It seems that some video games keep trying to push the envelope in terms of how much violence the public will tolerate or even encourage. Well, on Tuesday, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) made the decision to completely ban the video game for the first time in ten years.
The ban on the games means that it cannot be legally sold anywhere in Britain. Director of the BBFC, David Cooke released a statement on the BBFC website saying that rejection is very serious and not taken lightly. Usually, the board prefers to consider changes or cuts in the game, but in the case of this one, those considerations were not possible.
Manhunt 2, which is produced by Take-Two Interactive Software, puts players into the role of a man who escapes an insane asylum and spends his time sneaking up on people, running down and killing enemies in particularly gruesome ways. There seems to be no distancing or time between killings, which has been called “horrifying” by one U.S. Family group, Campaign for a Commerical-Free Childhood.
The ban in Britain has prompted the Campaign to lobby for a ban in the United States; that is, a rating that would prohibit retailers from being able to sell the game to children. If the games gets an “Adult Only” rating, it can not be sold by major retailers.
In the United States, the organization responsible for a non-governmental rating system is the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). which has not yet given a rating to the game. The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory group. The Campaign is urging concerned citizens to contact the ESRB and let them know that you want this game to have the Adults Only rating. To contact the ESRB, visit the board at their website: http://www.esrb.org/index-js.jsp
Manhunt 2 is scheduled to be released in the US on July 10th.
Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com, where she shares money saving tips for today’s families.
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