Jack Thompson and Take Two have been exchanging several emails over the course of the last week or so and the bulk of them are published over at Game Politics. Jack commented on Manhunt 2 saying that Take Two would live to regret the mature rating the game has received. As well as sending the email to Take Two he also sent it to other places like the FTC and the CCFC publicly stating that anyone underage is able to buy Manhunt 2 from rockstargames.com because an age verification system isn't in place something Take Two have denied.

This is the email Jack sent out:

Congratulations on receiving a “Mature” rating for Manhunt 2. You’ll live to regret it (trust me), so enjoy it while you can.

I want to bring to your attention the fact that at www.rockstargames.com anyone of any age can order Manhunt 2 and receive it, with no age verification whatsoever. Asking a 14-year-old if he’s 17 is not age verification, now is it?

You also know that the use of a bank card as an age verifier is a violation of all bank card agreements, right?

Govern yourselves accordingly, if you can.

Regards, Jack Thompson

Take Two replied with the following:

The Take Two website verifies age in two ways. First, consumers who purchase M or RP rated games certify that they are at least 17 years of age. Numerous websites use the same method for verifying age in connection with sales of movies and games. Second, we verify age through the use of a credit card number in connection with a transaction. Such transaction based verification is acceptable to both credit card companies and the FTC

(see, e.g. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.shtm).

We demand that you cease making these false statements about our online sales practices. Your dissemination of knowingly false statements for the purpose of adversely affecting Take-Two’s business is actionable and we reserve all of our rights under the settlement agreement and state and federal law.

If you continue to make false statements to an audience of press and public officials, however, we will have no choice but to take action against you.

You can read the emails in full at the link below.

Source: Game Politics

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San Francisco’s Common Sense Media have released a statement on the recent decision by the ESRB:

Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer today released the following statement on the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s decision to change the rating of Manhunt 2 from AO (Adults Only) to M (Mature):

While we have recognized the ESRB in the past for its positive efforts to increase parental awareness of video game ratings, we take serious issue with the board’s recent decision to reduce Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2 from an AO rating to an M rating without providing any rationale for the change.

By all available accounts, Manhunt 2 is the most brutally violent game ever produced for wide release, including intense, realistic scenes of mutilation and even castration. Unfortunately, given Rockstar’s history of creating and selling irresponsibly violent and graphic content – you need look no further than Grand Theft Auto and the infamous Hot Coffee incident for evidence – this isn’t a surprise. Parents have probably come to expect bad behavior from Rockstar – but they deserve better from the ESRB.

It is clear that by lowering the rating, the ESRB has all but ensured that the game will be marketed and sold through channels popular with kids and teens – and, despite industry claims to the contrary, kids under 17 can and do purchase M-rated games. Before Manhunt 2 is released for sale, parents deserve an explanation – they need to know the facts about this grossly violent game before it goes on the market.

By failing to explain their decision and, in turn, provide the transparency that consumers need if they are to trust the ESRB’s ratings, the board threatens to undermine a ratings system that has many positive aspects and that could serve as an important tool for parents.

You can find out more about Common Sense Media at the link below.

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MCV is reporting that Rockstar are free to release the un-edited version of Manhunt 2 in Holland as the Dutch Ministry are unable to prevent it from being released due to it ‘conflicting’ with current Netherlands law.

The Dutch Ministry has declined to intervene in the title’s path to retail in the territory – as it would conflict with current Netherlands law.

According to the Associated Press, it will still be possible to prosecute people who distribute the game to those under 16-years-old, but no such case has yet been tried in the country.

This is pretty exciting news if it does come to fruition as not only does it mean that the game can be played as it was originally intended but it also means that players in PAL territories will be able to play the game without the need to use a freeloader or buy an NTSC console.

Everyone, keep your fingers firmly crossed!

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Game Politics have posted the response of Senator Leland Yee to the press release issued by the ESRB on Tuesday:

What are they trying to hide? Unsurprisingly, the culture of secrecy continues at the ESRB.

Even individuals within the video game industry are now calling into question their rating system. Parents simply can not trust an entity that is unwilling to disclose or give any meaningful rationale at how they come to their decisions.

The ESRB refuses to use the AO rating for violence despite the descriptor calling for such a rating when there are “graphic depictions of violence.” If Manhunt doesn’t qualify, what would?

Combined with the use of the ambiguous term “Mature,” many parents are left with a false sense of how violent an M-rated game may be; and obviously even many retailers as the Federal Trade Commission secret shopper study suggests. Using the numbers generated by the FTC, 42 out of 100 kids who want to purchase Manhunt 2 will be able to do so.

When weighing in on laws to prohibit the sale of ultra-violent video games to children, the industry has said over and over, “trust us; our rating system will protect children.” This latest episode demonstrates once again that the ESRB in fact can not be trusted.

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Many people in the UK are wondering what the current status of Manhunt 2 is in regards to the current appeal against the BBFC's refusal to rate Manhunt 2. Well it turns out that UK based trade magazine MCV have contacted Rockstar in regards to the matter, currently in the hands of the Video Appeals Committee, in a response to them Rockstar have said the following:

It is very good news that Manhunt 2 has now been rated Mature for North America and will be released October 31. However, we have no updated information on the BBFC status of the game.

What is interesting here is the fact that in the article MCV relate to Manhunt 2 as being the original version currently being reviewed by the Video Appeals Committee and that it is thought if it is refused for a second time that Rockstar will submit the modified version of the game. What would happen if the original version of the game is cleared in the UK? Would you import it?

Source: MCV UK

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The ESRB have issued a statement from its President, Patricia Vance. In the statement Ms. Vance says:

STATEMENT BY ESRB PRESIDENT PATRICIA VANCE REGARDING THE M (MATURE) RATING ASSIGNED TO MANHUNT 2
August 28, 2007 - “Upon reviewing the modified version of Manhunt 2, the ESRB assigned a rating of M (Mature 17+) with content descriptors for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs. This is a very clear and firm warning to parents that the game is in no way intended for children. As always, we urge parents to strongly consider the ESRB rating in their decision about whether a game is appropriate for their children.

“Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis. It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released. What can be said is that the changes that were made to the game, including the depictions themselves and the context in which those depictions were presented, were sufficient to warrant the assignment of an M (Mature 17+) rating by our raters.

“The FTC, the national PTA, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Peter Hart Research have all found that parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the ESRB rating system. Rather than publicly second-guessing what is unmistakably a strong warning to parents about the suitability of a particular game for children, which presumably neither Senator Yee nor CCFC have personally reviewed, we feel a more productive tack would be to join us in encouraging parents to take the ratings seriously when buying games for their children.

“The FTC reports that 89% of parents say they are involved in the purchase or rental of the video games their children play and 85% say they restrict them. Additionally, parents can now easily activate password-protected settings on game consoles to block out content they deem inappropriate. Further, according to a recent audit by the Federal Trade Commission, the major game retailers, representing approximately 90% of all sales, currently stop the sale of M-rated games to buyers under 17 the vast majority of the time, having surpassed the level of enforcement achieved by theatre owners in connection with children’s access into R-rated movies.

“It is a parent’s rightful place to make choices for their own children. The ESRB and console manufacturers provide families with the tools and information to help them do so.”

Words can have a way of reading many ways, how is everyone interpreting her comments on the Manhunt 2 edit? Remember, no one knows what classifies as ‘sufficient’ in the eyes of the ESRB; it could be as little as toning the sound effects down or as drastic as the camera not showing you anything at all. Try and stay optimistic here.

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Mike Antonucci of the San Jose Mercury-News has posted on his blog in response to the ‘issue’ brought up by Senator Leland Yee on Monday (click here if you missed that). The blog posting is titled ‘The “Manhunt” Problem’ and in the article he says that in the past he has been tough on Yee but that he ‘sympathize’ with Yee on this subject:

California state Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) sent out a press release today that reflected the over-the-top anti-video game tone that undermines even his reasonable positions.
Still, he managed to make a point I sympathize with: The reported change by the Entertainment Software Rating Board in re-rating “Manhunt 2'’ as “Mature” instead of “Adults Only” — after changes made to the game — needs a detailed explanation from the ESRB to be credible.

I’ve been tough on Yee (and his supporters) about the silly and unconstitutional law he wanted to enact to block the sale of some video games to minors. But when it comes to his demand for more transparency by the ESRB, it’s a different issue. Still, I may end up wishing a pox on all their houses, including the ESRB.

I e-mailed the ESRB spokesman twice today for comment. Haven’t heard back. Could be any number of understandable reasons for that. But, assuming there’s no big miunderstanding or inaccuracy in what’s being reported about “Manhunt 2'’ and the M rating, the ESRB needs to get more proactive fast.

Source: Mike Antonucci Blog

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In an attempt to get to the end of the AO rating debate and its effects on the videogame industry, GameDaily Biz has tracked down select industry insiders and asked them to weight in on the rating and its implications on the industry.

Representing the game developers is Jason Della Rocca, the Executive Director of International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and game developers Vince Desi (Running with Scissors) And Denis Dyack (Silicon Knights). Speaking on behalf of video game retailers is Bo Andersen, President of the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and finally representing the game consumers is Hal Halpin the head of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ESA).

Running with Scissors head, Vince Desi, unsurprisingly believes that developers should have the right to choose what kind of game they want to make and consumers should be able to purchase it:

The crux of the issue is that AO is the kiss of death for retail acceptance; it's pure bullshit. An AO-rated game should be available in a free society, maybe not in every game store, but that's another problem--in the early days of video, vhs, there were many mom and pop shops, independents, porn was available if you wanted it, and then Blockbuster came along and we all got f***ed.

Denis Dyack (president of Silicon Knights) believes that the videogame industry is being singled out and suggests that a revised ratings system might be in order:

The latest AO issue around Manhunt has sparked a great deal of debate and is a complex issue. There is nothing necessarily wrong with an AO rated game. An AO rating should not be looked upon as a bad thing and should be viewed as the equivalent to Hollywood's NC-17 rating. However, because our industry is new and under undue scrutiny, the perception of an AO rating in mainstream society today does not equate to the view of an NC-17 rating. An AO rating is seen as much worse and more detrimental to society.

Further, some proprietary game hardware manufacturers make the AO rating perception worse by refusing to license certain rated products on their system. With this scenario, the creators cannot get product out to consumers and it causes the AO rating to be the kiss of death for a game. This problem has to be solved, you would never hear Toshiba, for example, say that it won't allow certain DVD movies to play on its system based on ratings. We have to come up with something that is publicly accepted, or we will be faced with an unwitting self censorship in our industry. Perhaps a rating between Mature and AO.

Jason Della Rocca, the Executive Director of IGDA says that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have the right not to allow AO rated games on their console and suggests that the PC might be the way to go in the future for such titles:

As owners of private and proprietary platforms, Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo have every right to decide what does, or does not, get approval. I've always held that the market is the most powerful censor. That could mean consumers voting with their wallets, or retailers opting not to carry AO-rated games, etc. That's the market at work and the key here is that government does not get involved.

While I may not personally like the fact that the platform holders wield such power to, in effect, censor the expression of game developers, it is their right to do so. Thankfully, the PC is an open platform...

ECA head, Hal Halpin suggests that now might be a good time for the console manufacturers to rethink their positions on the situation as well as offering his opinion on how the ESRB handed the rating of Manhunt 2:

One of the positives that could well come out of the situation may be that we – the industry and gamers – collectively take a look at this paradigm and address it. I believe that the console manufacturers' statements of position go fairly far back, and to the best of my knowledge haven't been re-assessed recently. With the average age of game consumer steadily maturing and a concurrent rise in mature content in all other forms of media, it appears the right time to take a look at our positions and see if we're not doing them an injustice.

In this instance I think that the ESRB did exactly what they were supposed to do, and under quite a spotlight as well. With new leadership [at] the ESA, consumers having a collective voice for the first time through the ECA and the retailers and developers so well represented through the EMA and IGDA, I'm certain that we can come together to examine the matter... it's for the collective good.

Bo Andersen, President of the EMA doesn't believe that retailers should sell AO rated titles if they don't wish too:

Retailers are doing exactly what you would want them to do with respect to exercising individual choice… It’s as important in my view that retailers and individuals have the right to not carry a product as it is for them to be free to carry it.

You won't find folks more staunch on the First Amendment and freedom of speech than us, and while I might feel that overall society is not harmed and might be advanced if there were some retailers who chose to sell AO-rated games, the truth is I feel actually better however they make their decision that they're making it on an individual basis and that they're exercising this free speech right.

Sure, I understand that if almost all the major retailers intend to pursue an aggressive family friendly marketing posture with their customers that it has the effect of virtually eliminating a market for AO-rated games, but the right that's being exercised here is more important in my view than what the costs might be.

It seems pretty prominent amongst developers that the current ratings system is an issue for them and is a constant constraint on them.

I do wish more people within the industry would chime in about the BBFC at this point though, it was through them that this whole situation kicked off and lets not forget Manhunt 2 was all-out refused classification by the BBFC, at least the ESRB issued the game with a rating, one that was implausible but it was a rating nonetheless.

Source: GameDaily Biz

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California State Senator Leland Yee has posted a press release on his official website demanding the ESRB and Rockstar explain how Manhunt 2 received its downgrading from AO to an M. In the release they are calling the game such things as "extremely violent", "ultra-violent" and "the most violent game ever released" from reading the release it is clear that the ESRB refused to disclose the details of how they went about downgrading the age rating when asked by The CCFC.

Mr Yee's response to that was this:

Parents can’t trust a rating system that doesn’t even disclose how they come to a particular rating,” said Yee. “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.

Clearly the ESRB has a conflict of interest in rating these games,” said Yee. “It is time to bring transparency to this rating system and for the industry to be held accountable. I join the CCFC in urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the process by which Manhunt 2’s rating was downgraded from AO to M.

In the same press release it states that the Federal Trade Commission have previously published the following regarding the sale of M rated games.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can successfully purchase M-rated games.

We just seem to be going round in circles here, it has already been said that it is the fault of the video game stores if M rated video games are sold to under age people and not the fault of the games maker. I don't know how this argument can stand any ground once the game have been approved can the Federal Trade Commission remove the M rating if they see fit? Only time will tell.

Source: Press Release by Senator Leland Yee

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Game Politics have posted an article titled ‘Manhunt 2: Conspiracy Theories Emerge’. In the article they take a look at what people have been saying about Manhunt 2 now having a secured North America release date.

Game Politics correspondent Andrew Eisen took the time to ‘summarize the possibilities’:

Theory 1: The whole things a scam! Manhunt 2’s content hasn’t changed at all. Take-Two and the ESRB are in cahoots to placate the industry’s critics.

Theory 2: Rockstar did something simple but drastic like fading to black during the killings.

Theory 3: There was only one kill or sexual situation that earned the game an AO in the first place. Maybe all Rockstar had to do was remove the testicle trauma or put some underwear on a bordello girl.

Theory 4: Rockstar intentionally put in some truly over the top and obnoxious sex and/or violence that they never intended to have in the game. It was included solely to have something to cut out when the ESRB balked.

My opinion: I think some people need to lay off the X-Files for a little while, all the conspiracy overtones is clearly going to their head. I can’t see why Rockstar would go through such an ordeal just to create hype for a game that already had secured its position on shelves of many consumers, for a few reasons:

1. Millions of dollars in advertisement would be wasted, they had printed up final posters and print advertisements, or at least in Europe not to mention the money that would be invested in supplying print and online journalists with time and copies of the game to get the game reviewed.
2. Extended development cost, the game has now been in development for over three years and has switched developer at least once.
3. Original financial results go to hell with the new date, they have Table Tennis on the Nintendo Wii, Bully/Canis Canem Edit for the Wii and Xbox 360 and Beaterator on the PSP planned for the fall of the year, they didn’t need Manhunt 2 in order to make a crust.
4. Surmising that they were in ‘cahoots’ with the ESRB still does not explain the reasoning behind the BBFC refusing to classify the title.
5. Pissing fans off, this is perhaps an easy one to overlook but when you look at the fan following that the franchise has it becomes more evident why this would be an issue. Huge portions of the people wanting Manhunt 2 have actively been waiting on it, it wasn’t as though the game was announced and everyone flocked to it. Manhunt has a tight-knit following and the delay has upset many, looking at forum postings there are some members proclaiming that they won’t be buying Manhunt 2 due to it being edited.

It does leave me perplexed as to what they have edited though, to say that they no longer show the executions would probably be the easiest guess, but they showed them in the original game so unless they are drastically more extreme that shouldn’t be too huge of an issue.

It only took Rockstar two months to get the game from an AO to M rating in North America, but the ESRB never specifically said what their issues with the game was and only added that:

Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

So it is possible that the edited version of Manhunt 2 for North America has as little as a cut scene removed or the camera altered.

The BBFC said they could not make suggestions to Rockstar in order to bring the title in line with the original game to achieve an 18 certificate and cited the motivation behind the killing as being problematic, so I would assume that somehow adding to the story might have been away around that, as to explain clearer why Daniel does what he does.

Source: Game Politics

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The CCFC (Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood) have called for Manhunt 2 to be reviewed by an independent review board which has no ties to the video game industry. They claim "M" rated titles such as Manhunt 2 can still be marketed and sold to children under seventeen, (that same old argument) the Nintendo Wii version is said to be the most violent game to date on the console and that means that Manhunt 2 being on that platform enables it to be marketed and sold to children specifically or so they claim anyway. You might remember it was also the CCFC who called for the game to be rated AO (Adults Only) back in June.

In the press release they ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Manhunt 2 and the process of which Manhunt 2 was downgraded to an "M" rating. They have also urged the ESRB to detail the information of what was removed from Manhunt 2 in order for the new rating to be issued. Honestly who didn't see this one coming?

The Press Release:

The [CCFC] is extremely concerned that the ESRB has downgraded its rating for Manhunt 2… Despite industry claims to the contrary, M-rated games continue to be marketed and sold to children under seventeen. The ESRB’s reversal of its earlier decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Manhunt 2 – the most violent game to date produced for the interactive Nintendo Wii platform – will be marketed and sold to children.

Just three months ago, the ESRB felt that Manhunt 2 was so violent that it took the extraordinary step of giving a game an AO rating for violent content for only the second time in its history. We urge the ESRB to make public their rationale for changing Manhunt 2’s rating, including detailing any content that was removed from the game.

We call upon Rockstar Games to allow the content of Manhunt 2 to be reviewed by an independent review board with no ties to the video game industry.

We ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the process by which Manhunt 2’s rating was downgraded from AO to M.

Source: Game Politics

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Manhunt 2 has been officially rated “M” for Mature, it was announced on the official Manhunt 2 website. The game is scheduled for this Halloween (October 31, 2007) due to be released only in North America at this point, no word yet on when everywhere else will be getting the game but if Rockstar are using the same modified version of the game to gain a rating it shouldn't be that long to wait for official word.

After nearly 3 months without an update this is what was added to the official Manhunt 2 website:

Manhunt 2 Receives “M” Rating, Coming Halloween 2007.

Manhunt 2 will be released for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo in North America on October 31, 2007. This announcement follows the submission of a modified version of Manhunt 2 to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, who has now rated the title “M” for Mature for ages 17 and older.

“Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we’re glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience,” said Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games. “We love the horror genre. Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience. We think horror fans will love it.”

The big question is since it has been modified, do you think you will still pick up the game?

Source: Official Manhunt 2 Website

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Speaking earlier this week at the Games Convention Developers Conference in Leipzig, Germany, the president and co-founder of developer ‘Factor 5’, Julian Eggebrecht, held a keynote titled ‘No Sex, No Drugs, and Little Rock and Roll – Ratings and Games’ whereby he talked about the ratings system videogames face and the trouble that his studio had in acquiring the rating they were required to get for ‘Lair’ by its publisher Sony.

He began his presentation by drawing a comparison between the issues the movie industry faces with the ratings board compared to the videogames industry, primarily drawing upon the linear nature of all movies and how they can be framed and trimmed appropriately to easily slip by the ratings system. He cited Bonnie and Clyde, A Clockwork Orange, Reservoir Dogs and Natural Born Killers as movies that pushed the boundaries of the ratings boards and how all these movies are able to be viewed by those in their teens all because the film industry has in the past ‘lobbied’ with politicians and interest groups in order to get past this.

He used Manhunt as an example of games being singled out:

The whole event going on right now with things like Manhunt being the most extreme, Manhunt 2 getting banned in England altogether and they didn't withdraw that voluntarily for sure. That game really was banned and that is very concerning to someone who is livings in the US where at least an out right ban couldn't happen.

Wallmart couldn’t stock your game that’s one thing and it comes quite close to a ban quite frankly but on the over hand the Government would never ban something, that Manhunt 2 got banned in the UK is a very scary development.

He goes on to criticise the ratings system more by saying that there needs to be fine points made between the current ratings where by the line of adult and teen games can be more easily drawn because as it is right now the system is hypocritical and he would like to see it move beyond the system that even the movie industry upholds to.

Julian then explains the reasoning for violence to exist in Manhunt:

…In Manhunts case, because Manhunt was basically pushing the envelope in a way which actually from the sounds of it, because obviously nobody was able play to play Manhunt yet, including me.

Which sounds very much like the experience that Stanley Kubrick actually was doing in A Clockwork Orange because in Manhunt 2, from the descriptions, its all about you identifying with the killer and your doing it in a new media so your probably doing it in a much deeper and even more satisfying, if you can talk about satisfying here, way than Kubrick was able to do it with A Clockwork Orange.

But never the less if we assume that we our selves are an art form and we have to push the art form and I think that is where games are heading, to be recognised as an art form, then we also need to see the darker side of that people want to push the envelope, not to annoy the folks out there. Certainly Stanley Kubrick didn’t set out in 1971 to cause this fire storm but basically to push the artistic impressions and artistic content of games and if they are able to do that in movies why aren't we able to do this in games?

Throughout the duration of his presentation Mr. Eggebrecht weaves in an out of issues surrounding the rating of ‘Lair’ and problematic issues they had while also saying that he would like to see more artistically violent and sexualised games made available and used Last Tango in Paris, Basic Instinct, Eyes Wide Shut and CRASH as reference points. He goes on to say that the way games are rated is ‘an absolutely bizarre system’.

He finishes his presentation by sharing the story of a movie they put on the Lair disk which was titled ‘Hot Coffee’, in the video it was none other than the studios coffee maker, apparently they were told to remove the title of the video, but not the video itself, due to it mocking the ratings authorities.

My opinion: It seems like a lot of developers and industry insiders are now aligning themselves and sticking by Rockstar. I think the fact that Julian Eggebrecht is speaking about the right for more adult orientated content is a pretty good defence, to my knowledge all of the games developed by Factor 5, or at least the ones that I own, have been rated in the teen category. The fact that the studio also had long standing relationships with Nintendo and LucasArts, which are predominately known for creating games for everyone of all ages, speaks volumes as he really doesn’t have any reason other than being the consumer (up until this point) to just the existence of these titles, where as Rockstar commenting on the situation will be assumed as being on the defence as they do make adult orientated entertainment.

Also as a side note of interest Jak X featured a ‘Hot Coffee’ spoof, even going as far as the video being titled ‘HOTCOFFE’ on the disk. I guess spelling coffee incorrectly passes in the eyes of the ESRB.

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The September issue of Games™ has a 6 page feature titled 'A Matter of Taste' which is dedicated to Manhunt 2. The article again focuses on the BBFC refusing to rate Manhunt 2, however they do put a slightly different spin on the situation and instead decide to ask a few people within the industry what their take on the situation is. The magazine asks Danny LeDonne (creator of ‘Super Columbine Massacre!’), Stephen Totio, (MTV News), David Braben (founder of Frontier Developments) and Ste Pickford (co-founder of ‘The Pickford Brothers’) to share their opinion.

LeDonne says ‘there is no amount of violence that is too extreme for an M or AO-rated game’ he goes on to say that even should you question the content of the game you should still be allowed the opportunity to consume it, should you choose to do so and that there is no ‘justification’ for the right to own the game to be taken away.

Totios’ take on Manhunt 2 has been covered, he is pretty much all for the game and seems very enthusiastic towards it, he emphasises that he has only played the first 6 levels of the game and says that it only took a hidden sex game in San Andreas to warrant the ESRB issuing the title with an AO rating and is unsure if there is anything later in Manhunt 2 to warrant such outcry or not.

Braben lays the biggest cause of public controversy at the hands of the media and how they react to such an event and cites the how the Manchester Cathedral / ‘Resistance: Fall of Man’ issue was reported as a source of misconstrued and poorly executed journalism. He goes on to say that Manhunt 2 is ‘perhaps’ the type of the game industry does not need, but does go on to say that sentiment may be a little hypocritical as he has never played the game, he thinks that the issue could be addressed if Rockstar wasn’t so ‘reluctant’ in defending the game.

Ste Pickford questions the marketing methods of Rockstar rather than the making of the game itself and questions if there is a big enough market to meet the budget required to make such adult orientated titles. He goes on to suggest that Rockstar is ‘attempting to stimulate demand in young teens for the game’ and cites Manhunt 2 being covered on Ngamer along side much more teen friendly games as a reference point.

The magazine finishes up by offering their take on the situation, they say Manhunt 2 is ‘not guilty’ and that within the editorial staff the line of justification altered from member to member and that there was no decisive answer as to whether or not the content was justified but that they all agree that the option to chose should be left up to the consumer to decide. They say that content of Manhunt 2 is no different from any other form of simulated violence seen on screen and that there is no ‘widely trusted’ research to suggest that such forms of entertainment have any negative effect on human behaviour.

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The August 2007 issue of Develop magazine has an interview with the co-founder and studio head of Rockstar Leeds, Gordon Hall.

At the very end of the interview Develop ask Mr. Hall about the issues surrounding Manhunt 2 and how they reacted to it internally:

From that vantage point, and given that the studio has contributed to Rockstar's slate of 18-rated games, did the recent action over Manhunt 2 effect how Leeds and the other Rockstar studios go about producing their games?

Well, on that point, I've got to say I really feel for the London team - they've done a cracking job and made a great game.

I like the game for what it is - and I was a big fan of Manhunt before we joined Rockstar, and I was actually a bigger fan of it more than I was of GTA, I like where is placed you in the world and the questions it asked of the world.

Manhunt 2 is no different to the first in terms of content, it's just that times seem to have changed and they've changed against this type of game. But if you look at a film like Man Bites Dog, it makes Manhunt look tame in comparison, but that film can be bought by anyone aged 18.

Was there a feeling amongst the Rockstar studios that the company was being singled out?

I don't think Rockstar specifically has been picked on, but I do think that the wider issue attacks our entire industry. We need to teach people that games are an art form - they are more artistic than film.

I think the games industry should rally behind us, because there will come a time when we'll all have an idea that's a little edgy, and we need to have freedoms to express it.

We are an adult entertainment industry - we may have started with child-like technology making games solely for a younger audience, but it's just not like that anymore. It might take legislature a little while to catch up, but if the industry sticks together hopefully we can change people's attitudes quicker.

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Games Radar have posted an article from UK publication PSM3 in which they review Manhunt 2, the article has some pretty big spoilers, and I would advise not to read the article unless you don’t mind story elements being spoiled. The magazine played the PlayStation 2 build of the game and awarded Manhunt 2 an 8/10.

It is a very positive review, with the only negative comments being directed towards the gun play, the magazine appears to favour stealth kills far more and says it was also an issue for them in the original game. The biggest issue with the guns they say is that you are forced to use guns in a prolonged level in which you play as Leo and the enemy AI is ‘average’ throughout the scene.

The magazines final verdict:

Still, for the most part, this is an artful, engaging game that’s far more about strategy and patience than merely dumb brutality. And interestingly too, this is a game that senses how you play it: act gruesome and you accumulate style points, play stealthy and avoid combat and you go without, but have the promise of unlocking extra features after the game’s completion. Meaning, actually, that far from the BBFC’s crowing about Manhunt 2’s lack of moral core, that this is actually a game about morality - namely, how good, essentially conscientious people can be forced, cajoled, or brainwashed into doing awful or reprehensible things - and how they can also eventually regain their humanity. Presuming the world can actually get their hands on it at some point, hopefully soon that will become clear.

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There is a review for Manhunt 2 in the August 2007 issue of Penthouse magazine. They awarded the game 5 stars and have titled it the ‘Game of The Month'. It only features two (already shown) images and no new information is revealed at all, the magazine doesn’t state which build they played off the game but they do make a passing reference to the Wii controls.

I also want to address the issue of the release date of Manhunt 2, every day we continue to get emails asking us when the game is due for release and the answer is we still don’t know.

Some people have been noticing varying release dates for Manhunt 2 appearing all over the place, including on the official Rockstar website listing it as 2008, on the official Manhunt 2 website it still says ‘coming soon’ and on the Take-Two website it is listed as ‘Summer 2007’.

These are all projected dates; I would dismiss all of them until Rockstar has been able to pass the game through the BBFC and ESRB, until then no release date can be made.

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MCV have put out an article titled ‘Rockstar faces lengthy wait for Manhunt appeal verdict’, whereby they say that the release of Manhunt 2 could be months off and may actually be released long after the ‘initial wave of hype’ for the game passes.

James Pond, associate at law firm Osbourne Clarke, had the following to say:

Last time this happened with Carmaggedon the appeal worked so that’s a positive precedent.

Rockstar has taken a while to build its case, so they’ve obviously been taking stock of what the BBFC have said. They will have to work together to agree on making the right cuts. But there could be problems if the BBFC feels that the violence running throughout the game is too much – it’s not like a film where you can just cut certain scenes.

Keep in mind this is just a guestimation, but in fairness I think that most people at this point would be more surprised if the game was to be released this year than those that would should the game be released next year.

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The latest issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine UK (not to be confused with Official PlayStation 2 Magazine UK) features two articles related to Manhunt 2.

The first of which is a two page spread that basically lays out all the facts of the Manhunt 2-BBFC ratings issue, it breaks the key factors down to Realism, Theme, Imitable Techniques and Violence. There is text to accompany all key factors, it is a pretty interesting read and far less subjective than that run in the latest issue of OPS2M UK. They even suggest that the politics of the original Manhunt has had some effect on Manhunt 2, which, they say Manhunt was proven innocent of.

The second article is a one page personal opinion (even labelled as such!) by one of the magazines writers Joel Snape.

He points out that a real issue that the BBFC had with Manhunt 2 is that in the original Manhunt you are forced to kill, in Manhunt 2 no one is forcing you. That in itself I find pretty interesting, as far as I can recall he is the first to actually word it like this, most other journalists have used something along the lines of ‘there is no good reason to kill in Manhunt 2’ as though there is some justified reason to do so. He quickly follows that by saying that the line is further blurred in the missions where you play as Leo Kasper as it appears as though the people you are hunting down are innocent people that are ‘looking for a genuine maniac’, where as in the original Manhunt it was pretty evident that all parties involved were corrupt in some manner.

With that said, he says that he has seen worse and that the reasoning is no more justified in any other form of entertainment than it is in Manhunt 2, he says giving the player the ‘choice’ to kill no further validates the act than having no reason at all and that given the choice most of us would explore it, just to see what happens.

In the readers mail section of the magazine they say that they have had a ‘meltdown’ of reader mail related to Manhunt 2, all seemingly angry at the BBFC, they answer the letter by saying that they stand by the ‘brilliance’ of Manhunt 2, that it was one of the most interesting games in development and justify their opinion by saying that is why they put it on their front cover of the magazine.

At least one publication is sticking by their guns.

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Just a quick update here to address the issue of Manhunt 2 not appearing on the financial update issued by Take-Two late last night. Various sites have now noticed that Manhunt 2 wasn’t given a date and have given their half- baked opinion as to why, some suggesting that the game has been cancelled or that Take-Two has given up on the game.

I just wanted to reassure everyone that this does not mean the game has been cancelled or that Take-Two has given up on the game at all. Far from it, actually, the reason the game wasn’t given a projected date is they are likely waiting to receive the appropriate rating. Once the game is rated accordingly I am sure Rockstar and Take-Two will quickly let everyone know of when we can expect the game.

There is still a possibility of it coming out this year, if they are able to win the appeal then I imagine they will be able to get the game out pretty quickly, they will need to get the marketing going again for the game but beyond that, supposing no alterations need made, the game is pretty much done.

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Take-Two have issued a financial guidance update, in the fiscal update they confirm that Manhunt 2 won’t be released within fiscal 2007. They currently don’t have the game listed under any time frame.

Additionally, Take-Two is updating third quarter and fiscal year 2007 guidance to reflect the movement of Manhunt 2 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and the Wii™ out of the third quarter and the fiscal year.

They have also announced that Grand Theft Auto IV has been delayed due to requiring additional development time. The game is now set to be released in the second quarter of 2008, meaning the game won’t be released before February 2008.

Source: Take-Two Financial Updates

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Dean Takahashi of the San Jose Mercury-News held an interview Take-Two CEO, Strauss Zelnick, in which they discuss all things Take-Two.

Manhunt 2 is brought up on a few occasions:

What lessons do you draw out of the Manhunt 2 experience?
I’m not sure. Perhaps. I don’t know that there are lessons there. It’s a concern that we think a different standard may be applied to interactive entertainment than to linear entertainment. Manhunt 2 is set squarely in the horror genre for people over 17. It’s horrifying. We think it is no more graphic than the first Manhunt. Perhaps the only lesson is that one’s expectations aren’t always borne out in these situations.


Politically, you can view it as a step backward, as opposed to video games always moving forward.
Politically how?


Similar to what you were saying, as video games grow bigger and bigger, you would think that a diversity results and people would embrace games for adults.
I think it creates an opportunity for us as an industry to reinforce the point that there are video games intended for adults and they should be labeled and marketed accordingly. We are utterly comfortable with that. From our point of view, we would have no trouble at all for a concept of an M-rating being for 18 and above instead of 17 and above. That would not trouble us if that gave people more comfort. We are not making these games for kids. These games are not intended to be sold to children. I have a strong philosophy about interactive entertainment having spent my whole career in entertainment. We are not just in the business of making entertainment. We are in the business of making art. I play every game that we make before it goes out. If I don’t feel that it meets the standard of art and entertainment, I am hard pressed to be comfortable with it. If I do feel it meets that standard, I am comfortable with it. We are also in the business of making money. We invest a lot of money in these games and it’s terribly important for us that we are able to bring them to market. We do need to have an appropriate rating system that tells parents what’s in the box. We also do need here in America to be able to bring our art to consumers if that is indeed the American way.


One of the flaws here seems to be that even if you have the adults only rating, there is no way to bring the game out under that rating? It seems there ought to be a way to get that to a large market.
We think that too. If you can’t, then the rating becomes irrelevant. That isn’t good for the ratings association. It obviously makes it difficult for them. It makes it difficult for people to make video games. I’m not sure it is good for consumers either. The AO rating was not intended when it was developed to mean a non-rating. That wasn’t the point. If you can’t market it because you aren’t allowed by the licensors or the retailers won’t carry it, then the rating doesn’t have any meaning. Clearly one has to discuss what its purpose is.


Is there an effect where you might self-censor yourselves and that this is a line being drawn. You should step back from it if you want commercial successes?
We really didn’t think we were crossing the line. I’m the person that has to stand behind a product and say it passes our internal standards. I wouldn’t say censorship. But we do have high standards for what we will do. We have to see it as art and entertaining and appropriate for the audience to whom it is being marketed. We do feel that way. Not everyone has to agree. But we feel that way and I stand behind those views. We take our social responsibility very very seriously indeed. There are plenty of lines we won’t cross. I don’t watch. I would never be comfortable having anyone outside the company telling us we can’t cross the line. I am very comfortable inside the company saying look, “We don’t want to do this.” We have these discussions all the time. The creative people at Take-Two and both labels are incredibly focused on being responsible and also being creative. We have these conversations very cooperatively. No one was trying to make a point here with Manhunt 2 other than creating an incredibly entertaining interactive entertainment experience in the horror genre.


Can you do a triple A title for the Wii?
I think you can. Manhunt 2 is for the Wii.

It is a pretty good interview; Mr. Zelnick always seems to come off extremely well anytime I read or hear him talk. Check the link below for the whole interview.

Source: Mercury News

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The latest issue of UK publication 'Games Master', issue 189, contains a review of Manhunt 2 on the Nintendo Wii. The publication appears to have played the game after the game was refused classification as it states the following:

... we visited Rockstar this month to review the Wii version and see for ourselves.

The review breaks down as follows:

This is how the Manhunt 2 reviews are lining up thus far:

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The report made earlier today by MVC that Rockstar have appealed the decision by the BBFC to refuse classification of Manhunt 2 thus prohibiting its sale in Britain, has now been confirmed by Take-Two Interactive.

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. confirmed today that Rockstar Games has appealed the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) decision that prohibited the release of any version of Manhunt 2 in Britain.

MVC reports that Rockstar filed the plea with the Video Appeals Committee yesterday (July 31st). Rockstar have taken almost all the allocated six weeks in which they had to appeal the situation, hopefully meaning that they now feel they have a very strong case.

The VAC has the ability to overturn the BBFCs decision, what will now happen is a date will be set in which Rockstar will be able to plea their defence against the BBFC and if successful then the game will hit retail shortly thereafter, in the United Kingdom at least.

Source(s): MVC #01 , MVC #02

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