Paul Jackson, the director-general of the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), has praised the BBFC’s decision to ban Manhunt 2. Issuing a statement on their official site, Jackson says it “demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the UK that is effective”.

The statement continues: “The games industry is a creative phenomenon that produces all kinds of games across all kinds of genres that appeal to all kinds of people across the country, young and old, male and female. The important thing to know is that all games are rated according to age suitability, with over 70 per cent of games being available to all ages over three years.”

Elsewhere, CVG has unearthed an exclusive review from NGamer magazine. “We’ve deliberately avoided talking about the game’s more grisly excesses because these things are best discovered for yourself,” says the review. “You’ll wince, you’ll jump, you may even laugh at times, but we can guarantee you’ll never forget it.” The magazine gave the Wii version 92%. Even accounting for the inflated ratings endemic to the games press, Manhunt 2 sounds like it would’ve been worth checking out. And lest we forget, the Wii does have parental controls to deal with this kind of thing.

Lots of questions need to be answered here. Firstly, what on earth were Nintendo thinking when they agreed to host this title on their platform? It’s a huge departure from their traditional output. Secondly, will Rockstar appeal the decision, or will they take it on the chin? If they sit on their hands, it’s probable that the rest of Europe will follow Britain’s lead. We’ll keep you posted as the story develops.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 at 2:09 pm by Bulent Yusuf
Misc news.