The statistics, which came to light as a result of a written answer to a question by a Parliament member in the House of Commons yesterday, indicate that only four games in the past five years have been refused BBFC classification. All four instance occurred in 2007, and Rockstar's Manhunt 2 for the Wii, PS2, PC, and PSP could very well account for all four. and those were all reviewed and granted classification the next year.

In contrast, thirteen films have been refused since 2005. TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson finds this data very telling.

"There have been hardly any instances of the BBFC refusing classification for video games. In fact, during the past five years, there have only been four games deemed unfit or unsuitable for classification, as opposed to 13 films – more than three times the amount of games. It is important that these facts are placed in the public domain as they clearly counter some of the unfair stereotypes about video games."

Of course, for a more accurate idea of the film versus movie ratings ratio we'd have to know how many movies versus games passed through the BBFC ratings procedures during the reported years, but the data we have is good enough for a forum argument.

Manhunt 2, as an M-rated game on the PSP, PS2 and Wii, was very poorly received when it went out in 2007. While Rockstar hasn't specified what's going out in the super-duper adult version, it's my hunch that "adult" here doesn't mean what it means on pay-per-view. But there will be plenty of bodies.

AO-Rated Version of Manhunt 2 PC Coming Next Week via Download [Big Download via Joystiq]

Now, two years after release, it seems Rockstar are willing to give the game one more chance, and release it uncut, as was originally unintended. The game has returned to the ESRB's website with its "Adults Only" rating restored, only this time bound for the PC instead of a console.

With Rockstar's titles already available on digital delivery services like Steam, a PC download release of the game in its uncut form wouldn't be too bad an idea. Not like it's going to lose them any money.

ESRB rates 'AO' version of Manhunt 2 for PC [Joystiq]

Manhunt 2 was of course originally denied classification by the BBFC, after which Rockstar appealed, won the appeal, after which the BBFC appealed, then lost, and basically just wasted everyone's time until no one cared anymore, which only took about a week. Congratulations, Rockstar!

Manhunt 2 finally gets UK release date [GamesIndustry.biz]

The classification of Manhunt 2 is a matter for the BBFC and the Video Appeals Committee... It is important to note that there is no conclusive evidence of any link between playing computer games and violent behaviour in real life. Our concern is to make sure that inappropriate material is kept away from children.

We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk. However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an '18' certificate to the game."

VAC Allows Appeal On Manhunt 2 The Video Appeals Committee today announced that the result of their reconsideration of the Manhunt 2 appeal remains that the appeal against the rejection of the work by the BBFC is upheld.

The Board's decision to refuse a certificate to Manhunt 2 was successfully challenged on appeal to the Video Appeals Committee. The Board challenged the VAC's decision by way of Judicial Review before the High Court, which quashed the decision on grounds of errors of law. The VAC has now reconsidered the appeal in the light of the High Court's directions on the law but has decided, again by a majority of four to three, to allow the appeal on the basis that Manhunt 2 should be given an '18' certificate.

In the light of legal advice the Board does not believe the VAC's judgement provides a realistic basis for a further challenge to its decision and has accordingly issued an '18' certificate.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:
"As I have said previously, we never take rejection decisions lightly, and they always involve a complex balance of considerations. We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk. However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an '18' certificate to the game."

The Associated Press just published their worst of 2007 list for video games. The straight forward list includes Manhunt 2, Deal or No Deal and Lair along with some biting explanation:

1. "Manhunt 2": Rockstar Games' strategy — offend the watchdogs, reap the publicity, then sell a substandard product — reached its nadir with this ugly, unplayable mess. It begins with a lunatic flinging human waste at you; after about an hour, you'll want to fling "Manhunt 2."

4. "Lair": Sony lavished a lot of attention on this PlayStation 3 title, and it sure looks great. And who wouldn't want to fly a dragon? But with awkward, imprecise controls and lackluster, repetitive missions, "Lair" crashed and burned.

More interesting is their list of best sellers that still managed to annoy the big A. P. Among the list? The common-sense flouting, consumer-hurting feud between Guitar Hero and Rock Band controllers and the games Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Blue Dragon, Heavenly Sword and don't forget the unavailability of the Wii.

Week in Video-Game News [AP]

This week, they were able to argue to a judge that "game had been approved for release on a misinterpretation of the law." The judge accepted the argument and awarded the BBFC the right to fight the game's release in the British High Court.

This seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to for a game that (to me anyway) doesn't seem any more violent than most of the other M rated titles out there. Couple that with the fact the BBFC recently approved (with no cuts) the ultra violent film Eastern Promises with the excuse that "...it was up to adults to decide what they wanted to watch and that movie-goers were free to look away from the screen", and it makes their continued rallies against Manhunt 2 seem rather flimsy and hypocritical. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out as it will more than likely have a long standing effect on how games are rated and dealt with in the UK and possibly across Europe.

Manhunt 2 to face court challenge [BBC News]
[Thanks, DBP]

The BBFC was today given permission to judicially review the decision by the Video Appeals Committee to overturn the Board's rejection of the video game Manhunt 2. The Board has also been granted a stay on the classification of the game. It is expected that the case will be heard in January.

"We are disappointed that the BBFC has decided to appeal its own Video Appeals Committee's judgment in favor of an 18-plus certificate for Manhunt 2," said Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick.

"We believe the VAC decision was correct and do not understand the BBFC's decision to expend further public resources to censor a game that contains content well within the bounds established by the BBFC's 18-plus ratings certification."

See? The news is always more interesting if you apply the vast power of the human imagination to it. Otherwise this would have just been a giant "Duh!" of a story, but now we have a gripping tale of tragedy for the ages. Were it a movie it would end with the sound of quiet tears as the camera slowly zooms in on a pile of forgotten pizza boxes.

Take-Two disappointed with BBFC decision [GamesIndustry.biz]

"The BBFC is contesting the VAC judgment because in the Board's view, it is based on an approach to harm which is an incorrect interpretation of the Video Recordings Act. The VAC judgment, if allowed to stand, would have fundamental implications with regard to all the Board's decisions, including those turning upon questions of unacceptable levels of violence."

BBFC applies for judicial review [GamesIndustry.biz]

Such balancing judgments are inevitably complex and multi-faceted, and are made only after very careful consideration of the contents of a work. We played Manhunt 2 for well over 30 hours prior to our decision.

Pick games that require the player to come up with strategies and make decisions in a game environment that is more complex than punch, steal, and kill.

Yeah, I couldn't keep up with the theme towards the end there, but you get the point. Yee decided that he would get himself a little more notice as a crusader against violent gaming by issuing a helpful press release warning all of the parents out there that their adorable little children want to play Manhunt 2 and will stop at nothing to try and get you to buy it for them.

One such violent video, Manhunt 2, is on many children's wish list. It was recently revealed that the game - which many have called the most violent video game ever produced - has accessible content designed for an Adults-Only (AO) rating. Despite the graphically violent scenes which were supposedly removed in order to receive the downgraded Mature (M) rating, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has refused to re-rate the game.

My personal favorite tip? "Avoid the "first person shooter" and "third person shooter" killing-machine games." Killing-machine games? Is this a genre I've never heard of before? Does it involve a thresher?

I think the point I am trying to make here is that we need a game where we kill people with a thresher. Happy Holidays.

Yee Urges Parents to Avoid Violent Video Games when Holiday Shopping for Kids
Monday, November 26, 2007

Ultra-Violent Video Games Top Many Holiday Shopping Lists

SACRAMENTO - Citing potential harmful effects on minors, child psychologist and Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) today urged parents and grandparents to avoid violent video game purchases for their children this holiday season.

"Eighty-seven percent of children between 8 and 17 years of age play video or computer games and about 60 percent list their favorite games as rated M for Mature, which are games designed for adults," said Yee. "It is vitally important that parents and grandparents consider the content in video games before making holiday purchases. Regrettably, the rating system alone cannot be trusted, so parents should also carefully watch the content included in all their children's games."

One such violent video, Manhunt 2, is on many children's wish list. It was recently revealed that the game - which many have called the most violent video game ever produced - has accessible content designed for an Adults-Only (AO) rating. Despite the graphically violent scenes which were supposedly removed in order to receive the downgraded Mature (M) rating, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has refused to re-rate the game.

Manhunt 2 has been banned in England, and Target stores in the United States have refused to sell the game. The game is still readily available at Wal-Mart and other major retailers however.

Yee's 2005 law to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors in California is currently being litigated. A bill authored by Yee in 2004 which has gone into effect, requires video game retailers to post signs to inform consumers regarding the use of the video game rating system.

"Unfortunately, some parents don't realize that in many top selling games, the player actively participates in and is rewarded for violence, including killing police officers, maiming elderly persons, running over pedestrians, and torturing women and racial minorities," said Yee.

"These violent video games are learning tools for our children and can result in more aggressive behavior," said Randall Hagar of the California Psychiatric Association.

Parents and grandparents should consider the following before purchasing video games:

• Be aware of advertising and marketing to children. Advertising pressure contributes to impulse buying.

• Check the age ratings video game descriptors found on the box. Read other reviews, such as www.mediafamily.org, www commonsensemedia.org, and www.familymediaguide.com.

• Become familiar with the game.

• If there are violence and sexual themes in the title and cover picture, you can assume these themes are also in the game.

• Look for games involving multiple players to encourage group play.

• Pick games that require the player to come up with strategies and make decisions in a game environment that is more complex than punch, steal, and kill.

• Avoid the "first person shooter" and "third person shooter" killing-machine games.

• Discourage games that reward the player with more points or new scenes for anti-social and violent behavior.

For information on toy and product recalls, visit the United States Product Safety Commission website at www.cpsc.gov.

###

Senators urge tougher rating for "Manhunt" game [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter]

"Target strives to provide merchandise that will appeal to a wide variety of guests. We also want guests to be comfortable with the purchasing decisions they make at Target. All video games and computer software sold at Target currently carry ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)—from early childhood through mature audiences. While Manhunt 2 was given a Mature rating by the ERSB, we received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code. As a result, we have decided not to carry the game."

Target pulls Manhunt 2 from shelves? [GameSpot]

She noted that there are a lot of people reporting on the matter who are not technically up to speed on how this is different from the Hot Coffee situation. I guess that includes me. Rockstar is clearly getting a pass from the ESRB today. I don't really understand the technical difference that explains why they didn't get a pass last time and they are getting a pass this time. For instance, did Rockstar say to the ESRB: "Oh, yeah, we have the original execution scenes here and we blurred them. We don't think anyone can unblur them and we have done our best to make sure that doesn't happen." If it did something like that, I can see why they get a pass. But if they stopped short of that, then it's a little foggy to me.

I realize the difference between AO and M is a line that doesn't mean much in terms of who the game is geared towards, but a question of game sales. Still, a little more transparency to the whys and wherefores of these decisions wouldn't hurt.

Patricia Vance explains ESRB's latest decision to keep the M-rating on Manhunt 2 despite hacks [Mercury News A + E Interactive, thanks Eric!]

Yep, the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Unfortunately, I've been on step one for about three years now. It seems this is as far as I'm willing to go.

While I play the above, I have to wonder: what are you playing this weekend?

In a nutshell, Vance said what happened with Manhunt 2 was not at all similar with what happened with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' "Hot Coffee" scandal.

"With Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, that involved a scene that was fully rendered in unmodified content on the disc," she said. "It didn't alter the content; it merely unlocked it. That content was not disclosed to the ESRB... and it was easily accessible to PC users."

While Vance stressed the differences between what happened with GTA:SA and Manhunt 2, it was unclear to me how removing a filter to see images that were deemed appropriate for adults only and unlocking a scene in a game that is deemed appropriate for adults only is that different.

Vance contended that this was not an issue with the ESRB, but rather one created by smart hackers.

"I don't think there is much the ESRB can do to stop games from being modified," she said. "I don't think the ESRB should be held responsible."

The full press release and a short press release Q&A after the jump.

ESRB STATEMENT REGARDING INVESTIGATION INTO MANHUNT 2

Manhunt 2 was rated Mature by the ESRB for ages 17 and older for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs.

Earlier this week we learned about a hack into the code of the PSP and PS2 versions of the game that removes special effects filters that were put in place to obscure certain violent depictions. We have investigated the matter and concluded that unauthorized versions of the game have been released on the Internet along with instructions on how to modify the code to remove the special effects. Once numerous changes to the game's code have been made and other unauthorized software programs have been downloaded to the hardware device which circumvent security controls that prevent unauthorized games from being played on that hardware, a player can view unobscured versions of certain violent acts in the game. Contrary to some reports, however, we do not believe these modifications fully restore the product to the version that originally received an AO rating, nor is this a matter of unlocking content.

Our investigation indicates that the game's publisher disclosed to the ESRB all pertinent content in the authorized Mature-rated version of Manhunt 2 now available in stores, and complied with our guidelines on full disclosure of content.

What parents, and indeed all consumers, need to be aware of is that computer software and hardware devices are susceptible to unauthorized modification. Parents should be cognizant of whether or not their children are engaging in unauthorized modification of their games, consoles or handhelds, as those modifications can change game content in ways that may be inconsistent with the assigned ESRB rating. That being said, the vast majority of consumers have not made the unauthorized modifications to their hardware necessary to view the content at issue.

ESRB president Patricia Vance said:
"Manhunt 2's rating makes it unmistakable that the game is intended for an older audience. The unauthorized hacking into the code of this game doesn't change that basic fact.

"Parents need to be vigilant about monitoring what their children are downloading on the Internet and ensure that they are not making unauthorized and oftentimes illegal modifications to software and hardware that remove the controls the industry has so diligently put in place for their own protection."

Q&A
How is this situation different from the "Hot Coffee" incident?
The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" situation involved a scene that was a) fully rendered in an unmodified form on the disc (the Hot Coffee mod did not alter the content that was there, it merely unlocked it), b) not previously disclosed to the ESRB during the rating process, and c) easily accessible to all owners of the PC version of the game. Conversely, in the case of Manhunt 2, a) content that was programmed to be part of the game (i.e., visual blurring effects of certain violent depictions) is being modified, b) the content was previously disclosed to the ESRB, and c) unauthorized versions of software and/or hardware are required to play the modified content.

How is this situation different from the one with "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion?"
After the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the ESRB discovered extensive amounts of fully rendered and previously undisclosed blood and gore in the game that warranted a Mature rating. In addition, there was a fully rendered anatomically detailed art file of a topless female character present on the disc that had not been previously disclosed to the ESRB during the rating process. The blood and gore was accessible to all owners of the PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game. The partial nudity was accessible to all owners of the PC version of the game if they downloaded a modification available on the Internet that replaced one version of character artwork for another, both of which existed in a fully rendered form on the disc. Conversely, with Manhunt 2, a) the content in question was previously disclosed to the ESRB, b) the content is being modified by removing the obscuring blur effect that was programmed as part of the game, and c) unauthorized versions of software and/or hardware are required to play the modified content.

Why does this instance not fall under the ESRB's disclosure rule clarification requiring that locked-out content contained in the code on a game disc be considered in the assignment of a rating?
Our rule clarification following Hot Coffee required that pertinent content that is programmed to be locked out but which exists in an unmodified, fully rendered form on game discs must either be removed or disclosed to ESRB during the rating process. In the case of Manhunt 2, the scenes in question were playable (not locked-out), programmed to include the blur effect, and fully disclosed to the ESRB.

"Even though some people may consider Manhunt2 to be only a game, it unfortunately perpetuates and reinforces cruel, inaccurate perceptions that people who live with mental illnesses are violent. The U.S. Surgeon General has condemned such stigmatization, identifying fear of stigma as a major barrier to people getting help when they need it. The overall contribution of mental illnesses to violence in society is exceptionally small. In fact, people living with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence.

Oh really? Tell it to Batman, NAMI. Have you ever been to Arkham Asylum? Those dudes are so crazy they had to order an entire truckload of them crazy buckets, and there were still a bunch of guys going bucketless. Poor Batman.

I kid of course, but Arkham Asylum is an excellent example of another fictional mental hospital where the patients would kill you in several creative ways were you to wander in on door-unlocking day (worst idea ever). If a game were made starring Batman fighting his way out of Arkham after being trapped deep inside when say, an earthquake hits, freeing all of the inmates, it would be completely awesome. It would also be fictional, and we'd recognize that, just like we recognize that Manhunt 2 is fictional.

When it comes right down to it, I seriously doubt anyone is using Manhunt 2 as a tool to learn about the mentally ill, and if by some odd chance they are, they've probably already got a pretty good idea of what being mentally ill is all about anyway.

ManHunt 2 Video Game: Blasted for Linking Mental Illness to Violence; Retailers Asked Not to Sell Based on Public Health Concern

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today condemned the controversial video game Manhunt2 based on its irresponsible, stereotyped portrayal of people with mental illnesses, asking that it be recalled or modified, or that retailers decline to sell the game. NAMI executive director Mike Fitzpatrick issued the following statement:

"NAMI asks Rockstar Games to recall or further modify the videogame Manhunt2 due to its irresponsible, stereotyped portrayal of mental illness. We also ask retailers to be responsible in responding to public health concerns.

Even though some people may consider Manhunt2 to be only a game, it unfortunately perpetuates and reinforces cruel, inaccurate perceptions that people who live with mental illnesses are violent. The U.S. Surgeon General has condemned such stigmatization, identifying fear of stigma as a major barrier to people getting help when they need it. The overall contribution of mental illnesses to violence in society is exceptionally small. In fact, people living with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence.

Released on Halloween, Manhunt2 enables players to assume the role of a patient fighting to escape from the "Dixmor Asylum for the Criminally Insane." The patient uses a variety of sickening techniques to torture and kill security offices and others in his way.

Manhunt2 initially received an "Adults Only" rating for players ages 18 and older in the United States. This rating would have limited the game's market; several major retailers will not sell games with that rating. Rockstar made some small changes to the game, including the removal of a graphic scene with castration, and received a new rating of "Mature" for players ages 17 and older. The British Board of Film Classification was not satisfied with the changes and citing the game's "unremitting bleakness" and "casual sadism," has banned the game in the United Kingdom.

Concern over the violence reflected in the game up until now has not yet been extended to include the outrageous portrayal of the 54 million people in the United States who live with serious mental illnesses. We do not favor censorship, but we do ask for responsible exercise of creative rights when serious public health concerns are at issue. It is our right to demand a higher standard."