Manhunt 2 Ban Fallout, Game Rated AO By ESRB

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."

ESRB is out of control

[eln]

Seriously, a game like Manhunt 2 gets an AO rating, while true horror games like "Play with the Teletubbies" get rated EC (Early Childhood)! Where is the justice in that?

For the blocked people

[rehtonAesoohC]

Can someone post the MTV article here? Gotta love super duper work filters.

They should just go all out

[Anonymous Coward]

and have an essay contest entitled "Why Microsoft Word is more likely than video games to incite people to commit violent acts"

Having played violent video games and used Word, one has caused me to become violent, and it wasn't video games....

Re:They should just go all out

[0123456]

Who needs Word? Explorer.exe is enough to make me violent... I lost count of the number of times I had to kill that bastard piece of 'software' over the weekend when it locked up or starting sucking up 100% of the CPU time on one processor.

Re:So wait.

[tolan-b]

So pretending to graphically murder someone is more suitable for younger people than watching people have sex?

You must be from the US ;)

Re:movies

[BlackCobra43]

Wait, you actually get to mimic the motions? That just gave the game about three times as much mileage for me. Imagine drinking games involving Manhunt 2 - a drunk serial strangler has untold comic potential.

Re:So wait.

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Next up, Rockstar announces Leisure Suit Larry : San Andreas and the ultra-realistic Wii edition. You figure out what the Wiimote will be used for ;)

Re:ESRB is out of control

[aplusjimages]

I totally know what you mean. When I'm playing Bejeweled I become the jewel pieces. I become one with the game. Same with pac-man. I feel like I'm this yellow head that needs to eat dots to make it through life. I think I found your link [wikipedia.org].

Re:So wait.

[trdrstv]

It is very, very, very likely that someone is going to have sex.

You must be new here. Welcome to Slashdot!

Re:ESRB is out of control

[Das Modell]

I don't know.

Um.

[Creepyguywithastick]

"...an insane asylum gone mad."

An insane asylum gone mad?

Re:ESRB is out of control

[arivanov]

Well... Dunno about you, but after a good night of nethacking I sometimes long for a couple of spells. A stinking cloud could have done wonders to one of those commuter trains.