Fez
31-08-2007, 12:31 PM
Hey folks, over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'll be getting the BWQ ready for a Huge Month Showdown, it's a yearly event, and I can't say what it's gonna be for it's first time, you might get a few clues and stuff. Expect it near Halloween.
Anyway, this week's question is quite big...
Manhunt 2's Ban has been lifted in 2 places (North America and [rumoured] Netherlands, will this effect the United Kingdom's decision to ban it?
Let me start off with the links and quotes...
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25888389
Source: The Associated Press (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8RARKKO0.htm) yesterday reported that the Dutch Justice Ministry declined to ban controversial video game Manhunt 2, and an avalanche of gaming sites reported it as news that an uncut version of the game would be released in the Netherlands.
What we heard: According to the Associated Press, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin wrote a letter to parliament saying that it was not possible to ban the game under Dutch law, as there is no authoritative ratings board for the Netherlands. Hirsch Ballin noted the only possible legal action that could be taken would be against those who distribute it to minors under 16 if the images were ultra-violent, and even this has never been tested in court.
This stands in contrast to other European countries, where games can be banned by government ratings groups. In June, Manhunt 2 was refused a rating (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172704.html) by the Irish Film Censor's Office in the Republic of Ireland and the BBFC in the UK, preventing it from being released in those countries.
The minister said, "The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material." Hence, the game presumably could be released in all its uncut, gory glory to the Dutch people.
However, Hirsch Ballin didn't seem happy about it. He said it was "the joint responsibility of parents, the audiovisual industry and the government," adding that the government was reviewing the possibility of making new laws to protect children. He also proposed a unified EU-wide ratings standard, saying that could lead to a ban on the most violent games.
Apparently the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age-rating system doesn't cut it for Hirsch Ballin's banning purposes, possibly because the ratings given by the board are a recommendation only and not backed by force of law. PEGI also isn't entirely inclusive; countries like Germany, the UK, and the Republic of Ireland choose to use their own ratings systems, and their systems are enforced by law.
It's worth noting that the Associated Press report doesn't tie any mention of an unedited version of Manhunt 2 to Hirsch Ballin's comments (at least not in the versions most commonly sourced). Therefore, there's no telling whether the justice minister's letter to parliament was in reference to an edited version of the game or the original, whether the minister even knew of the existence of an edited Manhunt 2, or which version--if any--Take-Two would try to release there.
It's more likely Hirsch Ballin was merely responding to someone else's call for the game to be banned (or inquiry into the possibility of banning it). Given that Dutch law does not allow for the banning of violent games unless they include illegal material like racist propaganda or pedophilia, there would be no reason for Take-Two to seek the minister's approval beforehand. And if Take-Two didn't go looking for his opinion, he likely hasn't had access to the game (edited or not), and is speaking in general terms about the possibility of banning violent games, rather than specifically addressing Manhunt 2.
The official story: Rockstar commented, "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 or a release of the game in Europe."
http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/manhunt2/news.html?sid=6177498
Rockstar has never been a company to shy away from controversy--if it isn't the "Hot Coffee" (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6129301.html) scandal in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it's the furor from the press in the weeks before the release of Canis Canem Edit (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6160000.html) (known as Bully in the US), or the banning of Manhunt 2 (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172704.html) in the UK and Ireland.
While a game cannot be banned outright by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board in the US, it can receive an AO for Adults Only rating, which is a similar kiss of death due to release and sales policies; many major retailers in the country will not stock AO-rated games, and Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft refuse to allow them on their systems (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172830.html). Manhunt 2 (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172743.html) was handed down this rating from the ESRB.
After Manhunt 2 received the AO rating, Take-Two suspended the release of the title while it "explored its options." (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172931.html) In a recent conference call, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6173894.html) promised shareholders and journalists that the title would be released.
Today, he gets his wish, as Rockstar Games announced that a "modified version" of Manhunt 2 has received an M for Mature rating for ages 17 and over, and will be released on the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, and Wii in North America on October 31.
The company did not comment on what had been cut from the title in order to achieve the lower rating. The ESRB assigned the following content descriptors to Manhunt 2: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs.
Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games, commented, "Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience. 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 company is also appealing the ban (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6175967.html) in the UK, but this is a lengthy process which could take months.
Rockstar had not returned calls for comment as of press time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
My opinion : I think that the news may change the rating and might help win the appeal, because if other country's accept Manhunt 2, then maybe they'll think we can?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, this week's question is quite big...
Manhunt 2's Ban has been lifted in 2 places (North America and [rumoured] Netherlands, will this effect the United Kingdom's decision to ban it?
Let me start off with the links and quotes...
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25888389
Source: The Associated Press (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8RARKKO0.htm) yesterday reported that the Dutch Justice Ministry declined to ban controversial video game Manhunt 2, and an avalanche of gaming sites reported it as news that an uncut version of the game would be released in the Netherlands.
What we heard: According to the Associated Press, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin wrote a letter to parliament saying that it was not possible to ban the game under Dutch law, as there is no authoritative ratings board for the Netherlands. Hirsch Ballin noted the only possible legal action that could be taken would be against those who distribute it to minors under 16 if the images were ultra-violent, and even this has never been tested in court.
This stands in contrast to other European countries, where games can be banned by government ratings groups. In June, Manhunt 2 was refused a rating (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172704.html) by the Irish Film Censor's Office in the Republic of Ireland and the BBFC in the UK, preventing it from being released in those countries.
The minister said, "The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material." Hence, the game presumably could be released in all its uncut, gory glory to the Dutch people.
However, Hirsch Ballin didn't seem happy about it. He said it was "the joint responsibility of parents, the audiovisual industry and the government," adding that the government was reviewing the possibility of making new laws to protect children. He also proposed a unified EU-wide ratings standard, saying that could lead to a ban on the most violent games.
Apparently the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age-rating system doesn't cut it for Hirsch Ballin's banning purposes, possibly because the ratings given by the board are a recommendation only and not backed by force of law. PEGI also isn't entirely inclusive; countries like Germany, the UK, and the Republic of Ireland choose to use their own ratings systems, and their systems are enforced by law.
It's worth noting that the Associated Press report doesn't tie any mention of an unedited version of Manhunt 2 to Hirsch Ballin's comments (at least not in the versions most commonly sourced). Therefore, there's no telling whether the justice minister's letter to parliament was in reference to an edited version of the game or the original, whether the minister even knew of the existence of an edited Manhunt 2, or which version--if any--Take-Two would try to release there.
It's more likely Hirsch Ballin was merely responding to someone else's call for the game to be banned (or inquiry into the possibility of banning it). Given that Dutch law does not allow for the banning of violent games unless they include illegal material like racist propaganda or pedophilia, there would be no reason for Take-Two to seek the minister's approval beforehand. And if Take-Two didn't go looking for his opinion, he likely hasn't had access to the game (edited or not), and is speaking in general terms about the possibility of banning violent games, rather than specifically addressing Manhunt 2.
The official story: Rockstar commented, "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 or a release of the game in Europe."
http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/manhunt2/news.html?sid=6177498
Rockstar has never been a company to shy away from controversy--if it isn't the "Hot Coffee" (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6129301.html) scandal in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it's the furor from the press in the weeks before the release of Canis Canem Edit (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6160000.html) (known as Bully in the US), or the banning of Manhunt 2 (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172704.html) in the UK and Ireland.
While a game cannot be banned outright by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board in the US, it can receive an AO for Adults Only rating, which is a similar kiss of death due to release and sales policies; many major retailers in the country will not stock AO-rated games, and Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft refuse to allow them on their systems (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172830.html). Manhunt 2 (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172743.html) was handed down this rating from the ESRB.
After Manhunt 2 received the AO rating, Take-Two suspended the release of the title while it "explored its options." (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172931.html) In a recent conference call, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6173894.html) promised shareholders and journalists that the title would be released.
Today, he gets his wish, as Rockstar Games announced that a "modified version" of Manhunt 2 has received an M for Mature rating for ages 17 and over, and will be released on the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, and Wii in North America on October 31.
The company did not comment on what had been cut from the title in order to achieve the lower rating. The ESRB assigned the following content descriptors to Manhunt 2: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs.
Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games, commented, "Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience. 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 company is also appealing the ban (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6175967.html) in the UK, but this is a lengthy process which could take months.
Rockstar had not returned calls for comment as of press time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
My opinion : I think that the news may change the rating and might help win the appeal, because if other country's accept Manhunt 2, then maybe they'll think we can?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------