I'm not sure if either MS or Sony has an official policy regarding AO titles, but even if they do, it wouldn't mean much, because if I recall correctly, both companies allowed retailers to continue selling GTA: San Andreas after it was reclassified as AO. Retailers simply put an AO sticker on their existing stock, and neither Sony nor MS forced retailers to stop selling the product. So both companies have already shown willingness to allow AO rated games to be sold for their consoles.davepoobond said:also, can anyone see if Sony and MS have rules against licensing/selling any AO games? I know Nintendo does it because of that link earlier...
Gahiggidy said:I just checked, and... The Gamecube Hut has no policy against selling AO games. (You'll just have to go around back to the employee entrance and ring the doorbell. Bring cash.)
SapientWolf said:This is pretty interesting:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000874859
So the interactivity is likely to be what pushed it over the edge. But how did Mortal Kombat on the Wii get away with interactive fatalities? And what could this mean for future Wii titles?
davepoobond said:dunno if its been said already but:
going off the list on wikipedia, Manhunt 2 would be the first "originally" rated AO game to appear on a major console, as opposed to GTA: SA which was re-rated.
also, can anyone see if Sony and MS have rules against licensing/selling any AO games? I know Nintendo does it because of that link earlier...
JDSN said:I predict 500k of copies sold in the first day.
Dalthien said:I'm not sure if either MS or Sony has an official policy regarding AO titles, but even if they do, it wouldn't mean much, because if I recall correctly, both companies allowed retailers to continue selling GTA: San Andreas after it was reclassified as AO. Retailers simply put an AO sticker on their existing stock, and neither Sony nor MS forced retailers to stop selling the product. So both companies have already shown willingness to allow AO rated games to be sold for their consoles.
FitzOfRage said:I'm pretty sure they all do. At the very least, Sony's response to BMX XXX a few years back (which was actually rated M in its original form) implies that they would have a problem with an AO game.
Is this situation greatly changed if it's an M game instead of an AO game?Jackson said:and what about the 12yo kid who's parents were vigilint and didn't buy it, but then he goes over to the other 12yo kid's house who's parents are lazy and plays it there?
Both M, though.Snaku said:Yeah, if I remember correctly, BMX XXX was uncensored on GCN, as was Killer 7 (moaning during the off screen sex scene was edited from the PS2 release).
Ehh, staples change. They used to be so family-friendly that nothing we'd now consider M was kosher; most famously remembered from Mortal Kombat's blood being replaced by sweat.TSA said:Thank you - I knew I wasn't imagining this. So as I said, Nintendo will either break it's "family-friendly" policy which has been a staple (which they will not do for this game, sorry Take-Two)
Standards change, even when the content seems very similar. Super Smash Bros., Ocarina of Time: E. Super Smash Bros. Melee, Twilight Princess: T.hyp said:think what you want... the control method has likely influenced their decision. what's so different about manhunt 1's content that allowed it an "M" rating?
It is company policy that there are no AO games for Xbox® or Xbox 360.
Awntawn said:is it really necessary to have two different ratings for a 1 year age difference?
it's like M is 17+ (winkwinknotreallylol) and AO is the exact same thing except okwe'reseriousthistime... i mean wtf is the point >.>
Uhmm.. the ESRB say nothing about the intent or meaning of the violence. Just that its there. Writing it off as a "murder simulator" simply because of the rating puts you at about the same level as Jack.TheDrowningMan said:I don't think you can blame the ESRB or the BBFC....they're just adhering to their usual guidelines with regards to common decency. If everything I've heard about this game is true, then Rockstar have simply gone out to make the most malign, vicious game of all-time - Not something like Silent Hill which is disgusting yet beautifully crafted and with a strong, tragic story but something that is simply malign.
Something that is the "murder simulator" Jack Thompson ludicrously believes GTA to be, simply to spite him. Well, it's backfired.
MaddenNFL64 said:Did a quick search with keywords: Xbox.com, Policy, AO. First link was this:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/personality/xboxdad/20061031-whatsappropriate.htm
There's a section on AO rated games.
TigersFan said:Writing it off as a "murder simulator" simply because of the rating puts you at about the same level as Jack.
TigersFan said:Uhmm.. the ESRB say nothing about the intent or meaning of the violence. Just that its there. Writing it off as a "murder simulator" simply because of the rating puts you at about the same level as Jack.
Pretty much. I mean, if you're into taking things only at face value then... well, that's pretty much what Jack Thompson does isn't it? Game A has violence in it -> Violence is bad -> Game A is bad. To hell with context.FitzOfRage said:Yeah, take away the rating, and I can't see any reason why somone might see it as a murder simulator (well that and the simulated murders).
TigersFan said:Pretty much. I mean, if you're into taking things only at face value then... well, that's pretty much what Jack Thompson does isn't it? Game A has violence in it -> Violence is bad -> Game A is bad. To hell with context.
Really? Most of the previews I've read have focused on the murdering and how you do it, but they all talk about the game having a fairly in depth plot about digging into the mind of a psychopath. I have no idea if the game goes in depth into that, but it sounds like an interesting premise to me at least.TheDrowningMan said:I'm going by what I've been told about the game. It's unrelentingly bleak and the objective, quite literally, is to kill people in the most twisted and disgusting ways. It actually seems to be a pretty good game in terms of the mechanics, etc but there's no questioning where Rockstar were looking with this effort.
{Mike} said:Who cares? Manhunt is not scheduled for these consoles
And **** socially retarded kids who are idiotic enough to not know the difference between reality and fantasy, and try to mimic what they see in games._leech_ said:I don't know why the market is so against AO-rated games, the age difference between that and an M-rated game is just one year. Sell it as-is, **** censorship and **** parents who are stupid enough to buy it for their 12-year-olds.
Saoh said:btw, i just checked amazon...
why are the PS2 and PSP versions $40 and the Wii version $50??
extra 10 for waggle?
El_TigroX said:I think the gaming community in general is supportive of the AO rating.
This game was sorta on my radar, but I wasn't fully interested - just checked it out here and there... now? I'll buy it on principle alone if it's AO.
I say, dear soldiers, if this isn't rated AO, the terrorists have won.
LOCK said:I can't wait for the R* and Nintendo comments about the AO ratings.
Hopefully it will be like this:
Nintendo: "We will support R* and their AO game"
R*: "**** all the haters."
Joe211 said:no way Nintendo won't support this game
Armitage said:This is probably a stupid question.
Can a game be released with no ESRB rating? Couldn't they just go Manhunt 2: UNRATED like a whole bunch of movies do?
I wonder if Sony/Nintendo/MS might require them to get their games rated in order to get release approval though.Mason said:I was wondering the same thing myself. I'm guessing they could, but similar to an AO title, most places won't carry it.
Of course they COULD, but like Mason said, I doubt any retailers would sell the damn thing.Armitage said:This is probably a stupid question.
Can a game be released with no ESRB rating? Couldn't they just go Manhunt 2: UNRATED like a whole bunch of movies do?
Mr. Pachunga Chung said:Well that's good to hear.
{Mike} said:Who cares? Manhunt is not scheduled for these consoles
Father_Brain said:No AO version; neither Sony nor Nintendo will approve AO-rated content. If you're at all surprised by this, you really, really shouldn't be.
Father_Brain said:No AO version; neither Sony nor Nintendo will approve AO-rated content. If you're at all surprised by this, you really, really shouldn't be.
Quazar said:Unless I'm not understanding something here, but Sony/Nintendo are basically telling me what I cant play.
ManaByte said:This needed to be quoted if only for the people who ignored it the first time.
So either it's canned or not. I know someone testing it at Rockstar, and as of last week he still had a job. I wonder if he does today?
1. Nintendo/Sony has always maintained control of ALL content released on their platforms and it's not necessarily related to the ESRB ratingsQuazar said:Why not? I think this sucks. Unless I'm not understanding something here, but Sony/Nintendo are basically telling me what I cant play. So does this decision come down to them having to water down the game to please, exactly who? Politicians?