Sony and Nintendo shut the door on Manhunt 2
- June 20, 2007 18:51 PM PST
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Representatives from both Sony and Nintendo have confirmed that Manhunt 2 will not be released on their systems if the game retains its AO rating.
By Eugene Huang
The Manhunt 2 controversy continues. After Take-Two acknowledged recently that their game had received a preliminary "Adults Only" rating from the ESRB, spokespersons from both Sony and Nintendo confirmed that the game would not find itself a home on their console systems should that rating stand.
Gaming blog Kotaku initially received a message from Nintendo, emphasizing the company's broad range of games and ratings. However, the company plans to maintain its stance on disallowing the presence of AO-rated content on any of its systems.
"Games made for Nintendo systems enjoy a broad variety of styles, genres and ratings. These are some of the reasons our Wii and Nintendo DS systems appeal to such a broad range of people. But as with books, television and movies, different content is meant for different audiences. That's why the ESRB provides ratings to help consumers understand the content of a game before they purchase it. As stated on Nintendo.com, Nintendo does not allow any AO-rated content on its systems."
Sony concurred shortly thereafter by issuing their own similar statement:
"For questions or comment regarding the rating of Manhunt 2, please contact the publisher, Rockstar. Currently it's SCE's policy not to allow the playback of AO rated content on our systems."
So far, Manhunt 2 has only been planned for the Nintendo Wii and Sony's PS2 and PSP systems. If Rockstar is unable to overturn the ESRB's decision, the game will eventually find no means of publication with no console systems willing to host it. As GamePro mentioned in its previous coverage, Rockstar and Take-Two's only avenue is to either argue the decision with the ESRB's Appeals Board or resubmit the game for approval of an "M" rating, which would require a complete overhaul of its potentially offensive content.
