Grand Theft Auto
Manhunt
Scarface
50 Cent: Bulletproof
300: The Videogame
The Godfather
Killer 7
Resident Evil 4
God of War
Hitman: Blood Money

This list is apparently in response to the murder of a Thai taxi driver several weeks ago, the blame of which is being pointed at Grand Theft Auto IV.

Source(s): Thai Ministry of Public Health, Reuters

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The 2008 Develop Conference and Expo was held at the end of last month in Brighton, UK at the Conference Vincent Scheurer gave a keynote titled 'Games Censorship in Britain: What really happened with Manhunt 2 and why your game could be next' Most of the keynote focused on the issues with Manhunt 2 and the BBFC but he also said that games like Bioshock could be next to be banned as the reasons given by the BBFC for Manhunt 2 being refused classification could also be applied to many other games. He said this about Manhunt 2 and Bioshock:

The costs of the Manhunt 2 ban to Rockstar were massive - an independent developer would be out of business. The next game to be banned could be Bioshock 2, and then where would we be? It makes the business of making games that much harder.

Gamespot have also covered the subject and have wrote up a few interesting quotes which sum up what else Mr. Scheurer said at the event:

The BBFC's reasons for banning Manhunt 2 lack the clarity expected or demanded of a public body, and those reasons that they have made clear fail to hold water in any meaningful way. According to Scheurer. The lawyer representing the BBFC at that hearing cited as problems, among other things, that violence was being perpetrated against "real people" and not "daleks or griffins" and that the weapons were generally everyday objects rather than "magic wands." The BBFC executive took particular exception to the game's emphasis on stealth and the advantage conferred on the player by sneaking up on enemies, rather than fighting them face-to-face, and cited the game's emphasis on sneaking and sneak attacks as a particular reason for the decision to deny it certification.

In other news from the event Rockstar also managed to scoop 4 out of the 7 awards they were nominated for at the event. Gamesindustry.biz have posted who won what on the night noting that Rockstar was the only company that won multiple awards across the 16 categories. The following is Rockstar's awards:

Congratulations to Rockstar North, and the guys at Image Metrics and NaturalMotion. If you want to find out what else Rockstar were nominated for at the event check out the previous post that was made regarding the subject.

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Nintendo have just wrapped up there E3 2008 press conference, during which they announced that an all new Grand Theft Auto game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo DS.

The game is titled ‘Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars’ and is being developed from the ground up to run on the Nintendo DS, with an all new game engine and takes place in modern day Liberty City. The game is being developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar North.

Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the Nintendo DS™

The newest entry in the Grand Theft Auto series for Nintendo's handheld system this winter

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with series creators Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be available on the Nintendo DS™ in North America and Europe this winter.

"This is a game that will deliver a rich, fast-paced and intense 'Grand Theft Auto' experience that will be truly unique to Nintendo's handheld platform," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "Rockstar Leeds, along with the team at Rockstar North, has built upon a decade of progressive design on Grand Theft Auto, and has created something fundamentally fresh and immersive."

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is an entirely original entry into the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, and brings a new level of interactivity to its sprawling open environments. With the use of the DS touch screen, players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the franchise.

For more information about Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, visit: http://www.rockstargames.com/chinatownwars

Microsoft held their press conference yesterday, during which they reiterated that the downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV is still on track for this fall. Sony will be holding their press conference in just over an hour’s time, who knows; maybe Rockstar will finally be able to unveil their PlayStation 3 exclusive IP.

In Manhunt 2 news (or lack thereof), Rockstar still haven’t announced a release date for the game in the United Kingdom. Not. Bitter. At. All.

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MCV have posted two new articles devoted to Sam Houser, the co-founder and president of Rockstar Games. The first piece is an interview which touches upon his influences and background, the second article is a recap of Sam Houser's professional carer thus far – by the man himself.

You can check out both articles for yourself at the links below.

MCV: Legends: Sam Houser - Sam Houser's CV - in his own words

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The Office of Film and Literature Classification of New Zealand have refuse Manhunt 2 a classification after seizing the leaked (AO) version of the game from customs, the game was then submitted by customs for review in January. They had this to say about the game.

The game was examined under the criteria set out in the Act and was classified as Objectionable. In its classification decision the Office noted that the game is constructed around fatality moves which involve vicious and bloody action, with a more gory death resulting in a higher score.

The OFLC noted in a PDF file posted on the OFLC website that Rockstar supplied the following submission back in February.

The publication Manhunt 2 is a console game designed for the Playstation 3 platform. The version submitted by customs is a pirated copy of the Playstation 2 version of Manhunt 2. It was examined in a Playstation 3 debug console. It is a third-person action/adventure style game containing sophisticated computer generated graphics with strong violent content. The game has sixteen levels of gameplay. There are no bonus levels.

The OFLC stated that the game was submitted a week after the closing date they had set for the review and as such it appears the leaked (AO) version was refused classification even though I believe Rockstar submitted the M rated version. The ruling means that it will be an offense to import Manhunt 2 into New Zealand. The OFLC also had this to say about the game:

The computer game Manhunt 2 was classified on 12 June 2008 by the Office of Film and Literature Classification as objectionable due to the manner in which it depicts and deals with matters of sex, horror, cruelty and violence. This classification means that it is an offense to import, sell, distribute, supply or possess this game. The penalty for doing so is, in the case of an individual, a fine not exceeding $10,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, and in the case of a body corporate a fine not exceeding $200,000.

What do you think? Is it possible to have the retail (M rated) version of the game in New Zealand as it is only the leaked (AO) version which is banned? Technically it should be allowed since it doesn’t look like they have reviewed the retail version at all. What about the statement referring to the PlayStation 3 version of Manhunt 2? Regarding the ban, my feeling is that the version they have refused doesn't fully represent the M/18 rated retail version of the game which is currently allowed to be sold by both the BBFC and the ESRB. I also think that the OFLC should be open to appeal and allow the other version of the game to be submitted and classified with another rating. You can check out the full 12 page PDF file by clicking here. Be warned though the PDF file contains heavy spoilers that go into a lot of detail regarding the games plot and characters.

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Develop have published a list of the 2008 Develop Industry Excellence Awards categories and finalists. Rockstar North has managed to snag themselves multiple nominations and also brought Image Metrics & NaturalMotion along for their work on Grand Theft Auto IV, Image Metrics also provided the facial animation for Manhunt 2. Rockstar London has also picked up a nomination in the best new UK/European studio for their work on Manhunt 2.

The ceremony will be held at the Hilton Metropole, Brighton on Wednesday July 30th. You can view the rest of the categories and nominations by heading over to the Develop website.

Congratulations on the nominations and best of luck on the big night to the guys at Rockstar North, Rockstar London, Image Metrics and NaturalMotion.

As a side note, this Sunday will mark a year past (to the date) that Manhunt 2 was initially scheduled to be released in Europe, a full 4 days before North America. Now, almost 9 months after its release in North America, Manhunt 2 doesn’t even have a European release date, never mind a physical presence in Europe.

Hopefully that will change soon. E3 kicks off on July 14th, although Rockstar have never been one to show much at the event and anything they do show will likely be focused around games in development rather than a game that has been on sale in parts of the world for so long. A lot of publishers like to sneak out a bunch of announcements just before E3 so not to be lost in the sea of gaming news.

I guess what I am getting at here is that if Manhunt 2 does not receive a European release date in the next week or so then I wouldn’t expect them to announce it until August, putting it potentially in the October at earliest slot, which in turn is 15 months after it was supposed to be out and 17 months after publications in the UK and other parts of Europe reviewed it.

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