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Take Two Interactive's (NASDAQ: TTWO) Rockstar Games was expected to release its latest game, Manhunt 2, on July 10 for Nintendo's (OTC: NTDOY) Wii and Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 2 consoles. However, Britain, America's friendly Democratic neighbor, has banned sales for -- get this -- "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone."I think that is how my mother referred to my dress code back in high school.
The banning comes after a 14-year old British schoolboy was murdered by a friend, Warren Leglanc, age 17. The parents of the schoolboy blamed a video game for their son's death. Patric Pakeerah, the father of the murdered boy, welcomed the decision, saying "It's a video instruction on how to murder somebody; it just shows how you kill people and what weapons you use."
I'd hate to see if Mr. Pakeerah ever watched prime-time television. Or the news, for that matter.
The game the child was "obsessed" over? Manhunt. A game that Britain's rating group issued BBFC 18, meaning the game was only to be sold to people over the age of 18. Leglanc, who pleaded guilty to the murder, was 17. The victim's parents are blaming the game. Not the store that sold him the game. Or the parents for not monitoring what he was playing. Hmm.
What are these parents in arms about? Well, players of Manhunt 2 control an escaped mental institution patient who goes on a killing spree as he fights for his freedom. When using the Wii console, players can perform special death moves by moving the wireless controller at just the right time.
Death moves. Doesn't that sound familiar? Does 1992's "Mortal Kombat" ring a bell? Maybe the fifteen other Mortal Kombat video games, including last year's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, might jar your memory.
MK: Armageddon is out in the UK. Check out the carnage on that one.
The last game to be banned in Britain was 1997's Carmageddon, which players earned points by driving vehicles over pedestrians. I can think of dozens of games that have that ability -- Grand Theft Auto, also from Take-Two -- and they were allowed to be sold in Britain.
Across the pond in the United States, a national coalition of educators and child advocacy groups sent a letter to the ratings board hoping to give Manhunt 2 the strictest rating possible, "Adults Only," similar to Britain's BBFC 18. While the rating would hurt sales for Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, it would not be banned in America because of its "bleakness" and callous tone.
Now, I expect to get a lot of feedback from people saying Manhunt 2 and other games like it are bad for kids, and I'm not going to argue against that. I'm talking about creative freedom. Use your ratings board to control what your children play, better yet, why don't you -- as a parent -- find out what your children play. Get involved. If Britain thinks it can just ban games on a whim, it's going to hurt more than RockStar and TakeTwo Interactive, it will hurt the industry as a whole -- from game makers to retailers, and, most importantly, consumers.
Kevin Shult is a writer for TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).
What are these parents in arms about? Well, players of Manhunt 2 control an escaped mental institution patient who goes on a killing spree as he fights for his freedom. When using the Wii console, players can perform special death moves by moving the wireless controller at just the right time.
Death moves. Doesn't that sound familiar? Does 1992's "Mortal Kombat" ring a bell? Maybe the fifteen other Mortal Kombat video games, including last year's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, might jar your memory.
MK: Armageddon is out in the UK. Check out the carnage on that one.
The last game to be banned in Britain was 1997's Carmageddon, which players earned points by driving vehicles over pedestrians. I can think of dozens of games that have that ability -- Grand Theft Auto, also from Take-Two -- and they were allowed to be sold in Britain.
Across the pond in the United States, a national coalition of educators and child advocacy groups sent a letter to the ratings board hoping to give Manhunt 2 the strictest rating possible, "Adults Only," similar to Britain's BBFC 18. While the rating would hurt sales for Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, it would not be banned in America because of its "bleakness" and callous tone.
Now, I expect to get a lot of feedback from people saying Manhunt 2 and other games like it are bad for kids, and I'm not going to argue against that. I'm talking about creative freedom. Use your ratings board to control what your children play, better yet, why don't you -- as a parent -- find out what your children play. Get involved. If Britain thinks it can just ban games on a whim, it's going to hurt more than RockStar and TakeTwo Interactive, it will hurt the industry as a whole -- from game makers to retailers, and, most importantly, consumers.
Kevin Shult is a writer for TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).
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