/7 what their kid is doing. yes a good mom will teach their kids not to buy these sorta games but then again isn't it nice to have society support you when your child decides to disobey and buy something they aren't supposed to. fact is no matter what kids are going to try to do things they aren't supposed to....like that playboy under juniors bed or that pack of cigerettes under little lucy's. society has an obligation to stand up and help each other keep those things out of the hands of kids. as for adults purchasing it.....fine by me. but we all know adults aren't the only ones that will so if companies decide not to carry a game with an AO rating good for them. anyone adult that wants this game will still be able to get it. all this does is make it more difficult for kids to get it. FACT IS...ROCKSTAR WANTS KIDS TO BUY THIS GAME....THAT IS WHY THEY CUT STUFF OUT SO IT COULD STILL BE SOLD TO THEM....if they only wanted adults buying it....they would release it the way it was and let it be only purchasable on specialty stores...but fact is..kids buy games...they would lose too much money....so to be able to sell it to kids they cut some stuff out. blame rockstar for selling out! not these people..they are just doing their job. you people are just too stupid to understand.
soo lets see they get to slaughter all they want.... watch the gore movies and all else of fantasy violence... then they say we can't..... wtf?? lmfdaol
Man,such irresponsible parents really PI$$$ me off!!!
I mean he's your child,you are supposed to know what he is doing.You are supposed to decide what he eats,plays,reads,watches and who he spends his time with.If you don't understand the purpose of a rating system,then you have no right to complain about a game/movie/book etc.
they should just stop with this game its too much