Censor to challenge Manhunt 2 release in court

I don't get it

I don't understand why BBFC are trying to ban this. I didn't think their remit was to ban stuff.

Any age related censorship is only as good as the ability of parents to say no to their children. Maybe the BBFC should use this game as a publicity vehicle to promote the idea the 18+ games really are meant for adults. Use the media to glorify how gory it is. Perhaps the idea should be promoted that showing 18+ certified material to minors is a form of child abuse.

Is it worth it????

Jeez, why bother its not that great a game anyway.

Nanny culture

In an age where everyone has access to the internet, and full access to supposedly age-restricted material, I can't believe this is going on for so long. The first Manhunt was a mediocre game at best, and would never have been in the public eye but for a tragic murder a few years back that the parents tried to blame R* for (with the help of good ole Jack).

I don't hold out much hope for the sequel, but if the BBFC had allowed it through without causing such a spectacle, it would have suffered bad sales and fell to the wayside. The press generated from the dispute means that sales are going to improve, and there's a better chance that under 18s will get their hands on it. In effect, the BBFC have created a self-fulfilling prophecy, and R* must be loving it.

Easiest way round it would be for R* to avoid the BBFC entirely, go for an ESRB rating instead, and release their game. Who cares that ESRB isn't enforced and kids can buy it at that point?

Good job!

Kevin, Rockstar cannot go past the BBFC to publish the game over here, it has to have a proper rating from the BBFC.

I'm all for the BBFC banning this game, not only because Rockstar went past the limit, but because Rockstar knew the game was a load of tosh so made it as gory as possible to idiotic people would buy it to see what the fuss is all about.

A few years ago, picture postcards (the "rude" ones) were banned because they could "corrupt the moral fabric of society", these days we are much more liberal, but that really doesn't mean we can take liberties.

Here, mate, that's dangerous!

"The BBFC believes Manhunt 2 shouldn't be released, even to people aged 18 or more, because of the risk it will fall into the hands of young kids"

Better ban all of the following, then: Motorcars, petrol, matches, electricity, fertilizer, ink, laser toner, tinned food, fresh food, frozen food, money, credit cards, cheques...

Or, the BBFC could be disbanded, having outlived its usefulness, and exceeded its authority to deny a free people their right to make their own decisions. The bloody BBFC members ought to be sent to Gitmo for a couple of years, too. Arrogant bastards need to come down a few notches.

I think (based on previews) that the game is crap, but it's not up to these jumped-up bluenoses to decide who's entitled to buy it.

Meanwhile...

"The BBFC believes Manhunt 2 shouldn't be released, even to people aged 18 or more, because of the risk it will fall into the hands of young kids. "

Which is another way of the BBFC saying:

"We are totally impotent and useless because everyone ignores us."

The BBFC is there to make recommendations for the suitability of a game. The law is there to ensure that retailers do not sell games to kids without the consent of the parents. An 18 cert game is not to be sold directly to a kid but a parent can easily purchase it and if they believe the game to be suitable they can take the responsibility of allowing their child to play it. The most the BBFC should be allowed to do is put an 18 certificate on a game or movie and leave it up to adults to determine if they think it is suitable for themselves or the under 18's they have responsibility for,

I am 30 years old and am guardian to a 12 year old child. I take game and movie age advice as exactly that: advice. I do not expect a game or movie retailer to sell him a 15 or 18 certificate title however he is allowed to watch and play selected movies and games of that certificate but only after I have watched or played them myself.

Legally he can watch 12 certificate movies or play 12 certificate games without my consent but he only watches or plays titles of that rating that I have vetted because the BBFC is fundamentally flawed and I do not trust their classification priorities to be the same as mine.

When the state stops trying to be the parents and starts encouraging parents to take responsibility for their charges the incidence of granny muggings and other such unpleasantness caused by poor parenting will disappear pretty quickly.

So the content of Manhunt 2 appears to be rather dark and unpleasant... that means that it is unlikely to be a game I would bother with but that does not mean that the BBFC have any rights to tell me what *I* can and can't play. Who the f*ck to they think they are?

@nanny Culture

Good point about Manhunt 1.

One thing that the media glossed over was the fact that the VICTIM was the owner of the game, not the killer. Yet that wouldn't make for good headlines.

Paris Hilton because even she can understand that to blame the game would require the killer to own it.

the BBFC position is not logical

Regardless of the merits or not of the game :

"The BBFC believes Manhunt 2 shouldn't be released, even to people aged 18 or more, because of the risk it will fall into the hands of young kids. "

They are effectively saying that their rating system doesn't get enforced. Well that's not their problem. Their job is to give it a certificate. It's somebody else's job to enforce that rating.

Using their logic, no 18+ certifcate game or film should ever be released, because they can't rely on it being enforced.

Take this to its logical conclusion and the only thing anybody would be allowed to buy is certificate U, as it's the only rating where they can be sure that it isn't going to somebody who shouldn't see it!

What aload of *******

Well asper usual the powers to be in this country ruin things. If we could rely on little chav parents no to buy their chavvy kids games like this, then none ofthis would be happening. I mean, they always blame somebody for something.. when really, they just use it as an escape goat.

This really p*sses me off - why bother to go to the exspense of all this hassle - just make the game 21 + it's not rocket science and for you people that are "all for" the banning - wind your necks in. I mean jesus, the country wants to control everything - we may as well be hamsters in a cage with a wheel running around all the time.

The moral to the story, make sure retailers are being more responsible, make sure parents are more responsible and for jesus christ stop moaning!

BBFC - Go do one!

BBFC are an advisory body are they not? They advise, surely we (as TAX PAYING citizens) should be able to make the final choice ourselves?

You can not stop under-age kids getting hold of age classified material - FACT. You can try and stop it BUT you won't.

BBFC are a bunch of idiots, Like most people have said if they ban this why not ban every other 18+ game? THAT SAID on the BBFC there is another rating that they give to pornography material - R18 and so if they feel so strongly about it why not jsut give it that and then only supply the game to licensed establishments?

Which companys jump on this BBFC (Bloody B*llsh*t F*cking Cr*p) bandwagon? Find me a country thats not on it and i'll but it there and bring it back with me - F*ck the BBFC.

Gaming host ordinance next?

In my state (one of the 50 more or less United ones) TPTB have enacted a "social host" ordinance to try to curb underage drinking ("underage" = < 21 years old). Under this ordinance any adult who facilitates or enables underage drinking (e.g., turns a blind eye to the kids cracking some beer while playing Xbox, doesn't keep the youngsters away from the keg at family gatherings, leaves the kids at home alone knowing there is either access to or likelihood of procuring of alcohol by said kids, &c) can face charges. While I admire the intent (parents should not let their kids get drunk and stupid), I don't like the result (if parents want to allow their kids to have a drink or two along with the adults at a well- supervised family celebration, what's the harm?). I wonder if TPTB will try something similar with 18 cert games, with Big Brother/ Nanny State bringing down enforcement wrath on adults who "enable" or "facilitate" the playing of these games by minors.

whatchew talking about Willis?

> parents should not let their kids get drunk and stupid

Excuse me? Drinking makes people smart. It was reported here in El Reg. Obviously them bastards are trying to make children more stupid by denying them the right to booze so the future generation will be more submissive to their control. I will have none of this!

Makes my blood boil

I'm gonna pop round to the BBFC HQ and stab 'em up good and proper with my Wiimote.

@the_oppressed

It is funny how these things always stir up the armchair revolutionaries.

The "system" that keeps their arses clean and their cheetohs fresh and their cars from plowing into each other routinely and snuff films off the beeb is repressing their rights and suppressing their speech because in this case its their guilty pleasure under the microscope.

"How dare the bastards..." it begins and quickly escalates into self-entitled outrage from there. The classifiers become censors. Community standards become pious puritanical dogma. Classifications become steepled pyres of burning knowledge denied to the common man.

You live in a country where classification decisions, designed to inform and protect the ENTIRE community, generally reflect community values of the day and constantly evolve. You live in a country where the range of material available to you is broad and constantly expanding. You live in a country where "banning" content (refusing classification) is rare and can be challenged publicly and constantly revisited. You live in a country with a liberal outlook on art, knowledge and freedom. Put simply you live in a state where you can do very nearly everything you want to do and be fairly safe and secure whilst doing it.

No, the system isnt perfect and this time its you who feel aggrieved. Much as some people may have felt aggrieved that (to pluck an example at random from the site) "I Know Who Killed me" received a classification (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/c2fb077ba3f9b33980256b4f002da32c/ec646e59b259ecba80257346001f734e?OpenDocument#_Section1)

Thats life. You live in a society. Get into to it or get out of it.. Just stop fattening yourself at your wet nurse's bosom and complaining about damned nanny states.

Arrgh! Arrrgh! Anarchy! (And a reliable rail system, and affordable healthcare, and safe clean streets and pervs off the street and .. and .. ANARCHY!!!)