It’s certainly been a rollercoaster for Manhunt 2 in the UK. Banned by the BBFC, edited by Rockstar, still banned by the BBFC, appealed for a reclassification, and now STILL banned by the BBFC, it really seems like a lot of effort for a game franchise that screams sub-par, but this is about censorship, damn it! When we last left off, Rockstar had successfully appealed for a chance to get Manhunt 2 released, but the BBFC cares so much about nannying the entire country (or is just working off bruised pride), it went to the High Court which has now kicked down the appeal.
The High Court has sent Manhunt 2 back for re-evaluation with the VAC and yet another appeal, siding with the BBFC’s frankly ludicrous claim that the game will have a “devastating effect on society.” Wasn’t that game released in the USA several months ago? I’ve yet to see its devastating effect over there, unless of course you’re counting the poor people who wasted their money on the thing.
Rockstar, naturally, has questioned the decision, being unable to understand the choice to spend further public money on censoring material that conforms to the guidelines required for release:
“We believe the Video Appeals Committee decision was correct and do not understand the court’s decision to expend further public resources to censor a game that contains content well within the bounds established by the British Board of Film Classification’s 18-plus ratings certification,”
The ridiculous saga continues and, like Rockstar says, more time and money will be sunk into something that should never have been an issue in the first place. I, for one, would like to know more details about the supposed harm that is going to come to Britain should people we don’t know give us permission to spend our money on it.
