Manhunt
Before I begin let me just say I'm not dead I just find that I don't have the time to do arts/fics anymore. I'm working full time and at the times I would normally do stuff I'm just too tired. This blog post will probably be a one off for a while.
Also before I begin let me just say that today (well it's past midnight so techincally yesterday) was Sonic's birthday and between SonicARTS, RadioSEGA, Fanfiction.net and DeviantART I have found only ONE mention of this. Yes I know I haven't done anything either though I did spend today playing SONIC the Hedgehog (360 - All downloadable content) and the only music being Sonic music.
Anyway onto the main point. Manhunt. The keen Gamer will know that the sequel Manhunt 2 has been refused a rating by the BBFC, essentially banning the title from appearing in the UK. Similarly in America it's been given the AO rating meaning Nintendo and Sony will not allow it on their consoles.
This game must be something in terms of violence then. Well you'd think. In America it might be the overspill from GTA's Hot Coffee controversy or it could be following the UK (the BBFC did this first).
Now you see here's where it gets controversal. Let's look at Manhunt first. If you didn't know there was some controversy surrounding this title. Here is a copy and paste from Wikipedia.
The controversy surrounding the game stems from the extremely graphic manner in which the player kills enemies. Almost all of the game's special "stealthy" executions result in large amounts of blood. The manner in which the player kills enemies can be extremely grotesque at times (ie: decapitation, suffocation using a plastic bag, jamming a crowbar into an enemy's skull), both visually and audibly, as enemies will also groan and scream in pain.[5][6][7]
In the UK, the game was linked to the murder of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, by his friend Warren Leblanc, 17. Giselle Pakeerah, the victim's mother, claimed[8] that Leblanc had been 'obsessed' with the game after the former pleaded guilty in court. During the subsequent media circus, the game was removed from sale by some vendors, such as the UK and international branches of GAME and Dixons, leading to "significantly increased" demand[9] both from retailers and on internet auction sites. The police denied any such link between the game and the murder however,[10] citing drug-related robbery as the motive. The presiding judge also placed sole responsibility with Leblanc in his summing up after awarding him a life sentence.[11] GAME have since returned Manhunt to their shelves, after it transpired that the murderer did not even own or ever play the game. It was apparently the victim who owned a copy of Manhunt, even though he was under 18.
Now as for murders in the UK related to videogames this is probably the most recent and possibly the one big one we've had.
Now it's sequel has been "banned" by the BBFC, Co-incidence?
This is where I have my doubts for you see they asks the question was the violence the real reason behind this decision.
In the UK there was a bit of backlash, particularly from the Daily Mail who made a sickeningly ignorant "Ban these Evil Games" front cover story. Yes as we all know like Movies and Music before it Videogames are often made as a scapegoat for murders.
Now let me stop right here and point out that in no way do I condone the actions above, I do see it as a tradegy. But like the Wikipedia article shows the game was not responsible for the murder, just like MOST if not ALL of the other cases around the world.
Regardless this hasn't stopped people still blaming the games to hide from the real issues. If Manhunt 2 has been "banned" for the violence fair enough, but if it's been banned because the BBFC is scared to face the backlash from the ignorant (or even are the ignorant), Then this is just wrong!
Now I couldn't give a monkeys about Manhunt 2. I'm not interested in buying the title. However I am against videogame scapegoating and censorship of this magnitude because of it.
It is not the games fault an underage child played a game intended for adults. Nor is it the developers. So stop scapegoating them.
That said if Manhunt 2 really does cross that line and the "ban" has nothing to do with Media/ignorant people pressure, then fair enough. I just have my doubts that this is actually the case.
Also before I begin let me just say that today (well it's past midnight so techincally yesterday) was Sonic's birthday and between SonicARTS, RadioSEGA, Fanfiction.net and DeviantART I have found only ONE mention of this. Yes I know I haven't done anything either though I did spend today playing SONIC the Hedgehog (360 - All downloadable content) and the only music being Sonic music.
Anyway onto the main point. Manhunt. The keen Gamer will know that the sequel Manhunt 2 has been refused a rating by the BBFC, essentially banning the title from appearing in the UK. Similarly in America it's been given the AO rating meaning Nintendo and Sony will not allow it on their consoles.
This game must be something in terms of violence then. Well you'd think. In America it might be the overspill from GTA's Hot Coffee controversy or it could be following the UK (the BBFC did this first).
Now you see here's where it gets controversal. Let's look at Manhunt first. If you didn't know there was some controversy surrounding this title. Here is a copy and paste from Wikipedia.
The controversy surrounding the game stems from the extremely graphic manner in which the player kills enemies. Almost all of the game's special "stealthy" executions result in large amounts of blood. The manner in which the player kills enemies can be extremely grotesque at times (ie: decapitation, suffocation using a plastic bag, jamming a crowbar into an enemy's skull), both visually and audibly, as enemies will also groan and scream in pain.[5][6][7]
In the UK, the game was linked to the murder of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, by his friend Warren Leblanc, 17. Giselle Pakeerah, the victim's mother, claimed[8] that Leblanc had been 'obsessed' with the game after the former pleaded guilty in court. During the subsequent media circus, the game was removed from sale by some vendors, such as the UK and international branches of GAME and Dixons, leading to "significantly increased" demand[9] both from retailers and on internet auction sites. The police denied any such link between the game and the murder however,[10] citing drug-related robbery as the motive. The presiding judge also placed sole responsibility with Leblanc in his summing up after awarding him a life sentence.[11] GAME have since returned Manhunt to their shelves, after it transpired that the murderer did not even own or ever play the game. It was apparently the victim who owned a copy of Manhunt, even though he was under 18.
Now as for murders in the UK related to videogames this is probably the most recent and possibly the one big one we've had.
Now it's sequel has been "banned" by the BBFC, Co-incidence?
This is where I have my doubts for you see they asks the question was the violence the real reason behind this decision.
In the UK there was a bit of backlash, particularly from the Daily Mail who made a sickeningly ignorant "Ban these Evil Games" front cover story. Yes as we all know like Movies and Music before it Videogames are often made as a scapegoat for murders.
Now let me stop right here and point out that in no way do I condone the actions above, I do see it as a tradegy. But like the Wikipedia article shows the game was not responsible for the murder, just like MOST if not ALL of the other cases around the world.
Regardless this hasn't stopped people still blaming the games to hide from the real issues. If Manhunt 2 has been "banned" for the violence fair enough, but if it's been banned because the BBFC is scared to face the backlash from the ignorant (or even are the ignorant), Then this is just wrong!
Now I couldn't give a monkeys about Manhunt 2. I'm not interested in buying the title. However I am against videogame scapegoating and censorship of this magnitude because of it.
It is not the games fault an underage child played a game intended for adults. Nor is it the developers. So stop scapegoating them.
That said if Manhunt 2 really does cross that line and the "ban" has nothing to do with Media/ignorant people pressure, then fair enough. I just have my doubts that this is actually the case.
posted by Master hunter at 12:43 am
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