Zardon

Yes, here we go again. A game which depicts a guy running around killing people in various ways has been banned from the UK. I am sure they are concerned that little Johnny in school is going to suddenly run amok and kill everyone in sight with a machete or plastic bag.

All this is fine in theory, but what about movies like Hostel and the Saw series which also do the same but in a more graphic way?

It personally disgusts me that a government and censorship bodies so clearly up their own backside have the audacity to decide it is fine to ban a computer game while allowing movies showing the same graphic violence free reign. Obviously the fact that people who kill others are already mentally unstable and won't need the excuse of game content to commit acts of violence in the first place is a moot point.

I am sure most of you reading this have played quite a few violent games in your life, how many of you are killers? Shall we start a poll to prove a point?

Allan "Zardon" Campbell, DH.

niceguyrichy

aahh christ. again.

I was just playing CS:S , pass me my M16 so I can go kill someone

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Sandok

I've killed flies... Does that make me a mass murderer?

The only "real" reason I can see for banning this game and not movies like Saw or Hostel is that this is "interactive" violence but then again, clicking on a mouse is hardly interactive in my opinion....... (compared to the real thing of course)

temeteus82

nice.. I play Jagged Alliance 2 and it has ton's of real weapons and I buy them and use them to kill people in the game ... well the graphics aren't so realistic in JA2 than FPS games haves but the main idea is the same.

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Zardon

I would love to agree Sandok, but I would tend to say that it is gamers being punished again. I just have this feeling that the guys in suits feel that this audience is extremely easy to manipulate and because they (quite often) sit in a room alone playing games that they have the potential to go around killing people, its ridiculous. it is also a lack of education on their part, most of these guys have probably never played a game, so im guessing some of them even think you put on virtual reality headsets and use real weapons. (yes slight exaggeration but have you seen some of these blokes on tv? they look like my grandad).

I am not sure if you have seen the uncut version of Hostel but I found that one of the most disturbing experiences of my life - ill not detail everything that happened as many people have probably just eaten. I think this would in theory affect a mentally unbalanced person to a greater level than blocky Playstation 2 graphics of a bald convict pulling a plastic bag over someones face.

This is the thing with censorship. I believe you can't vary the levels according to the delivery platform, you either stick to one set of guidelines or you don't have any.

Brutality

And they say it's a free country (do they?) and then they ban a game. Well, atleast there's an option to order it from overseas(or is that option banned aswell?).

To be honest, i'm glad I live where I live. There are no ratings associations here and there are no laws that regulate selling games or films ('xept for porn). Nothing gets banned here. The only backside is that games and films usually come to stores later than the official release in some bigger country.

craig5320

It's not like it's gonna stop the game hitting the UK, it just means the Publisher won't receive the money, instead it'll go to the guy in the pub, which if the recent adverts are to be believed also sells bent fags, which he get's from his mate who drives to france to buy them, who sells them to the guy who deals drugs, who sells them on and buys more drugs from the guy in amsterdam etc, all they'll do is line the pockets of the people who sell to knock-off nigel.

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>GSXR<mrbusa

This is one more reason why p2p thrives the way it does.

interspaced

The game is rated AO in the USA to my understanding and the original manhunt was M rated. I cannnot remember a game being rated AO in the USA purely on violence alone it normally requies pornography to receive that rating. Therefore the game must have done something fairly serious to receive such a rating.
Remember none of us have played it yet. We do not know how different it is from the first game that upset the bbfc but as they said in their statement rejecting a piece of work is a very serious issue not taken lightly.

Edit: just to add i'm playing devil's advocate here

Brutality

Everyone's against Rockstar: the only company producing INNOVATIVE games.

OmegaRED

I never would have expected UK of all places would ban this game.

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Matth

The UK is about easy targets, massaging the figures, being seen to "do something".

Take the smoking ban in practically every enclosed space - now as a non-smoker, I couldn't care less if people have a room to poison their own lungs in, just so long as I will never have to enter.

Take speed cameras, other than a rare few, most are merely one-arm bandits raking in fines at unneccesary and illogical speed transitions.

Like smokers and motorists, gamers are just another easy target for a government that's wasted 10 years blaming the other lot without doing much about it.

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Her father shot it dead
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Between two crusts of bread

Zardon

You outta try living here, as Matth said, its quickly turning into a nanny state.

Vikingod

The rating system is inheritantly flawed, UK and elsewhere. It doesn't give a level playing field for the entertainment mediums (the "games vs. films" debate).

I guess my question is this, whats worse, shooting someone with a gun, hitting them with an ax, blowing their plane out of the sky, or putting a bag on their head? Either way, its killing for the sake of entertainment, correct?

Ive not played the game, maybe there is somethign like torture, sexual assault, etc. in it (which is different, IMO), and may justify the ban.

Sandok

Innovative? The past two GTA games have been just "upgrades" of the original, far from anything innovative. Midnight Club is also far from innovative in my opinion and Manhunt, don't even get me started

Matth, most countries in Europe are just like the UK. Countries on the "mainland" also have smoking bans, also have speed cameras so I fail to see how it's an "easy" target.

The UK is simply on a gamehunt (Resistance for PS3 just got owned by Manchester, now this all over the UK) and hey, if that's what the goverment wants, well that's what it's getting. I'm sure Rockstar can appeal or something but I must agree, it's quite sad to see this, espeically when movies like Hostel as Zardon said, is just sick.

Personally, if it got banned here, I wouldn't really care but the Swiss are too neutral to do anything

Tinkerhell

Not at all surprised. Cameras on the streets watching & recording everything in some places, some with speakers so those monitoring can talk to passerbys (was that just something in the plans or has that actually been put in place in various locations?) banning of the right to self defense(you can't own a pistol and are obligated to run away from any sort of attacker/intruder), banning of smoking, horrible state government controlled healthcare....

I think I'll just stay right here in the USA and keep fighting (with my vote & letters) to get conservative politicians in office. It ain't perfect over here but it's waaaay better than a lot of other places to live!

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MIG-31

I agree... It's always seems to be the case here in the uk.The innocent are always the ones who are penalized.

But back on topic... i'm a little disappointed at seeing this game banned here, especially when there has been plenty of Brutal films has been released to dvd.

Ok games are more interactive than dvd’s. If one person played or watched something horrific then went on to do a copy killing. Just who can actually say this person was not already insane or fail to recognize reality or the fictional world of entertainment.

It's a tough call i suppose, but why should i loose out just for a select few people in the country.

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calidan

Innovative? Rockstar is far from making innovative games and is more about controversy than innovation.

OmegaRED

Is Rockstar even trying to make money anymore, why make games that the target audience can't buy or that stores won't carry?

I loves my violence games but all I need is some good physics and be able to tear/shoot off limbs like Soldier of Fortune 2. Putting bags over peoples heads and garroting them just doesn't do it for me.

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brutusmaximus

I think thats the whole point of this thread. there is nothing wrong with pushing the envelope as long as its not child porn or really sick stuff like that. 99% of gamers (perhaps more) can differentiate between a game and real life. People in authority in the UK obviously don't think so, but is that their right ? I have seen quite a few disturbing films which have been worse than anything manhunt ever did, and they were only 18 rated films.

So you are saying tearing and shooting off limbs is less violent that putting a bag over someones head? Maybe you didn't mean it like that, but It's hardly relevant anyway. Violence is needed in society and its part of human nature. If people can get that fix in the privacy of their own room and not be actually hurting anyone in the process surely that is a good thing?

Censorship in most parts of the world is biased for certain entertainment fields. you will probably find quite a few people who rate movies and get them released are getting bribes from movie companies.

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Vikingod

That is sooo going on your grave stone.

brutusmaximus

And making good games. unless you don't like the GTA series, which are some of the most playable games ever. I do think rockstar play into the hands of this with manhunt intentionally, to get it seen across the world on new channels etc. Manhunt was at best a medicore title with a nice twist but it became a cult classic. im sure UK'ers will be getting their fix on the import scene. What would the fine be if customs caught illegal banned material coming into the UK?

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OmegaRED

No, no, suffocating people with bags is not something I've ever wanted in a game and I doubt gamers request that sort of thing. Realistic damage modeling is something every FPS gamer wants yet it hasn't happened since Soldier of Fortune 2. For me, it's not really a question of violence level but rather the relevance of that violence to the gameplay.

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Vikingod

Playing devils advocate here but, my guess is that realistic damage modeling and lifelike gibbing was thought to have been irrelevant back when Mario was king, and even really intil recent years (as technology ahs cought up with it). What the devs are looking for (other than shameless publicity), it to change the gaming landscape, get away from the traditional violence (ie. shooting, fighting), and make something a bit "above board".

Weather I agree with it or not, it is a form of innovation. Does it get my goat, nope (doesn't even sound fun), but his own to his own. Will my kids play it? Hell no, never as long as I'm around.

The way I see rating is to provide parents a benchmark to judge whether a form of media is appropriate for their children. Thats the purpose of the Adults Only (or X rating for movies, etc.) It gives a clear picture of what is included. These ratings boards should not behave as the "moral majority" type watchdog, protecting the public from themselves.

Necrosis

V for Vendetta...enuff said.