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More Bad News for Rockstar: Wii-mote Control Prompts Demand That Manhunt 2 Be Adults-Only in North America

Around the offices of Take Two Interactive, they're undoubtedly calling this "Black Tuesday."

In the wake of this morning's word detailing Britain's ban on Manhunt 2 comes more bad news for publisher Take Two and developer Rockstar.

Citing concerns over the Nintendo Wii's popular motion control system, the Center for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) has demanded that Manhunt 2 be rated AO (adults only) by the ESRB. The game is scheduled for release in North America on July 9th. To date, Manhunt 2 has not been rated by the ESRB.

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Stumpy Bob - contributor
Published: 914 days 13 hours ago | News | Wii | Gaming | Industry News

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ITR - 914 days 14 hours ago

1 -

That didn't take long...

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nice_cuppa - 914 days 14 hours ago

2 - why doesn't america do this anyway ?

that has always confused me.

its an adult game for adults !

it should be 18 certificate or whatever you guys have.

ITS NOT FOR KIDS !

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Siesser - 914 days 13 hours ago

2.1 -

The reason why is because major retailers (like Wal Mart) will not shelve an AO title. Image consciousness and stuff like that.

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Legionaire2005 - 914 days 6 hours ago

2.2 - #2.1 Wal Mart has unrated DVD movies I can't see why they can't sale AO games

This is ridiculous on retailers out there who don't sale AO games. How comes this is not a problem with movies?

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Siesser - 913 days 4 hours ago

2.3 -

Sadly, games have always been held to a different standard than movies. Cinematography is viewed as a passive experience; there is no effort or exertion of will on the viewer's part. Gaming requires you to carry out these "mature" actions. You're not watching someone kill, dismember, rape, etc. Rather, you're deciding to carry out that action, and typically being rewarded for it. There are some that believe this difference (along with the perception that games are for kids) is enough to warrant not carrying the item.

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sticky doja - 914 days 13 hours ago

3 -

Thank god I am an adult

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ItsDubC - 914 days 13 hours ago

4 -

So, this is only for the Wii version?

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AcidRhain - 914 days 13 hours ago

5 - IMO

Rockstar should have psychiatrists on staff in their game developement division.

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Kokoro - 914 days 13 hours ago

6 - If people are upset

It's because they're not old enough to buy the game in the first place.

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emptiness - 914 days 13 hours ago

7 - i don't get it

i just don't understand how people can find entertainment in grotesque and glorified violence...i don't understand this for video games like manhunt2 or postal, horror movies, or glorified war movies...i'm just saddened and confused that people find it entertaining...

to be fair, there are people who CAN handle and digest this type of situation without turning psycho and actually going out and hurting others...so instead of totally banning it and slapping those people in the face they should just make it AO and not put it on shelves...hide it under the counter, have the buyer fill out a waiver, show id, or something...

@the guy below ...um, i'm not emo, and if i'm against violence then why would i inflict it upon myself? i'm also not a "boy" as you say. i'm 29 with two kids, see a serious problem, and will stand up for my childrens rights to not be influenced by such a disgraceful attempt at entertainment.

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Syko 360 - 914 days 13 hours ago

7.1 -

Hey nancy boy. Go read some of the Jack Thompson articles and quit posting the same hippie tree huggin crap in every article about Manhunt. You're a sensitive emo boy we get it, now shut the hell up and go cut yourself.

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eclipsegryph - 914 days 12 hours ago

7.2 -

Wow, repressed much, Syko? If ever a comment deserved to be reported for offensiveness it would be yours.

The man is simply making an honest opinion and in no way deserved to be treated like that, regardless of if you agreed or not. Perhaps you enjoy looking like a rude fool on the Internet, but I seriously hope you don't act like that offline, or else you will be in for a rude awakening when reality hits you.

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PS360WII - 914 days 13 hours ago

8 -

dang well I hope they still release it as is. M rating doesn't do it for parents cuz they'll buy it anyways for the punks. So AO should maybe hopefully get the point accross to parents that 'hey you might not want your kids playing this'

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Norad6 - 914 days 13 hours ago

9 - Ok, this sucks... Why do you ask?

Do you know how hard it will be to find this game now? Gamestop, EB, Gamecrazy, Best Buy, Wal Mart, and Circut City (probably more) do not sell AO rated games do to the fact that it goes against company policies. Most likely the only way to get this game is either Ebay or a family owned gaming retailer. I really do not want to go trough rhis much trouble to get a game. I'll just buy the PS2 version and be happy.

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Snake_Doctor - 914 days 12 hours ago

9.1 - I don't see your point

It sucks because it isn't easy to find in a B&M store??? You obviously have internet access, so if you really want to find it you can.

I didn't play the original manhunt but I could see from the trailer that people would be offended by what goes on in the game.

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cdawson - 914 days 13 hours ago

10 -

This game should be banned outright, it pushes the envelope way too far.
You play a murderer for christ sakes? Am I the only person that sees something seriously wrong with this?

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GrahamDJ - 914 days 13 hours ago

10.1 -

...there are countless games where you murder/play a murderer/etc. Who gets to decide which ones go too far?

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emptiness - 914 days 13 hours ago

10.2 -

i agree with you, it should be banned from marketing and sale. but unfortunately our society has been force fed violence via the media for years and years. this slow desensitization of violence continually erodes our society into believing that its "ok" to hurt others. this game is just another step toward completely demoralizing our society and culture...

its the parents job to censor what their child ingests but the problem is that thousands of children have parents who are STILL children. parents who are naive, immature, and ignorant to subjects and situations as this are the parents who are letting their child grow up to think that violence is "ok" and buying their kids these types of video games...

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Norad6 - 914 days 13 hours ago

10.3 - Only thing that matters is....

I don't need a group of concerned parents to tell me what I can and cannot play. If I'm old enough to drink, I should be old enough to make my own decisions on what games I can play.

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emptiness - 914 days 12 hours ago

10.4 -

@Norad6 with the way you "speak" you don't sound old enough to walk let alone drink. taking responsibility to protect our children is obviously something you lack. probably because you still are a child. your immaturity toward responsibilty is apparent. i'm guessing you drink irresponsibly as well... it is the duty of the mature to censor content that should not be viewed by the immature such as yourself.

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mcintosh233 - 913 days 17 hours ago

10.5 -

@ get a life mate, people should adopt the principal don't like what you are watching CHANGE THE CHANNEL. don't complain and spoil it for everyone, doing so is selfish.

who are you or anyone else to tell me what is right and wrong.

governments are allowed to invade iraq and kill hundreds of thousands of people but the people aren't allowed a good old murder simulator

it is our nature to kill things

better on screen than off screen

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PS360WII - 914 days 13 hours ago

11 - What I don't get

Why is it okay to button mash this murder sim and that's okay to the world, yet put a motion to it and now it's the horrible game that should be banned everywhere?

Plus cdawson are you serious? This is the only game that you know of where it's about a murder doing murderous things?! If that is the case then you need to go to a game store and see that basically everyother game on the shelves has to do with someone murdering someone. They call it killing or war or defence but it's still shooting someone in the face/murder.

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GrahamDJ - 914 days 13 hours ago

11.1 -

Exactly. It's like pushing the big red button - it's easy, so it's acceptable. It doesn't make it any less violent than stabbing someone in the face.

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thisisim - 914 days 11 hours ago

11.2 -

There's definitely a difference between war-time defense of country and murder. Not the same at all.

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The Snake - 914 days 5 hours ago

11.3 -

There's an even bigger difference between pretending to kill a fake person and actually killing a real person.

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cdawson - 914 days 13 hours ago

12 -

For example?

Shooters where you play a soldier are one thing, but a game where you find creative and disturbing ways to kill people is a totally different ball park.
The first one is the only game where I actually stopped playing because it was just too disturbing (not to mention it was a bad game).
Do we really need games like this? and if you are looking forward to games like this then you need professional help.

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emptiness - 914 days 13 hours ago

12.1 - you are correct sir

indeed. anyone who thinks gruesome and glorified violence is entertainment needs professional mental help...

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GrahamDJ - 914 days 13 hours ago

12.2 -

You can't judge a person because they think an over-the-top game is entertaining. I thought Planet Terror was entertaining, and it contained nothing but senseless and brutal violence. I alos don't need professional help.

War games - you're still killing people. You think soldiers don't get creative with their kills?

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Norad6 - 914 days 13 hours ago

12.3 - oh cry me a river...

Do I really need help if I know that this is JUST A GAME!!!! You people make me sick. If you don't like the game, DON'T PLAY IT, but don't ruin it for the people that do want to play it.

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Close_Second - 914 days 12 hours ago

12.4 - I agree...

...games that sensationalise death or crime need to be looked at closely. Whats next? how many woman can you rape in a game? How many kids can you mollest? When will the first Wii game be released that turns the Wiimote into a Wii-penis to use on your victims in the game...such games add nothing of value and therefor should not be released.

Take Two don't half set themselves up to be the scapegoat for some future mad gunman or murderer.

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ITR - 914 days 11 hours ago

12.5 -

Any shooter is murder..regardless if you use a motion to do it or you use a button.

What about the arcades...we use fake swords and guns to kill people or undead things.

By putting a ban on this game your setting yourself up to have other games censored or banned as well.

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The Snake - 914 days 5 hours ago

12.6 -

Agreed. Once you start down a slippery slope like banning a game that's made and marketed for ADULTS ONLY "to protect our children," where do you stop? GTA because you can kill innocent people without consequence? Burnout because you are encouraged to do things that would cause lots of death if done in real life? War games because you are encouraged to kill humans? Zombie games because you kill dead things that look like humans? Where does it end? What's to say that things don't end up getting taken to a level beyond what the original advocates of the censorship originally intended?

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mcintosh233 - 913 days 17 hours ago

12.7 -

proffesional brainwashing to your way of thinking you mean

i think i'll pass

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Close_Second - 914 days 13 hours ago

13 - I can't understand this...

...why would Nintendo who has pushed the Wii as a casual gaming paradise even approve such a game for the Wii? How many parents will now be rethinking the purchase of the Wii for their kids knowing that its now getting hardcore games (i.e. Resident Evil 4, Manhunt 2).

As for banning this game - good job and I dare say the UK won't be the last. This type of game is not warranted. What Take Two need to be extremely cautious of now is people will be really aware of the types of games they create. If GTA IV crosses any lines then expect a witch hunt.

@PS360Wii: May be their plan but hardcore gamers are not interested in the Wii - are they? I always regarded the Wii as the preferred option for casual gaming.

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PS360WII - 914 days 13 hours ago

13.1 -

Well Nintendo wants to let the hardcore gamer see that they want games for them too on the Wii. Nintendo wants to get rid of the kid only term. They want to be known for great kid appeal but they also want the hardcore audience to like them as well.

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Norad6 - 914 days 12 hours ago

13.2 - Well huzaa!

Nintendo got rid of their kiddy image with just one game. WRONG, they'll always be the game system for kids. No matter what they dish out. 20 years of kiddy image out weighs one violent game.

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ItsDubC - 914 days 12 hours ago

13.3 -

The Wii is obviously not "for" kids, but it is the most "kid-friendly" of all the current home consoles on the market. It has parental controls for a reason.

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ITR - 914 days 11 hours ago

13.4 -

I hope you understand over 50% of the folks that own a Wii are 18 or over.

I would dare say a good portion of those are 21 and over.

Everyone I know that has a Wii are 20 or older.

Parents look at ratings. Parents will buy pretty much everything from E-Teen for kids in the 8-10 yr old range. Some will even buy the M-rated ones if they approve of it and the kid begs.

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Syko 360 - 914 days 12 hours ago

14 - Scary

As Video games get more realistic in 15-20 years with Virtual hands and Virtual body suits that put you in the game the censorship will only get worse. This is the start of a horrible trend. It's OK to smash a skull with the A button. But swinging a remote to drive an ax into somebody's dome is unacceptable. Hell, really it is just sad. How long did it take to even allow cursing in video games? Nudity only in very small doses. But yet I have seen movies with all 3(Violence,Language and Nudity) going on at the same time. Until kids that have grown up with video games come into power this wont change, because the people calling the shots now don't understand or play videogames.

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15 bootsielon | 914 days 12 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Norad6 - 914 days 12 hours ago

15.1 - I know it really stupid...

M rated game are 17+. AO rated game are 18+. 0_o ok, the ESRB was on crack while coming up with this rating system.

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eclipsegryph - 914 days 12 hours ago

15.2 -

Wow. Sometimes it's just really easy to tell why people have one bubble.

And it's sad, because at times, fleeting though they were, you made sense.

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Mucudadada - 914 days 12 hours ago

16 - Yup...

It was bound to happen. I mean...does anyone rmember the original Manhunt. Throw in the Wii-mote controls and you have angry politicians.

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ItsDubC - 914 days 12 hours ago

17 - Let me reiterate

Games such as FPSs and GTA DOWNPLAY the seriousness and consequences of murder, whereas Manhunt forces you to think it through. Is it better to murder everything in sight like it's no big deal, or to strategize every killing? In the end, it's all glorified violence.

And as PS360WII said, how is it OK for this violence to be portrayed as long as the control scheme is unrealistic? That's just plain dumb but totally understandable from the point of view of those who don't play videogames.

I'm an adult and feel that I should have the right to play this game regardless of what irresponsible parents think a videogame's content should be.

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MK_Red - 914 days 12 hours ago

18 -

Wow, releasing MH2 on Wii is becoming harder and harder. R* really needs to remove Wii's childish face before releasing this for Wii.

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Adropacrich2 - 914 days 12 hours ago

19 -

I'm probably in a massive minority on this but i actually found the first one to be quite disturbing.It brought home what it could be like to kill someone (maybe a good thing then if it puts you off).I stopped playing the game shortly into it because i just couldn't see the point.I kill things all the time in games but never do i think of myself as really killing people - i did in Manhunt and it felt wrong.

This news will no doubt annoy most folk but i wonder if we really do need games like this.

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ITR - 914 days 11 hours ago

19.1 -

At least it made you think.
Mindless killing is the worst killing of all.

I should know I'm ex US Army soldier...it stays with you.

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Maddens Raiders - 914 days 11 hours ago

20 - Interesting -

This is the hottest Wii news I've read in a LONG time; ironically it's about "Adult" rated content.

I'll be brief. I played the he77 out of the first Manhunt on the PS2 and finished it several times over. It probably ranks up there for me as one of the most gruesome games out there along w/ Splatterhouse, GTA III, Chiller, and Mortal Kombat. I must admit that it took a little getting used to at first. I mean suffocating people to death and blasting their noggins full of nails from a nail gun was definitely cruel and unusual punishment, but these things have to be taken in stride. I am a soon to be father and understand what some of the dad's are talking about here. I was lucky enough to be raised by some really kick @$$ parents that instilled decent values, the ability to tell right from wrong...blah, blah...blah.

The problem though is that some folks don't have this instilled in them and may think that they are a living extension of the game. Look, it's a fine line and I must agree w/ bootsielon and syko360 that this is really pushing the limits of total censorship. I know things get censored in the EU a lot quicker than in the US, but maybe we here in the US can learn from this somehow. I just don't see how a kid (mainly playing wii's) benefits from swinging the remote around, contorting and imitating slicing someone's jugular or bashing their head in. I'm a little torn on this one. Bummer for Rockstar. They have been pushing the limits for quite a while ~ looks like the public's outcry for the "greater good" might be getting to them. Let's remember, good always wins over evil, even if it is just a game. Just my take guys -- not trying to be right or wrong here, just conscientious of a much larger issue here than simply Manhunt 2 coming out on the Wii.

cheers

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nfekted - 914 days 11 hours ago

20.1 -

I can honestly say that I enjoyed playing the first Manhunt. Altogether, it was a great stealth/action game. And no I don't need any sort of mental help. For those who mentioned that, show me you're degree in Psych......those are assumptions based on even more assumptions...

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progx - 914 days 11 hours ago

21 - So other than a big fat "AO" on the box what does this mean?

I don't have to be 21 to buy do I?

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