Following the decision by the Video Appeals Committee to allow the appeal by Rockstar against the BBFC's rejection of the game by a majority of four to three, David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said, "The BBFC will carefully study the judgement by the Video Appeals Committee when it becomes available.
"The BBFC exercises great vigilance and care in ensuring that all violent games which are submitted to us are correctly classified. Our decisions are based on published guidelines, which are the result of very wide public consultation.
"The Board also provides very full content information to the public, including parents, about the videogames which it classifies. We recently launched a new website for parents, PBBFC, in addition to the main website and our websites for children and students.
"The BBFC twice rejected Manhunt 2 for its focus on varied and cumulative killings. We recognise that rejection is a very serious step, in which the desire of publishers to market their games, and that of gamers to buy them, must be balanced against the public interest, including the full range of possible harm risks to vulnerable individuals and to any children who may be wrongly exposed to such games. Such balancing judgements are inevitably complex and multi-faceted, and are made only after very careful consideration of the contents of a work. We played Manhunt 2 for well over 30 hours prior to our decision.
"The Board recognizes that the available research findings on the effects of video games (including positive as well as harmful effects) are varied and contested. But we continue to believe that a broad approach to the possible risks is needed, which goes beyond purely behavioural harm, and which also takes account of other possible effects on the sensibilities and attitudes of individuals."
Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick said, "We are committed to making great interactive entertainment, while also marketing our products responsibly and supporting an effective rating system. We are pleased that the decision of the VAC has recognized that Manhunt 2 is well within the bounds established by other 18+ rated entertainment."
including the full range of possible harm risks to vulnerable individuals and to any children who may be wrongly exposed
and which also takes account of other possible effects on the sensibilities and attitudes of individuals
If you honestly do this BBFC im surprised anything gets passed. You are basicaly admitting that children are going to see this as well as people without a sane mind.
Therefore poeple who are 'not right in the head' will also see the incredibly violent films you have no trouble in passing everyday. That could trigger soomething in them to go on a killing spree
Stop trying to cover up the fact your just singling this out because its called Manhunt 2 & you cant be bottomd with the same troubles Manhunt 1 casued you.
The BBFC have just and always do contradict their own purpose.
If they have played Manhunt 2 for well over 30Hrs then by their own stats shouldn't o at least 1 of them been affected by it and gone on a killing spree for real or suicide!!
I am all for a time and a place censorship (Porn on a Pay per view or 15-18 rated Cinema films or games) but for somebody else to tell me what I do and do not want to watch or play is a Facist Dictatorship!! We are Adults who can make our own minds up. I bet Ghengas Khan did not play Killzone and then go "I am off to kill eveything I see" or Hitler,Harold shipman etc etc etc. People do and will always do things based on themselves a game/Book/comic anything is nothing more than an excuse or explanation that people have to put on something to put it in a box.
Kids can see killing/sex/violence anything on the internet or easier on their Phones at school. Games are a form of entertainment like any other than has a Kids section and an adults section, If parents cannot govern their kids or say no to little Timmy asking for Head Stomper 3 then it is the parent that is at fault(I have kids but none have ever seen or played anything I did not want them to see).. we still sell matches but kids can get hold of them.
Lets hope that this crazy decision us over turned and the game is released as intended, I was never that bothered about it but now it is more about Our choice being removed than anything else!!
My understanding of the BBFC ruling was that the game offered little beyond the thrill of killing things. Ok, many other games are about killing things too but they offer story and challenge with this. The only people who would be interested in Manhunt 2 would be those who wanted to kill for the sake of killing (I mean this in the game world not real.) Nothing else was offered by the game.
That doesn't mean people would go on a killing spree because of this game. No one outside of the Daily Mail and BBC (as well as those that are stupid enough to belief these sources) really believes that can happen purely because of a game. It is the overall tone of the game that they saw as unfit to be released.
Of course without seeing the game for ourselves, we can't dispute whether this is true or not, we only have their word, but if it is than that seems like a reasonable explanation for banning something to me. What if it wasn't purely voilence but rape, for example. No one would be saying "but it is my right to be able to play it" if it was a game in which you had to rape as many people as you could (Rockstar would probably think that would be a good game idea though.)
everoe seems tobe overlooking th fatth th me is apprenty s**t. If i is hit then who cres if it iseleae or not. I personally thnk the manhunt sr is s**t in terms of gameplay as wlel as story and that it sholdnt be relased at all.
The fact that they are willing to look at the issue and re-address it is a good sign. It means that the people who petitioned and argued against it are actually getting somewhere and that our voices are being heard.
Maybe they've finally realised that if retailers make sure only adults buy it, then there is no excuse for a child playing it, other than parental neglect.
everoe seems tobe overlooking th fatth th me is apprenty s**t. If i is hit then who cres if it iseleae or not. I personally thnk the manhunt sr is s**t in terms of gameplay as wlel as story and that it sholdnt be relased at all.
What? did you type that with your face? I think the jist of what you were saying is that it shouldnt be allowed because its rubbish, hmmm, well how does such balls as bomberman zero escape into the light of day if thats your argument. I think you should look up the bbfc on wikipedia as you do seem a little clueless on whats going on. honestly, dumbest (and most unreadable) tosh i ever read.
I've seen videos of virtually all the uncut killings from the game. They're not really that bad - the worst bits happen off screen, are covered by Mr Lamb/the victim's arms or behind a splodge of red on the camera.
My only thought after watching them was "that's it???"
everoe seems tobe overlooking th fatth th me is apprenty s**t. If i is hit then who cres if it iseleae or not. I personally thnk the manhunt sr is s**t in terms of gameplay as wlel as story and that it sholdnt be relased at all.
What? did you type that with your face? I think the jist of what you were saying is that it shouldnt be allowed because its rubbish, hmmm, well how does such balls as bomberman zero escape into the light of day if thats your argument. I think you should look up the bbfc on wikipedia as you do seem a little clueless on whats going on. honestly, dumbest (and most unreadable) tosh i ever read.
Point 1 - yes this may be a crap game. However the problem is bigger than this. All future games with violence involved are at stake here. There has already been news of Condemned 2 getting toned down after this & now No More Heroes is getting a massive cut for the PAL version. Whereas America get to see it in its full bloody gory. But we have bodies dissapearing into ash. The problem is wider than this one game if it doesnt get passed
Point 2 - I have heard many people who has seen the uncut version - including the people on this case play through the game & think 'meh' - it isnt that bad. Theyve seen worse in other games & (obviously) film. This is more a name crisis than anything else. BBFC know they are going to get loads of stick off parents if they let this through because of the controversy around the first. The game by any other name would have been passed.
Point 3 - Most dont seem to have read the article. They are infact having another look into it & may yet pass it. So fingers crossed. Not just for this game but Adult gaming in this country as a whole.
Like I said in my original post, it isn't the level of violence that is the problem. The cut version was rejected as well. It is the overall tone of the game, lack of anything but killing on offer. Of course there is a lot worse in films, we are no where near the level of graphical detail that would come close to the depiction of violence in films. But these films have a reason behind the violence. According to the BBFC this game gives no reason.
edit - in the case of No More Heroes, I think the problem stems from the same misunderstanding over the BBFC ruling that is happening here. The reduced depiction of violence won't make a difference if the sole aim of the game is to kill.
But this game does have a motive for the killings. He is suffering from amnesia & is mainly trying to survive & killing to find the truth. ] Yes its not a great story but its no worse than in any other game. 95% of games just ask you to kill with no moral or purpose beyond this type of wafer thin reasoning. Why has this been singled out?
"unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone... which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing".
Found the quote on http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/797/797657p1.html and few other places.
This can't be judged by watching a few videos. If multiple people have played the game and see it as no worse than any other game than that is fair enough, I'll agree that the BBFC are just using the game to set an example to others (probably due to the ridiculous accusations leveled at the first after that boys death. That was later dismissed when it was found out that the game belonged to the victim not the killer, something the media seemed to ignore.)
I doubt that the decision will be changed now though, they wouldn't want to be seen back tracking if they really are trying to set an example. If they really do think it was unacceptable to be released after 30 hours of play more won't change their minds either.undefined
why do most people seem to think MH2 isn't that good a game! just because MH1 wasn't very good, but caused bad media attention does make MH2 the same. in fact independent review was MH2 just before its refused rating last summer scored the above 90% saying it was one of the best mature games out on the wii. ok the only 2 other adult games on the wii were just old ps2 ports like godfather and scarface, so it didn't have much competition in terms of adult wii games. but because of censorship no gamers in the uk can even get to decide whether it's good or not! suda 51 have just over reacted to the games ban and changed the PAL release of No more heroes, making it a mario style gold coin collecting game when enemies are killed. i'm starting to think that would these games get the same treatment if they were released just for other platforms like the 360/ps3, and not the wii. is it that here in europe the wii is considered more as a childrens console, and therefore children shouldn't have access to play strong adult software on it? MH2 is also for the ps2 but also the family focused wii console. europe has been through two world wars, but many war fps games pass without any fuss. killing people in war games and seeing blood is fine, but in other types of video games it's not! except for zombie killing games, because it's ok killing things that are already dead.
Even if we get it over here it will be cut down which is unplayable. Believe me i've played it and its s**te compared to thew uncut 1. (My friend has the uncut version not me) And the uncut version is no more violent then manhunt 1. Which was publiched uncut.
I never thought games would affect people too much, and this has been a large topic so i will add my two cents.
On the news today was the guy caught, who posted a video of himself speeding at 130-170mph. Asked "There are many videos on the internet, did they influence you" he said yes. He may have been paid to do so but lets assume he was speaking the truth. it shows idiots do pay attention and try to copy things they see. Not normal people who want to play the game for what it is-a game but for idiots.
Personally i would not have got this game, but like many others, with all the hype i feel a need to pick it up.
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