Manhunt 2 could see uncut release

Written by Joe Martin

August 31, 2007 | 11:25

Tags: #ao #dutch #esrb #jt #m #manhunt #murder #netherlands #rating #simulator #sweden #thompson

Companies: #bbfc #finland #rockstar

Oh, Manhunt 2, will you ever step out of the public eye and stop soaking up all the attention? We know you were banned in the UK, then everywhere else until you were finally left left without a platform. We also know that it may well have been some kind of publicity stunt to garner sympathy and attention for a game which was, by all pre-ban reports, mediocre at best and relying on shock value.
So, do you think you could give it a rest now and step off the stage for a bit? No? Sigh. Well, hopefully this news item will make you happy then.

Although the re-edited version of Manhunt 2 is now being re-rated and the UK ban is being appealed, it looks like there may actually be a legitimate market for the full and uncut game after all. After a close examination of the laws, the Dutch government has announced that they can accept the uncut version of Manhunt 2 for sale in the Netherlands.

According to a report on Forbes.com, the Dutch laws are;

"based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material"

What is counted as illegal material? Apparently only racist propaganda or images of child pornography, everything else is fair game.

In a letter to the Dutch parliament, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin said there was no way to ban the game under Dutch law, but that it would theoretically be possible to prosecute people who distribute it to youth under 16 if its images were violent enough - though no such case has yet been tried in the Netherlands.

Minister Ballin said his department was now looking at ways to "better protect the youth" and he pleaded for a unified EU rating standard for computer and video games.

Is a unified rating system something you would like to see in the future, or is the suitability of a game something for individuals to decide on themselves? Let us know what you think in the forums.
Discuss this in the forums
YouTube logo
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review

October 14 2021 | 15:04

TOP STORIES

SUGGESTED FOR YOU