My OperaManhunt 2 No Longer 'M' for Mature + Rockstar Answer
By Geoff GirardinG-off. Wednesday, June 20, 2007 12:00:58 AM
Manhunt 2 for the Playstation 2 and Wii has been rated Adults-Only and, as a result, will more than likely not be carried by a majority of retail stores such as Walmart and Target. Take-Two Interactive said the following in a press release:
"The ESRB has issued an initial rating of AO (Adults Only) for Manhunt 2 (and) we believe the process of rating videogames is to help people make informed entertainment choices and not to limit them. Manhunt 2 was created for mature audiences and we strongly believe it should receive an M (Mature) rating, aligning it with similar content created in other forms of media. We are exploring our options with regard to Manhunt 2."
This is following a campaign being led by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, who has been urging folks to email ESRB employee Patricia vance to bump the rating of the game to AO for the Wii version, comparing the came to an X rated or unrated movie, citing the cause with the "unprecedented combination of video game violence and the interactive Wii platform."
Remember: 'M' means 17 and older, while 'AO' means 18 and older.
UPDATE: Rockstar has responded to the new rating:
“This is completely unexpected to the whole team. We love the horror genre. We thought we could do something interesting and entertaining with it in the video game medium. When we had this first Manhunt game, there wasn’t this reaction. We thought [Manhunt 2] was consistent with a mature rating.”
If Rockstar appeals to the ESRB, or edits the game content, the rating could be lowered.
-Geoff out
(42%)
J. KingMTKnight # Wednesday, June 20, 2007 2:29:52 AM
.edDotEd # Wednesday, June 20, 2007 3:20:34 AM
no retail game has ever held an adults only rating and been sold in a store with walk in customers under the age of 18... so we're talking adult stores... and ... welll... Rockstar could kiss goodbye sales if tahts the case. My guess is if it keeps the AO rating, sotres like gamestop will do a thing where you need to "preorder it" and then come back to the store to get it.. where the purchaser signs a reserve slip with a bit of legalspeak on it releasing gamestop and the store associates fo any legal liability.
but after a glass of reality juice... i think Rockstar will fold and remove some scenes for the lower rating. the hype already exists, all taht is left is to ride the wave to retail with a M rating and watch the sales figures soar.
it was probably intentional. the company is a fan of viral marketing and playing the media game.
AntonCaptainSeagull # Wednesday, June 20, 2007 5:45:32 AM