Manhunt 2, published by Rockstar Games, has become the first game to be banned in Ireland. It’s also become the first game to be banned in the UK.
In his decision the head of the Irish Film Censors Office, (IFCO), John Kelleher stated 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.”
The Director of the British Board of Film Classification, (BBFC), David Cooke stated that “Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.”
The original game in the series caused a furore in the UK, when the parents of a a murdered school boy blamed Manhunt for the death of their son. Following the murder, some of the largest retailers in the UK withdrew the game from their shelves.
Rockstar games have 6 weeks to appeal the decision in the UK.
Tags: bbfc, censorship, ifco, manhunt, manhunt_2, Media, rockstar, Shopping, Technology
[...] two previous rejections, the game developers, Rockstar Games, appealed the BBFC decision to the Video Appeals Committee. [...]