Manhunt 2 gets AO rating
- June 20, 2007 10:31 AM PST
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According to the ESRB's most recent decision, you must be at least 18 years of age before you can purchase a copy of Rockstar's Manhunt 2.
By Eugene Huang
Yesterday, GamePro reported that the BBFC effectively placed a ban on Manhunt 2, thereby declaring it to be too disturbing even for adult members of British society. Within the same time frame, America's Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) also examined the game, and has established that, as the game stands now, adults and only adults should be allowed to play Rockstar's controversial killfest.
The ESRB can not announce their rating to the public at the moment, as it may be subject to change depending on how Rockstar chooses to go forward with the board's decision. News of the rating came initially from gaming blog Kotaku, which recently obtained a prepared statement from a Take-Two representative:
"The ESRB has issued an initial rating of AO (Adults Only) for Manhunt 2. We believe the process of rating videogames is to help people make informed entertainment choices and not to limit them. Manhunt 2 was created for mature audiences and we strongly believe it should receive an M (Mature) rating, aligning it with similar content created in other forms of media. We are exploring our options with regard to Manhunt 2."
If the rating stands, only gamers 18 years of age or older will be able to purchase a copy of Manhunt 2 legally. If Take-Two is successful in its attempt to obtain an M for Mature rating, that would summarily change the minimum age for would-be purchasers to 17. However, it would also allow the game to be sold in such retail chains as Wal-Mart and Target, which have permanent bans on AO-rated titles.
The ESRB now awaits Rockstar's decision on how to proceed. The developers can choose to accept the rating, protest it to the ESRB's Appeals Board, or resubmit the game. Should they choose to resubmit in an attempt to lower the rating, the the game's content would most likely need to be significantly altered. However, it seems that the companies involved think that a decision at this point would be way too soon. A spokesperson from Rockstar echoed the sentiments of Take-Two's previous statement, also informing Kotaku that the company is so far undecided as to their next step.
"We have to explore all of the options," he said. "I think it's too early to go into all of that right now."
