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Take Two Vows To Publish Manhunt 2
Posted by
Zonk
on Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:58 AM
from the they-will-survive dept.
from the they-will-survive dept.
Despite Manhunt 2's bad reception in both UK and US, Take Two has publicly announced that it will publish the game at some point. Backing the title as art, once again, the company vowed to see the game released in some capacity or another. "The chairman added that Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games, which publishes Manhunt and the Grand Theft Auto series, sees itself as a producer of games rated M for Mature. However, Zelman did say Take-Two would stand by its game, even if it bore the dreaded AO for Adults Only rating. 'We don't see ourselves in the Adults Only business,' he told analysts listening to the call. 'Having said that, if we find ourselves in the Adults Only business, it would be because we have a title that we consider art and entertainment, that we consider if appropriately labeled AO, and that we would like to bring to market.'"
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Manhunt 2 Ban Fallout, Game Rated AO By ESRB 384 comments
In the wake of yesterday's announcement of a UK ban on Manhunt 2 , Rockstar has registered its disappointment at the BBFC's decision. The company simply stated that they 'respect those who have different opinions about the horror genre and videogames as a whole, but we hope they will also consider the opinions of the adult gamers for whom this product is intended.' Meanwhile, here in the US, the ESRB has given the game the dreaded AO rating, for adults only. If you're unfamiliar with this seldom-seen designation, it's essentially the 'kiss of death' for a title at retail; a number of popular videogame outlets refuse to carry titles with that rating. MTV's Stephen Totilo has a lengthy and considered discussion of these proceedings. "For 'Manhunt 2,' signs pointed to the title being both less and more extreme than the first. Gone from press previews were mentions of snuff films and Directors. Instead, a more traditionally violent video game premise: one man's struggle to stay alive in an insane asylum gone mad."
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Your Rights Online: AO Rating Basically Bans Manhunt 2 From Release 295 comments
Yesterday we discussed Manhunt 2's AO rating, and what it meant for the game's retail outlook. Gamespot points out that effectively an AO rating means that the game will never be released in the first place. "Both [Nintendo and Sony] forbid licensed third-party publishers from releasing games rated AO for Adults Only on their various hardware platforms. Though Manhunt 2 isn't slated for any of Microsoft's systems, the company has also confirmed that it does not allow AO-rated titles on the Xbox or Xbox 360. The sole exception to this rule was in 2005 when the already released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was retroactively rated AO, at which point retailers pulled it from shelves and Take-Two suspended production of the game."
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Politics: Take Two Shelves Manhunt 2 350 comments
If you've been following this story so far, it shouldn't come as a shock that Take-Two has shelved Manhunt 2 for the moment, while they decide what to do next. The company is considering its options, and still fully supports the game as a 'work of art'. "Take-Two Interactive Software has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the British Board of Film Classification and Entertainment Software Rating Board ... We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment." Analysts have already started weighing in, with some seeing this as unfairly targeting the GTA-maker for previous 'sins'.
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News: Croal vs. Totilo - The Manhunt 2 Letters 42 comments
N'Gai Croal (of Newsweek) and Stephen Totilo (of MTV) once again match wits in a textual format, this time over the Manhunt 2 controversy. In Round One, the two reporters discuss the process of playing the game for the first time, and wonder what the experience must have been like for the ESRB raters. Round Two sees them take things up a notch, discussing what exactly it is about the game that's so violent. Round Three ... has them questioning the nature of gaming itself. As always, these are two smart guys with some interesting insights into the medium. Well worth your time. From N'Gai's final letter: "It's difficult to 'read' or derive much meaning from a game. That's why in our three Vs. Modes, we ultimately don't spend very much time talking about or analyzing the experience of playing a game, because it's hard to do so without turning our emails into "I went here. I did this. I picked that up." Which is, after all, what games are. So if the essence of a game is located in what we do, is a walkthrough--go here, do this, pick up that--the most truthful way to write about the experience of playing a game? I hope not. But it's something we should consider. Once again, if the essence of any game is located in its action, reaction, interaction, and the rules which circumscribe those three elements, what does the narrative do?"
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Rockstar Appeals British Ban on Manhunt 2 56 comments
1up is reporting (via MCV) that Rockstar has decided to appeal the BBFC ruling on their uber-violent Manhunt 2 title. The 'next step' is to get a hearing scheduled, which will allow the game to be demo'd and arguments given. "Rockstar Games had been given six weeks to appeal the decision, and with that opportunity about to expire, the company lodged its formal appeal yesterday ... The appeal was filed with the Video Appeals Committee, which can overturn the BBFC decision. As noted in our first article about the ban, the VAC overturned the BBFC's ban of Carmageddon back in 1997, giving Rockstar a glimmer of hope in its current situation."
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Manhunt 2 Ready For Release, Politicians Angered 66 comments
After much hemming and hawing, Take-Two appears to have secured an 'M' rating for Manhunt 2 from the ESRB. The title is now due in stores around Halloween. The reversal of fortunes for the much-maligned title has prompted a number of conspiracy theories and outright outrage from groups 'fighting' videogame violence. Well-known commentator on the subject and California State Senator Leland Yee is demanding more transparency from the ESRB as a result of this decision. From GamePolitics' coverage: "Parents can't trust a rating system that doesn't even disclose how they come to a particular rating. The ESRB and Rockstar should end this game of secrecy by immediately unveiling what content has been changed to grant the new rating and what correspondence occurred between the ESRB and Rockstar to come to this conclusion. Unfortunately, history shows that we must be quite skeptical of these two entities."
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In some capacity or another. (Score:5, Funny)
Uh, How Will This Work? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Fuck them, if it is a game, another type of game
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take it to Steam (Score:2)
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Which makes me wonder, can you sell games direct for a game console and avoid the licencing fees? I remember that whole Licenced For Nintendo fiasco a while back in the NES days but not sure how much would apply.
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Then again, manufacturers of cheat devices (game shark, action replay, etc) are unlicensed so... how are they getting away with it?
Stop the presses! (Score:5, Insightful)
Could be the best thing (Score:5, Insightful)
I think I speak for a lot of people that would _love_ to see the AO rating go from "the dreaded" to the "hells yeah!" rating. I mean we all want these kinds of titles - we are growing up but dammit as much as I love nintendo I want my games to grow up with me. Honestly I cant figure out where the real problem is. Distributors refuse to carry it - why? I know the fact that Wal-Mart wont carry it is a real problem when you are looking at your bottom line - but thankfully they looked at a bottom line of zero and are deciding to go ahead.
What I could see this as doing for the future is this being remembered as that first title that said 'the hell with it' and went through with the AO rating and made the Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft's realize that there is a market here and it is worth expanding our definition of games. Take Two is an utter mess at this point - but that desperation is great for doing something crazy that just might work. Dont tone down the game - throw in those few bits you were scared would originally garner an AO rating and just sell the damn thing.
Re:Could be the best thing (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not saying they shouldn't publish the game at all... Publish away, I don't have to buy it. I just don't think the majority of adults even really care about AO games.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Wow really, so you still watch the CareBears too? You don't think it was violent to dump a living being (deemed "evil", by the book that came with the game) into a pool of lava? Hmm.
I'm not saying they shouldn't publish the game at all... Publish away, I don't have to buy it. I just don't think the majority of adults even really care about AO game
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No I don't watch the Care Bears. But that wasn't my point. My point was that growing older does not equal an increased need for violence. I'm not sure what you're talking about with the lava and such as I don't think I've ever played a Care Bears game and I don't remember the cartoon much.
There is a difference between a carto
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It's not like Take Two is making a game like Requiem for a Dream, Bad Lieutenant or American Psycho (all originally NC-17).
All signs point to them making another snuff game, that just happens to be more offensive than the last. I mean, I played Manhunt. There's not alot going on there. Tissue-thin story, characterization and themes. Worst of all, the gameplay was a fairly uninspi
Re:Could be the best thing (Score:4, Insightful)
What if all the major record labels decided they would no longer publish songs with profanity in them? Or even CD players refused to play certain CDs based on their content?
How about the DVDCCA deciding to amend their license to require DVD players to refuse to play anything above R?
Yeah, I disagree that the makers of a game console can restrict what types of games I can play based on their content. That console is in the privacy of my own home; I should get to decide what gets played on it. Once I buy it, it isn't their console anymore; it's mine! If they want control, they should lease the console, not sell it.
Parent
Two vows? What's wrong with the first one? (Score:3, Funny)
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just my two vows
Recoup the cash (Score:2)
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What the ESRB should be is headed by the big gaming publishers. If the movie studios can regulate themselves and put out Hostel, et. al., then game companies should be able to do the same.
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Re: (Score:3, Informative)
No, it was created in response to a threat of an act of Congress, by the industry itself.
Re:Good for them (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd like to see whoever it was that ran a sting operation and saw 69% of kids under 17 could buy M rated games do the same for R rated films like Hostel, Saving Private Ryan and Pulp Fiction. (Yes, I picked those films on purpose as examples)
Parent
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