# Manhunt 2 Banned **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708 "2007-06-20T13:18:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/21 "2007-06-20T18:30:43Z")
It’s banned in [Ireland](http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0620/videogame.html) too. I recall a similar furore over Carmageddon years back, late '90s at some stage. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/22 "2007-06-20T18:46:21Z")
There are plenty of games that have a higher gore factor than Grand Theft Auto and they haven’t sold well. Why? Because they weren’t good games. Violence, nudity, and swearing might get people to look at a game but the game won’t sell particularly well unless it’s a good game. GTA didn’t sell well because of the violence it sold well because it was a great game. It’s nice to see that other civilized countries go overboard just like the United States does. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/23 "2007-06-20T19:37:59Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] The market that game companies have worked so hard to build is effectively 12 to 25 year old males. If you’re outside of that range or a different gender then the vast bulk of what is made is not being sold to you. And what sells to immature boy? “Our game is the most violent, gory thing ever! It’s forbidden! Don’t touch!” [/QUOTE] This is an interesting article from the [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/technology/18games.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) about how game makers are starting to change their focus: > [@](#): > > Critics may fume about violent killer video games, but top manufacturers are starting to beat some of their swords into beauty tips. > > By fall, software developers will start introducing offerings aimed at nudging players to bond with Grandma, balance their hormones and eat their peas. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/24 "2007-06-20T20:00:24Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] It sounds pretty bad – but do you really think the government should have a say in what video game a person plays in his own home? [/QUOTE] Good question. What if it could be shown that playing a game like this one made people more violent, and/or more accepting of violence, in real life? What if people started imitating the behaviors of the video game? I don’t know anywhere near enough about this particular game to have an opinion on whether or not it should be banned. But there comes a point at which I don’t have a problem with the government banning something. Imagine a game where you go around raping small children, graphically depicted. I wouldn’t want _anybody_ playing a game like that; I wouldn’t just stop at, “Well, it’s not my cup of tea, but to each his own.” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/25 "2007-06-20T20:51:31Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] This is an interesting article from the [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/technology/18games.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) about how game makers are starting to change their focus: [/QUOTE] If I had a nickel for every time something like that came up then I’d have… okay roughly $2 but it’s still a common claim. This has come up about every six months for the past twenty years and then it quietly goes away when the company realized they just don’t know how to create and market games for whatever group they’re targeting. The sad fact is the industry doesn’t have any clue how to handle a market other than that very narrow band I mentioned. Anything that goes outside it just blows their mind. See the lead up to the launch of the PS3 and the Wii for a good recent example. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/26 "2007-06-21T09:01:34Z")
I agree that banning is not something that is really a great development, but what else are they going to do? You do realise that the people who will buy this game will be mostly teens and/or younger? Most adults won’t buy it, because it is basically a crap game with a lot of violence in it. So it will end up with younger kids, whether you label it PG or X, you won’t be able to stop that. I think this game can actually harm children (I can’t believe I am actually writing that), if they are exposed to it at too young an age. I could even see kids trying to strangle somebody with a garot in the schoolyard after playing this. I think RockStar has really hurt the industry by releasing this “game”. They are really giving ammo to the anti-game, anti-violence crowd and should have known better. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/27 "2007-06-21T09:11:40Z")
[QUOTE=Uvula Donor] From their website: So they’re not “a government body” but they are “an authority designated by the Secretary of State.” Pretty fine line to me. [/QUOTE] Then they just get on with it. The govt no more controls them than it controls the bbc or anything else created by statute. It’s a pretty thick line. ---
**Author:** ![LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9a28c/32.png) [@LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LOUIS_CYPHERE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/28 "2007-06-21T09:47:45Z")
[QUOTE=Scoundrel Swanswater] I agree that banning is not something that is really a great development, but what else are they going to do? . [/QUOTE] One word reply to the argument for banning— PROHIBITION! [QUOTE=Scoundrel Swanswater] You do realise that the people who will buy this game will be mostly teens and/or younger? So it will end up with younger kids, whether you label it PG or X, you won’t be able to stop that. I think this game can actually harm children (I can’t believe I am actually writing that), if they are exposed to it at too young an age. I could even see kids trying to strangle somebody with a garot in the schoolyard after playing this. [/QUOTE] Have you ever played this, or the previous Manhunt game? I doubt it!? If it is certified X, "a kid " should not be able to buy it, simple as that. If an adult buys it, it is their responsibility to keep it away from children. [QUOTE=Scoundrel Swanswater] I think RockStar has really hurt the industry by releasing this “game”. They are really giving ammo to the anti-game, anti-violence crowd and should have known better. [/QUOTE] I wonder if you have anything against the MGS or Splinter Cell games, or the Medal Of Honor series? What about the many Caballero hunting games that are available? Shall we ban them also? Wake up to reality, and stop acting foolish. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/29 "2007-06-21T10:08:30Z")
[QUOTE=LOUIS CYPHERE] I wonder if you have anything against the MGS or Splinter Cell games, or the Medal Of Honor series? What about the many Caballero hunting games that are available? [/QUOTE] It’s Cabela’s. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/30 "2007-06-21T10:14:48Z")
I don’t think, at its core, that this game is that different than most other games in the genre. They all boil down to this: get from point A to point B, surviving by killing your enemies. To pick out one and say that it should be banned seems silly to me. Many things are not meant for children. Alchohol, some movies, some books, some songs, etc. Based on that point, one could argue that going to the library can actually harm children. After all, they could pick up a book like _In Cold Blood_ or a short story like _The Most Dangerous Game_. (The Most Dangerous Game is really the grandfather of movies and games like _Manhunt_ and was published in 1924.) Should we close all the libraries because they might lead to murder? Should we start banning more movies and closing movie theaters? Surely, children sneaking in to watch _Hostel 2_ will lead to copycat crimes, no? We must get rid of all movies, books, songs, and TV. Especially shows like _CSI_, _Criminal Minds_, and _Law and Order._ Then there’s the internet… that should probably go, too. Too many websites that aren’t meant for children. Could be harmful. Lead to murder and such. It is worth noting that, even though the parents of the 14 year old murdered in Leicester blame the original _Manhunt_ game for his death, the [police do not:](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/6767623.stm) “Police said robbery was the motive behind the attack on Stefan in Stokes Wood Park on 26 February 2004 - and not the video game blamed by Stefan’s parents.” So… no murders caused by the first _Manhunt_ game. What basis is there to predict that the second game will lead to some sort of violent crime spree? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/31 "2007-06-21T10:16:14Z")
[QUOTE=Smitty] Well, from what I read, you can decapitate people and carry their heads on your belt [/QUOTE] Yeah, but they don’t have white heads because of the war. The only thing you can get are those big yellow ones… ---
**Author:** ![LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9a28c/32.png) [@LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LOUIS_CYPHERE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/32 "2007-06-21T10:25:59Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] It’s Cabela’s. [/QUOTE] YES, I KNEW THAT! I did not want to advertise their products, Mr.Picky. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/33 "2007-06-21T10:31:48Z")
[QUOTE=LOUIS CYPHERE] Have you ever played this, or the previous Manhunt game? I doubt it!? If it is certified X, "a kid " should not be able to buy it, simple as that. If an adult buys it, it is their responsibility to keep it away from children. [/QUOTE] Yes, I did play it. Are you trying to call me a liar? Then just do so. And who is being foolish here : you think labeling a game a X-rated will keep it out of kids reach? Yeah, right. [QUOTE=LOUIS CYPHERE] I wonder if you have anything against the MGS or Splinter Cell games, or the Medal Of Honor series? What about the many Caballero hunting games that are available? Shall we ban them also? Wake up to reality, and stop acting foolish. :dubious: [/QUOTE] What do these games have in common with ManHunt? Not much. Yes, you also kill people in these games. But are you really trying to compare the way it is portrayed and handled? That is like comparing Faces of Death with Scream. Once again, I am not a big fan of banning, but I do think this game is just too violent and more importantly too sadistic. I know there are books out there, but how many kids nowadays read books anyway. 😃 There is a much bigger draw to a title like this. I know that I, as a kid, would have done just about anything to get my hands on a game like this, just because of the subject matter. And I would have succeeded too, one way or another. I am not sure what my point is, but I do think the industry needs to think about what they release. They are harming themselves by creating games like this, which are definitely aimed at the most base of instincts, the urge to kill. If they would have made it just a bit tongue-in-cheeck it might be a completely different case. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/34 "2007-06-21T10:34:58Z")
BTW I mean I played the first one, not the second one as it is not released yet. I don’t think I will play it though, as I really didn’t like the first one. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/35 "2007-06-21T10:36:59Z")
[QUOTE=LOUIS CYPHERE] YES, I KNEW THAT! I did not want to advertise their products, Mr.Picky. 🆒 [/QUOTE] Have you got some kind of problem with hunting? Cabelas are (video games aside), a hunting outfitters, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9a28c/32.png) [@LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LOUIS_CYPHERE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/36 "2007-06-21T10:46:04Z")
[QUOTE=Scoundrel Swanswater] Yes, I did play it. Are you trying to call me a liar? Then just do so.. [/QUOTE] I doubted it because you were obviously against that particular format of game, but seeing that you did play it, can I ask; “Was there NOTHING about the game that appealed to you? Did you not feel that that frisson of “SAFE” fear as you were sneaking up to do an execution move?” Well I must be sick, then! Book me in for a psychiatrist in the morning. Preferably not too early. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9a28c/32.png) [@LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LOUIS_CYPHERE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/37 "2007-06-21T10:56:41Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] Have you got some kind of problem with hunting? Cabelas are (video games aside), a hunting outfitters, AFAIK. [/QUOTE] Who was speaking to you Mr.Enfield? With a name like yours, it sounds like you may have a vested interest in the subject, am I right? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/38 "2007-06-21T11:01:38Z")
[QUOTE=LOUIS CYPHERE] Who was speaking to you Mr.Enfield? With a name like yours, it sounds like you may have a vested interest in the subject, am I right? [/QUOTE] You mean he drinks? ---
**Author:** ![LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9a28c/32.png) [@LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LOUIS_CYPHERE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/39 "2007-06-21T11:11:25Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] You mean he drinks? [/QUOTE] Probably drinks and shoots at the same time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9a28c/32.png) [@LOUIS\_CYPHERE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LOUIS_CYPHERE)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708/40 "2007-06-21T11:14:50Z")
p.s. Hope his middle-name is not Chevrolet! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-2-banned/408708.md?page=3)