ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt

ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt

October 3, 2008

An executive with U.K. game publisher association ELSPA has credited violent game critic Keith Vaz (left) with helping to make the original Manhunt successful.

As reported by VideoGamer.com, ELSPA's Michael Rawlinson said:

Keith Vaz has done more to sell Rockstar's games than Rockstar has. The original Manhunt was released, did diddly squat and fell right off the radar until the Stefan Pakeerah incident came and Vaz started shouting from the rooftops and then everyone went and bought the stuff...

 

GamePolitics readers may recall that Vaz, a Labour Party member of Parliament, linked - and continues to link - Manhunt to the 2004 Pakeerah murder, despite Scotland Yard's finding to the contrary.

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Comments

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by JB - October 3, 2008 at 9:30 am -0500

The same could be said about the media and any controversial game. Bully comes to mind. You can’t pay for that kind of marketing.

 

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Eville1 - October 3, 2008 at 9:35 am -0500

This chipmunk looking fuddy duddy cracks me up every time I see him. Most Zealots don't realize ALL of the consequences of their actions.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by PHOENIXZERO - October 3, 2008 at 1:11 pm -0500

Of course they do, but they just crave the attention.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by HarmlessBunny - October 3, 2008 at 9:39 am -0500

LOL Vaz is ending up like Jack Thompson...a fool who started controversy and ends up SELLING the games rather than prevent them being in kids hands. *claps* Way to go Keith.

FAIL.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by C. Aaron Browbowski Jr. - October 3, 2008 at 9:58 am -0500

well i'd like to think keith vaz is not another JT, he's just a diet coke version of JT, not the real think... sadly, otherwise we'd see another disbarrment just like JT. but everybody's entitled to their own opinion.

Jesus Jack Jones Thompson.... is dead... (funeral udruge, followed by Celebrate :D )

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Alex - October 3, 2008 at 2:39 pm -0500

Diet Jack?

Jack Lite?

Sounds like a low-calorie energy drink.
---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Nocturne - October 3, 2008 at 10:06 am -0500

There are probably more people who post on GamePolitics than in the Labour party who have heard of Keith Vaz nowadays. Another "could have been but never was" who has fallen back on the tried and tested method of ranting to keep yourself vaguely relevant

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by King of Fiji - October 3, 2008 at 12:37 pm -0500

So instead of making good games one just has to rely on getting bad publicity from the "Its bad for the children so lets ban it." crowd? 

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Cheater87 - October 3, 2008 at 1:10 pm -0500

I remember after Manhunt 1 was blamed lots of people were buying it to see what all the fuss was about.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Mr. Stodern - October 3, 2008 at 2:38 pm -0500

I wasn't even interested in GTA: San Andreas until I found out there was a hidden sex mini-game (though I knew no further details than that, initially). That's exactly how controversy works. It's free publicity.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by State - October 3, 2008 at 1:59 pm -0500

The ELSPA quote isn't entirely true, whilst it didn't sell in numbers like Rockstar other franchise, GTA, I thought it did moderatley well in sales and did exceptionally well with the critics. Although when some shops (the Dixons group) banned it and the media picked up on it, the sales became immense. Everyone knows controversy sells, film makers know that, games makers know that.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Father Time - October 3, 2008 at 3:03 pm -0500

And here is the ultimate irony of censorship groups. They whine and moan about something which doe snothing but cause it to grow and become bigger.

Although the truly ultimate irony would be if their constant bitching about Manhunt 1 caused Rockstar to make Manhunt 2.

----------------------------------------------------

God created alcohol so that the Scottish and the Irish could never take over the world. -Chris 'Jedi' Knight

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Twin-Skies - October 4, 2008 at 7:37 am -0500

As the old rule of advertising goes: Controvery sells

 

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Re: ELSPA Exec: Game Critic Keith Vaz Helped Sell Manhunt
Submitted by Ashkihyena - October 4, 2008 at 11:38 am -0500

Good job there Vaz.  Instead of shutting up and just letting the game release, more then likely to mediocre sells, you go and bitch and moan about it, you and all the other UK watchdog groups, and wham, the sales go right threw the roof.  Not only that, but you guys got Rockstar to make another one.

Good job, just a good job you got going there.

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