New Zealand Censor Bans Manhunt Outright 132
rh2600 writes "The New Zealand censors have banned Rockstar Games' controversial stealth action PlayStation 2 game Manhunt, making it the 'first [ever] video game banned by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.' The New Zealand Herald has a story about it, including some pretty interesting comments from a usually liberal Censor's Office: 'Unlike the Grand Theft Auto series, which... had an element of humor in its depiction of police chases, Manhunt has none of that whatsoever.'" The censor concludes by saying: "You have to at least acquiesce in these [in-game] murders and possibly tolerate, or even move towards enjoying them, which is injurious to the public good."
Australia (Score:4, Interesting)
They made Rockstar censor GTA3 and VC and both games came out in NZ uncut.
Re:Order it online (Score:4, Interesting)
But since you haven't played the game, that argument doesn't hold any water. You don't know how one interacts and at what level the interaction is. Before you go deciding that no one should be playing violent games, maybe you should do a little research and find out if there's ever been a link established between violent games and deviant behavior.
Sure, if Manhunt isn't your cup of tea, don't buy it. But rather than trying to judge whether anyone should be playing it or whether it should have been made, why not just let the free market determine the best route? [Since you're not going to prove a link between violent games and violent behavior in people who weren't already prone to such behavior.] If no one buys games that, in your opinion, shouldn't have been made, games like this won't be made.
I live in the United States where freedom of speech is a right - this includes violent video games.
Re:Amen! (Score:3, Interesting)
That doesn't logically follow from the rest of what you've written. You say that the parents are ignorant and that kids should not play Manhunt. I agree, parents are not doing their job. So what you propose is for the government to step in and do the jobs of parents but also prevent anyone who long ago moved out of their parents' house from getting the game as well? Pardon me but if some parents are doing a poor job, you don't allow the government to become the parent of everyone. That doesn't make any sense at all.
Yes, there are differences between the driving gameplay of GTA and Manhunt. There's a saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You might think government censorship is a good way to protect everyone but that's just a way for the government to ensure that it is the only voice - Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia spring to mind as two countries which used government intervention to ensure that only the voice of the government could be heard by the people. [Yes, it is a video game. Yes, it is not really a political message. Yes, it is a first step towards further censorship. You give an inch, the government takes it today. They'll be back tomorrow for another inch. At what point will you stand up?]
You seem a little young so if any of this went over your head, just reply with what confused you and I'll try to clear it up.
Re:Order it online (Score:2, Interesting)
I liked Silence of the Lambs; it wasn't about gratuitous murder. You say that movies are a "passive" medium, and that's exactly why the movies that you described are acceptable, whereas games like Manhunt should not exist. I can sit in my seat and absolutely hate everything that Lecter does, but when I'm playing a game where I'm forced to decapitate, strangle, and brutalise other individuals, then I have no choice but to become involved in that world.
Sure, you can play violent vid games, but do you support the right of a ten year old playing this game?
I play GTA and Vice city, CS, Call to Duty, all the way back to Wolfie 3d. Fine for adults, sure, but kids shouldn't be playing this, period.