JP
Remember yesterday that I told you about Manhunt 2 receiving an ‘AO’ rating, thereby jeopardizing its release on both Wii and PS3 consoles? It has officially been delayed.
Frankly, I’m disappointed in the gaming industry, as it likely had a large impact on this decision. I’m most upset with Nintendo and Sony at their refusal to allow games marked as ‘AO’ on their systems. Some video games are violent, others are extremely violent. But can a game truly be so violent that you refuse to let your customers play it?
We have bought your consoles for years, and I think we’re fully capable of deciding that something is inappropriate to play. So you want your consoles to be “family friendly,” fine. But that term has always been such crap. What you really mean is “kid friendly.” If you really meant that it was for the family, you would realize that in most people’s family there are parents. You know, adults. Oh, but you don’t allow games that are only for adults, just the ones that kids can play. So lets cut the “family friendly” crap and call it what it really is, “kid friendly.”
By now you’re probably wondering why I would get so upset over a game being delayed. It’s probably because I was really looking forward to playing it, right? No, that’s actually not my type of game. My problem is that video games are art. Just the same as a book or a movie is art. Essentially what Nintendo and Sony are doing is censoring the artists’ work and telling them that if they want people to see it, they are going to have to change it to meet their standards. For this reason, I hope that they decide to keep the game as it is and release it for the PC. Sadly, I know that from a business standpoint this isn’t feasible, so maybe they could go ahead and change it to comply with Nintendo and Sony’s standards, so they can actually release the game. But also keep this original version and release it for the PC sometime in the future.
Yes, I know that Nintendo and Sony both have every right to police what content is allowed on their systems. I’m just disappointed in them for doing so. I also know what people mean when they say “family friendly,” I just think it’s a cheesy way to describe something that is meant to be safe for children. Here’s a good question, does Sony block XXX-rated movies on the PS3? I know that it has to be feasible, since they had built-in parental controls in the PS2, why not just automatically block anything with a XXX rating? It’s the same thing really, and those titles are definitely not “family friendly.”
Take-Two decides to delay release of Manhunt 2 [via opposablethumbs]
4 Responses to “Manhunt 2 delayed – thanks alot guys”
Dajuro June 22, 2007
Here’s the thing you don’t understand. You are in the extreme minority. The overwhelming majority of parents don’t want this kind of filth marketed to their kids, and let’s be honest here, this game isn’t for the “mature gamer”. The developers know that the majority of their profits for games like this, come from kids. They count on it. So let’s cut the BS of pretending these games were intended for adults.
NeutralBrian June 22, 2007
You do have a point, that the game would undoubtedly end up in kids’ hands, just like GTA and other games for “mature” audiences. However, this is basically blatant censorship. It’s not the job of the ESRB, Nintendo, or Sony to keep kids from playing these games. It’s the parents’ job. Why should I, or you, or anyone else for that matter care if someone else’s kids play it. It doesn’t affect us.
And it won’t be marketed to kids, or at least I don’t think it will be. That’s like seeing a commercial for a porno on Nickelodeon. Games like GTA, Condemned, etc. don’t need marketing to get it into kids’ hands. One kid will get it, and by the end of the week, everyone at school will be asking their parents for it, or going over to Jimmy’s house to get their virtual killing fix. If I do see some sort of marketing where it’s obvious younger kids will see it, I’d be both surprised and disappointed.
Anyways, it’s no one’s job to say you can’t play this because it’s too violent to anyone over the age of 18. When I have kids I’ll watch what they play, but I don’t expect anyone else to feel it’s their job to do it for me.
Obviously the ESRB dosn’t really work anyways if I’m listening to 8-year-olds swear at me with their high pitched voices on XBOX Live after killing me in Halo 2.
+2Electro^Plaknton June 22, 2007
I think you’re not seeing the bigger picture. What it really comes down to is responsibility. Video games are already targeted for some of its questionable content. If an AO rated game is sold, and something violent happens, say a school shooting – SURPRISE SURPRISE, video games always become the target. If it ain’t music, it’s always video games.
The PR fall-out, legal reprecussions could be extremely detrimental to an industry already facing an up-hill struggle with “mainstreaming” itself to become more mass market. Nintendo and Sony can’t/won’t fight that battle because ultimately the issue is one of greater social stigmas regarding video games.
In all honesty, I support Nintendo and Sony’s stance. I won’t argue your point about video games being art because that’s subjective. What I will say is this. I’ve worked in marketing for a long time and wanna know something? This game will never be marketed to “adults”. It will be marketed to kids, young teens, and college students. Older adults, for the most part, are not interested in these types of games. It’s the younger people, who find it fascinating to glorify violence, that will be interested. It’s an interesting linear curve found in marketing. You see it show up in almost every medium, from movies to music.
NeutralSpooky July 16, 2007
I was looking forward to playing the game and was disappointed that it was delayed.
I’m not infuriated about it, since I understand the concerns about video games and cultural values, violence, and all that.
I took what money would’ve been used on a Manhunt 2 purchase and bought 4 or 5 used video games and used the rest on something else.
Even if this game were rated M, it would probably wind up in the hands of kids (but I’m not necessarily saying this should be a reason to ban / delay the game, it’s just an observation).
I was at a local Game Stop store a couple of weeks ago. There was a father with two kids. His kids both appeared to be under age ten.
The kids chose several games and brought them up to the register to check out.
The sales person informed the father that some of the games were rated “M,” and he explained what that meant.
He also told the father that one of the games they chose had sexual references, vulgar language, etc.
The father said he was okay with it.
The sales person, thinking maybe the dad didn’t comprehend, explained again, and asked a few more times, ‘are you *sure* you want them to have these games?’
I couldn’t believe a parent would be so irresponsible as to allow children to purchase / play mature video games.
Neutral