Take Two Shelves Manhunt 2 350
If you've been following this story so far, it shouldn't come as a shock that Take-Two has shelved Manhunt 2 for the moment, while they decide what to do next. The company is considering its options, and still fully supports the game as a 'work of art'. "Take-Two Interactive Software has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the British Board of Film Classification and Entertainment Software Rating Board ... We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment." Analysts have already started weighing in, with some seeing this as unfairly targeting the GTA-maker for previous 'sins'.
XBox 360 (Score:5, Interesting)
This whole thing is rather interesting. The Wii version is the one that really catches my interest because of what the controls "add" to the game. I was rather surprised at first when I saw what they were doing. While it fits well, it's rather visceral compared to just pushing a button so I wondered if they would have a tough time.
Nintendo banning an AO game doesn't surprise me. Sony banning it does surprise me some. But what all of this has really made me wonder is... does Microsoft have an anti-AO game policy? If Manhunt 2 was developed for the 360, would they be able to release it (problems with Target, Wal*Mart, etc selling it aside)?
The computer is really the only platform where this isn't a problem. If you look at the list of AO games, most of them are on the PC, even if you remove the "Virtual Jenna" type games. Since no-one can stop a game from being published on the PC (you can sell it mail order or download if you have to), this wouldn't be a problem.
Of course, Take-Two has put already had a target on their heads (unfairly). I can see the outrage over a game like this, seeing as how it makes GTA look tame. As adult as this is, I was really looking forward to reading the reviews of what the Wii controls added to it. There are previews out now, but previews are always positive so it's a bit hard to tell based on that. People called GTA a "murder simulator".. heh.
Porting consoles isn't easy. But maybe MS could agree to let them publish and get PR win with the mature crowd. But that would probably cause them problems with the family crowd they want.
Re:loss (Score:3, Interesting)
There were some kids that stole cars after playing GTA because they thought it was cool. What kind of things could we expect those kids to do after playing this game?
I'm not saying I think this game itself should be banned from the open market and country. THAT would be an issue of freedom of speech. But I understand that certain stores choose not to carry adult titles. That is their decision.
If Take-Two makes the smart choice, it will be to sell the game themselves. Otherwise their only option is to tone it down to meet the ratings standards for their larger distributors. Who knows how much change that will take the to 'artwork' of the game? Probably a significant amount.
Re:Dear Zonk (Score:2, Interesting)
The British Board of Film Classification, the ESRB, and the MPAA -- none are government agencies. So no, it doesn't have to do with free speech. This is especially true in the US, where retailers have the right to determine what they wish to sell. And they've exercised they exercised their right when they decided to sell ESRB rated games.
Sure, every human decision that affects others is in some sense political. As I said elsewhere, this is a deep insight into how society functions. On the other hand, it can be very easily abused. Should "Microsoft Announces $Next_Gen_Windows, RedHat Folds Under Pressure" or "Kobe Bryant Signs with $TEAM" be in the section? After all, these stories affect many more people than a story about a video game. If not, why not? (A reasonable response would be "Because these stories have nothing to do with the government or its agents" -- what most people mean by 'political'.)
You do realize that, based on your UID alone that there are 841,676 other users, right? And that most would find this to be an appropriate classification? In other words, slashdot as a whole is more important than your preferences.
And most of them are under the delusion that this is a political issue, when it clearly isn't.
In hindsight, I bet you're thinking that this might be a bit harsh. If not, well, ironically enough, you are actually the target audience for Manhunt 2!
I was trying to be over the top. As I said elsewhere, my hopes for Zonk can be characterized by the hope that something mildly unpleasant happens to him. Stepping in dog poo would do nicely. If it weren't so dangerous, a coconut landing on his head would be amusing too.
Based on the number of comments this and related stories have garnered, I'd have to say that the interested outweigh the uninterested.
I have actively shown my lack of interest by setting my preferences. I'm sure many others have too.
Obviously, people posting in a story are self-selecting. These same people likely would have posted if the story were in the Games section as well. On the other hand, of the million members of Slashdot, on the order of 100 have posted. Post counts don't mean much.
Where in the chain did they stop? (Score:3, Interesting)
That would be like an automotive company spending 100million to develop a new car, have the parts done and the factory with the ON switch just waiting to be pressed and then throwing in the towel. That kind of stuff doesn't happen, and as a shareholder I'm sure someone is going to be upset with them for this.
Re:Realism (Score:3, Interesting)
Wait a second... the "Diagnosed Mental Disorders" that you mention... do those include the crap like ADD? Or are you talking actual disorders, you know, the ones that don't sound suspiciously like: "drug the kids, they'll behave then!"?
Also... I assume you actually have a source for the claim that there is a rising occurrence?
Nephilium... avoiding modding to post...
The Parents (Score:2, Interesting)
How many kids do you know who got caught with drugs and their entire punishment consisted of "Bad Jimmy. Just don't do it again."?
How many times have you seen kids vandalizing property, public or private, in plain view of their parents?
I walked into a friend of a friend's house a few years ago to see their child, a kid who was so afflicted with ADHD that even highly sedated at age early-teen his parents still had to dress him in the morning, playing a game that at the time I found particularly disgusting (even as someone who loves Hitman, Unreal Tournament and GTA). When I asked his parents if they were aware that the content of that game really wasn't appropriate for a child, their reponse was that they let him play whatever keeps him quiet.
This is a little extreme, but here goes: most agree that the responsibility should lie on the parents to make sure they know what their child is playing. However, at the same time this infringes on adults' freedom of expression. Why not do the same thing we do with pr0n? A parent that gave pr0n to their underage child would get slapped with abuse or worse. A parent caught letting their child commit a crime might be hit with negligence. Why not do the same thing with video games? You give your kid a game that is essentially a snuff film, it stands to reason that you should get the same penalty.
~Ben
Re:Is this a surprise? (Score:3, Interesting)
They must not have seen it coming.
Think about it. If they suspected it, they would never have developed the game -- what company would voluntarily lose money? Or, for that matter, what company would want to waste their creative energy -- the developers are very creative people who want to get credit for a game being produced. Everyone must have thought they were going to get an M rating.
Maybe we could do an Ask Slashdot about this -- an interview with Manhunt 2's head of development. Imagine how angry and upset people are at Take Two right now.
Re:loss (Score:5, Interesting)
Imagine the promotional campaign:
The sheer curiosity for the forbidden fruit can propel the game in the history books.
Re:Gross... (Score:1, Interesting)
I'm not defending the game. It sounds gross to me, too, and I wouldn't even consider purchasing it. However, I defend people's RIGHT to purchase it. Whether this is a true censorship issue is questionable, because people purchasing PS or Wii know these systems will not play Adult Only content. It's just one more example why it's better to purchase only open standards.
If this is your stance. You should be someone that has no problem with a pedophile game. Where would you draw the line?
Are you going to defend peoples right to buy absolutely ANYTHING? that's a stretch.
I have absolutely ZERO problem with the game personally and would probably enjoy playing it. HOWEVER I still think it should be banned. If something's in poor taste and is on the verge of promoting bad behaviour at some point you have to say enough is enough, rather then being overly high and mighty about peoples "rights" to the point of insanity.
A lot of people are easily influenced we should all know that by now.
But if society wants to keep indulging in more and more extreme messed up stuff. Good luck to it, I think it's a bad idea. I'm not 100% sure where the lines should be drawn, but this would probably be a good start.