Jack Thompson hopes to stop distibution of ManHunt 2 in UK

[thelocaluk]

Noooooooooooo I here you all cry, If theres any justice in this world this man will get manhunted :lol:
http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=7956

[demondave]

It won't happen, in other countries maybe it will be banned but not the UK

[watchdog]

I'm glad. I tihnk #1 was a terrible game!

[thelocaluk]

The latest news is he is suing Take-Two Interactive to prevent the sale of Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Here's the news release:
Immediate News Release – March 10, 2007

Lawsuit to Be Filed to Stop Sale of Two Murder Simulation Games to Kids

Miami attorney and anti-violent video game activist, Jack Thompson, will file a lawsuit the week of March 19 to prevent the sale of two hyperviolent video games set to be released this year and sold to anyone under 17 years of age.

The two games are Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Both are made by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Both games will be rated "Mature." This ESRB rating is an admission, both in the legal sense and in the common sense of the word, that neither game can or should be sold to anyone under the age of 17 years because of the harmful, mature content.

The United States Federal Trade Commission has recently found by its own stings on stores that despite the "Mature" rating on video games, they are still sold 42% of the time to kids under 17. Take-Two aggressively markets its "Mature" games to children, as it was caught this past year placing Grand Theft Auto ads on public transport in major US metropolitan areas despite promises by the industry to stop that practice after Columbine. Take-Two also runs ads for its "Mature" games in video game publications purchased by hundreds of thousands of kids under 17.

The United States, unlike countries such as Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Japan, Germany, and others, labels video games harmful to minors and yet allow sales of them to minors. Such sales are illegal in these other countries. The video game industry has fraudulently persuaded various courts in the US to strike down constitutional laws prohibiting the sale of adult games to children, lying to courts by saying that there is "no evidence that these games are harmful to minors." This is from an industry that places "Mature" labels on games. The American Psychological Association in August 2005 found a clear causal link between violent games and teen aggression. Law enforcement, since the school massacre at Columbine, has increasingly linked violent video game play to violence around the country. The US Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons, in striking down the juvenile death penalty, cited brain scan studies which prove that minors process violent info
rmation in a different part of the brain than do adults. Brain scan studies (MRIs) at various institutions prove that violent video games are processed in the midbrains (amygdala) of teens, which leads to copycat violence.

Killings have been specifically linked to Take-Two's Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto games. Thompson is legal counsel for two sets of families suing Take-Two for video game copycat killings. Thompson has asked Take-Two and retailers to stop selling Take-Two's "Mature" murder simulation games to kids. They all refuse. They are about to be told by a court of law that they must adhere to the logic of their own "Mature" labels.

Jack Thompson drafted Louisiana's harmful to minors video game law last year. It was passed unanimously by both houses in the Louisiana legislature after Thompson's live testimony, and the bill was signed into law by Governor Blanco. The Attorney General of Louisiana then chose not to defend the law aggressively in the resulting court challenge after the video game industry threatened to pull video game companies out of the state.

Thompson will thus use, successfully, existing nuisance laws to stop the distribution of Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV to anyone under 17. This comes at a very bad time for Take-Two, which is set for a corporate coup on April 23 when shareholders will take over control of the company, fire scofflaw CEO Paul Eibeler and flush the entire board. This upcoming coup and its details have been reported around the world this past week.

The court-ordered prohibition of the sale of these two Take-Two murder simulation games to anyone under 17 will adversely impact revenues to Take-Two. This should be of great concern to all Take-Two shareholders, especially those who are poised to take over the company.

A review of Manhunt 2 can be read at the following link:
http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/wii/game/news/article.jsp?releaseId=20070305142139517046&articleId=20070305142139517046&sectionId=1006.

As any reader can see, the player can plunge a syringe into the eye of his foes and removes their testicles. A Houston boy was arrested and placed in jail by law enforcement there after he called Jack Thompson threatening to castrate Thompson and kill him. The teen's point in calling was to convince Thompson that Take-Two's games had not affected his attitudes. Pause.

Now Take-Two is set to sell to children a simulator showing them how to castrate their foes.

Contact Jack Thompson, who still has his testicles, both literally and figuratively, despite Take-Two's efforts to have him disbarred, for more information at ***-***-****.

Source: joystik.com (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/10/jack-thompson-suing-take-two-2007-edition/)

[odhranus]

well its just as bad as any film showing anyone dying, hey should Bambi be certified 15 because (SPOILER ALERT!) bambi's mum died.
even if games are not to be sold to under 17's they will still be able to get hold of them through t'interweb or through pirates (AAARRR)

[ben]

Ah well, the game aint coming to the uk anynmore. They wouldn`t give it a rating in the uk.
Bugger.

[thelocaluk]

Its very sad indeed:( , cheers for the heads up ben. Read all about it here>> (http://wiifind.co.uk/blog/?p=177)

[munkle]

It's a shame to see that in the 21st Century we still have our civil rights taken away from us. Of course you can see the concerns that will, and have, arisen from the sale of such a title, but surely it should be the choice of the individual whether they want to reject this game or not.

Unfortunate that they illogically assume we're all the lowest common denominator who cannot diffferentiate between game playing and real life. Besides, any parent with the slightest degree of decorum wouldn't let their children anywhere near this game.

P.S. I can't see that playing a game would entice me into removing peoples glands ... it makes my toes curl thinking about it! lol!

[Fr@nk$t@]

I don't see why Manhunt has been banned, if this has been banned because it is violence. Shouldn't games like GTA, Resi Evil, Scareface, Godfather, etc of been banned?

If video games are deserve to be banned; why ain't movies, music and books not banned?

I don't think these product are for killing people, they are just for the mature audience who are not crazy as a coconuts.

Their is a reason for the 18+ certificate, why can't they use it? Why bother making it?

So many questions, what has this world became?

[Wii Spark]

I don't think these product are for killing people, they are just for the mature audience who are not crazy as a coconuts.

That's the trouble, these "do-gooders" think we're all crazy as a coconut.

As for pegi ratings on video games, underage gamers will get hold of them in one way or another. They only stop the retailer selling them to people they believe are underage.

[Fr@nk$t@]

Well if the retailer doesn't take it series, the parent of the child should sue the ratailer for big cash.

[ben93]

manhunt 2 has now been banned in uk, its the 1st game to be banned here for 10 years

[seventhson]

Damn motherlovers.

Will Wii games from USA/Canada/Australia work in UK consoles?

[thelocaluk]

Damn motherlovers.

Will Wii games from USA/Canada/Australia work in UK consoles?
Only if your brave enough to mod your Wii with a modchip, its starting to seem a good idea isn't it lol?

[seventhson]

Only if your brave enough to mod your Wii with a modchip, its starting to seem a good idea isn't it lol?

:) yeah.

What about European titles, do they work in UK Wii's?

[thelocaluk]

:) yeah.

What about European titles, do they work in UK Wii's?
Thats a good question, I don't see why not. The Wii's people brought from German Amazon worked the same as UK Wii's so the games should work as well. It looks like you've just solved the problem, german amazon here I come :D

[seventhson]

Thats a good question, I don't see why not. The Wii's people brought from German Amazon worked the same as UK Wii's so the games should work as well. It looks like you've just solved the problem, german amazon here I come :D

What language will the games be in? Do they localise them or just ship English language games to everyone?

And more importantly if the game will be in German (or whatever) can we get a European contry to change it's national language to English before the launch of the game :)

Edit: Also this just came to mind. Aren't the German Censor worse than our censors?

[odhranus]

well rockstar has a week or so to appeal this decision, the same happened when Manhunt 1 was released so we could still be getting it.

[seventhson]

Just seen this on the gamespot artilcle about it.

The Irish Film Censor's Office has also announced that the game has been banned in the Republic of Ireland. In a statement, the board gave its reasoning as follows, "IFCO recognizes that in certain films, DVDs and video games, strong graphic violence may be a justifiable element within the overall context of the work. However, in the case of Manhunt 2, IFCO believes that there is no such context, and the level of gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence is unacceptable."

So if it does get banned we won't be able to get it from Ireland. Stupid question, but I'm guessing that as the first B in BBFC stands for British that Scotland, Northen Ireland and Wales will fall under the BBFC's jurisdiction.

[huzzellio]

What language will the games be in? Do they localise them or just ship English language games to everyone?

The language of the game is depends on the language you have set on the console I believe.

[thelocaluk]

This game is not on the German Amazon but heres a link to the French site: http://www.amazon.fr/Rockstar-Manhunt-2/dp/B000QUU644/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/402-2155497-8560916

[seventhson]

The language of the game is depends on the language you have set on the console I believe.

Cool, should be able to buy it from any Eurpoean country then.

[ben93]

id never be allowed to play agame like that anyway

[thelocaluk]

Don't worry ben because according to Nintendo and Sony no one will be allowed to play this game on their systems. Read about it here>> (http://wiifind.co.uk/blog/?p=193)

If we're lucky we may get to see a toned down version released unless Rockstar decide to scrap the game altogether.

[ben93]

wasnt it supposed to come out on xbox?

[thelocaluk]

wasnt it supposed to come out on xbox?
No, but Microsoft has said that they won't allow AO rated games either. Seems like no ones ever going to see this game in it's present state, shame really.

[odhranus]

&^£&^"!%!^"^"&£&^%$£ <<< how im feeling, this game looks great and the review I've read has convinced me to get it. I do hope they leave it in its current gore state.

[thelocaluk]

Not happy about the ban? Then sign the petition here>> (http://wiifind.co.uk/blog/?p=195)

[Fr@nk$t@]

I just sign the petition. ;)

[ben93]

whats it meen if its rated ao?

[thelocaluk]

whats it meen if its rated ao?
AO = Adult Only

[thelocaluk]

If signing the petition wasn't enough you can now keep track of the country's that have banned the game on Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&msa=0&om=0&msid=113697343032709581511.0000011352a254ec07988&ll=71.524909,-7.734375&spn=54.929884,237.304688&z=2)

[captainff]

No, but Microsoft has said that they won't allow AO rated games either. Seems like no ones ever going to see this game in it's present state, shame really.

It strikes me as odd that neither Sony or Nintendo did anything about Manhunt 2 BEFORE it was rejected by the BBFC and rated AO by the ERSB. Did neither company know what was going on? I mean, NGamer has a review of it in issue #12 so there must have been pre-release copies floating around. SURELY someone must have played it and thought

" that is a tad too violent, and the part where you kill people in front of a cinema screen playing hardcore **** might upset the censors a bit somewhere......."

[ben93]

lol you have a point

[LGShrimp]

If signing the petition wasn't enough you can now keep track of the country's that have banned the game on Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&msa=0&om=0&msid=113697343032709581511.0000011352a254ec07988&ll=71.524909,-7.734375&spn=54.929884,237.304688&z=2)

An internet petition will never get a game rating overturned, no matter how many people sign it.

[thelocaluk]

haha this threads woken up again. I did read an interview from RockStar early this week saying they WILL get Manhunt 2 released, they are not giving up until its on the shelves. Good luck lol

[ben93]

theyll av a job