Long ago, There was the unjust banning of Manhunt 2, then there was all the internets petitions and finally there is a reply, I can't be arsed to get a picture. Heres a wall of text to gawk at.



Manhunt2 - epetition reply18 September 2007

We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Restrict the powers of the BBFC with regard to the banning of videogames."

Details of Petition:

"The BBFC have recently refused to rate the videogame "Manhunt 2". As such, adults in this country will never be allowed to play this game. Adults should be allowed to make their own decisions with regard to what videogames they want to play. We all understand that this game is extremely violent and unsuitable for children. As such an 18 rating should have been applied."


The ESTABLISHMENT (Government)'s response

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) considers all works - whether film, video or game - submitted to it against a set of guidelines (available on its website - www.bbfc.co.uk). The guidelines take into account the law and also public opinion. This means that the guidelines can and do change periodically, reflecting changing public opinion.

The BBFC considered Manhunt 2 and concluded that, within the current guidelines, it could not be given a classification. The BBFC takes its responsibilities very seriously and it uses its powers to reject works extremely rarely. Details can be found on its website.

There is an appeals procedure which the game's producers are apparently pursuing.

The Government is satisfied with the BBFC's procedure and with the provisions for appeal, and will not be intervening in this process.

The Government has recently announced a review aimed at helping parents ensure that their children are protected from exposure to inappropriate material in games. This is not intended to restrict the choice of material available to adults.

http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13229.asp