July 1, 2007
Gamers in the U.K. are apparently exercising their right to petition the government regarding the recent banning of Manhunt 2.A user-created petition has surfaced on 10 Downing Street, the website of new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (left). The petition was submitted by one Bradley Smith, and proclaims:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Restrict the powers of the BBFC with regard to the banning of videogames.
The BBFC have recently refused to rate the videogame "Manhunt 2". As such, adults in this country will never be allowed to play this game. Adults should be allowed to make their own decisions with regard to what videogames they want to play. We all understand that this game is extremely violent and unsuitable for children. As such an 18 rating should have been applied.
As we write this, 811 people have signed. The petition, open to U.K. citizens only, will remain available until August 25th.
Comments
It's like a spanking all over again. Why is there a AO rating possible if I can't buy it?
I can buy booze, smokes, and porn, but not a video game. That's weak.
That is a completely separate issue. It doesn't matter that the console firms will not allow it, the problem is that even if they did allow it, it'd still be banned.
Being English, i'm off to sign it myself now, makes a nice change being able to actually do something, as most of game politics seems to be US only recently.
In addition, although I think that Manhunt 2 shouldn't be released into Wii. The BBFC are in the wrong too. The British Minsters themselves, should also think that is it right to just ban the game because of it's violent content? I don't think so, if the game is really being banned, then they can expect unhappy citizens and their unhappiness will cause them not to obey the government, saying that it's not fair. Or in the worst case scenario, expect rebellion and frequent riots outside their own royal building.
That will also make Queen Elizabeth sad too.
Now I am coming to a conclusion that AO rating games shouldn't be released into Wii, let alone other Nintendo consoles.
If they'd tried to get an investigation/review of the BBFC's powers and remit, and maybe some updates to the Video Recordings Act then it might have made a difference, but by limiting the complaint to just Manhunt 2, it comes across as just a bunch of kids complaining that they can't play Nintendo.
I fail to see how Germany is any better in regards to ratings or games in general. Not only are "refused classifications" more vauge than the U.K.'s, but they are much more liberally applied. While Britain has only done it to Manhunt 2 (and tried with Carmeggedon), Germany has done it to Dead Rising, Gears of War, and Crackdown, just to name a few. They are still legal to sell in stores, but only if they are not advertised, not reviewed, and not shown in the stores at all. Basically, any attempt that can be made to keep consumers from being informed.
And that's not even mentioning their tendency to replace all the characters in certain games (Contra, Half-Life) with robots.
Maybe there is no actual banning, but the German government clearly has a great deal of control over game content instead of letting consumers decide for themselves. That's what I hate.
*headdesk+HEIL to the censor masters*
*sigh*
this is the kind of thing thats skipped when a gov and its rating system acts maturely.
Terminator44
it seems Germany has the better of ideas,a game thats not rated is not baned but not sold normally either but a adult is not stopped either, of coarse because tis a gray law,different regions within Germany can "ban" it.
Wait... I guess I'm technically still a UK citizen. Hrm...
Really, I just want to see adults able buy the game SOMEWHERE without getting arrested.
Some 18s: Carmageddon; Dead Rising; Doom 3; Fear; God of War II; GTA series; Silent Hill 4.
Notable comparisons: Bully - 15; Burnout Revenge - U (lol); Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy - 15; Resident Evil 4 (inc. Wii version) - 15; Silent Hill 1-3 - 15.
"Manhunt 2 would have been released uncut in Scandinavia with an 18+ PEGI certificate if not for Take-Two's suspension.[12][13]"
and probably will be eventually... at some point..
With regards to imports, I can import it, but I must physically bring the copy over myself, and I can only bring one (at a time) as I need to justify that it's for personal use, and not to distribute.
Even then I'm not guaranteed it, since Customs can just take it off me on the way in, regardless.
/b
Actually, if Manhunt 2 were given an 18 Certificate, it WOULD be entitled for release in the UK. That's the odd thing, Nintendo and Sony don't support AO games, but DO support 18 certificate, which are, more or less, a parallel. We have R18 for sexually explicit only content, which is treated much as AO is over there.
probably not since the world census is fry the witch, it would be interesting to see a game like DOAXX have topless models and be AO'd in the US yet M15 in Euro land.
Would the outcry kill the game or have it not released in the US..I dunno.
an interesting point you bring up... Nintendo and Sony say they will not have an AO rated game on their system... however, i don't recall them having a similar policy for any of the BBFC ratings; Considering i think the BBFC gave the first Manhunt their worst rating, than that would mean that if they were to rate manhunt 2 it would get their worst rating which nintendo and Sony have no policy against. Question is, would this mean that Nintnedo and Sony would release the game as is in the UK, while still refusing to release it here in the states, or would they still refuse to release it in the UK based on the AO rating it got the USA's ratings system? It kind of puts them in a bad position...
:P
Do they ban the import too?
Its rather stupid tho a simple blacklist setup would fix this nightmare , manhunt 2 could be a "blacklisted" item at worst meaning it can not be sold openly or displayed in public but if you are a adult you can ask for it and can get it from "behind the counter".
Adults censoring adults is ridiculous 0-o
/b
Can not be sell it openly, or at all?
Germany has it where you can not openly sale it but back rooms and behind the counter you can.
They need to relook at their system manhunt 2 is a 18+ level game,GOW either of them could pass for M15.
We do not have an unrated sticker for precisely the reason the ratings exist; unrated games/films cannot be sold.
Right On.
In the UK ESRB ratings wont apply so technicaly it wont be an AO game.
Not that I'll ever play the game; but i very much disagree with it being banned.
Just an update on my own petition advertised in other story comments and above. It is at 4198 signatures at the moment. Of course it will do nothing to alter the console companies' minds for reasons Hal and others have stated quite well. There is a stigma that affects business and for now it won't be tackled despite what some consumers want. The line is always pushed but you can't be seen stepping too close to going over it, which is why scapegoats are great to have around.
I want to thank those who signed it, especially those who signed it only once. I have found a lot of telling data in blog comments elsewhere about the petition. Those who made bogus comments or signed it many times proved the weakness of the online petition, especially in seriousness. I learned a lot about the many weaknesses of online petitions, as well as the strength of the Internet in getting a message out via informal social networks. Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony and Rockstar all gave me blanket email replies carefully worded. I have tracked the url's progress around the world, via blogs (including Wired), and other websites I never knew existed. The intention now is to analyze the data given in those signatures and then combine its message with some of the many issues brought up on blogs such as these. Once that is done I will make any document available via url for those who signed, and to those the petition addresses.
Manhunt2 was also supposed to be released for PS2 and the PSP, not just the wii. The wii and other nintendo consoles were never meant to be only "intended for children"; it's an image that got stuck on nintendo because they release a lot of family friendly first-party games; an image of which, in addition to holding back on graphics, has pushed away many consumders and developers who want mature rated stuff. Nintendo however did not want this image and wants to cater to ALL audiences, young and old and of every gaming genre(including mature horror). This is the reason why they went to Rockstar and asked them to make Manhunt2 for the Wii, so that they can try to reach to an another audience.
Plus, most of my games habe been purchased in Britain.
This Censorhip thing shows that the BBFC don't take us, adults, seriously and unable to make our own decisions.
Democracy is when people have the right to choose. The other would be dictatorship, and this is what these folks are doing.