High Court Slaughters Manhunt 2

I'm totally with you on this on Doc. To the untrained eye this looks like arguing for a lame game to get released, but it is certainly much more important a premise than that, one that could effect the whole industry.

I'm not surprised at the BBFC, to take things to the high court and wasting tax payers money for supposedly protecting us from Rockstar. Your point above Doc, still gives Rockstar good cause to continue fighting this to the bitter end. Its unjust double standards against games, the same standards that put Fox in the dock, over Mass Effect.

I do think Rockstar should take this further, to the european high court. Rockstar should seek to make a point that to ban Manhunt 2, a game which has been on sale in Holland, with no signs of copycat acts reported, only seeks to undermine the inteligence of U.K gamers/consumers about what they are buying, if they decide to buy it. Have we no choices anymore?

Lastly, I'd like to say that as far as I'm aware, there's nothing that can really stop you from buying Manhunt 2 on import, be it from Holland or the U.S. I should know, I have a copy of Manhunt 2 (not a great game I know, but I did this out of principle for the industry and any freedoms I hold dear). The only way they could shut this down would be to ban all import shopping, something that's about as likely as banning all violent adult games. And do you really think they are bothered about import games (a niche gaming pursuit anyway?

Sure, its banned from U.K sale, but I have a right to shop elsewhere if I want to which I'll defend. I'm not hurting anyone, just enjoying my passion. This kind of crap half baked reasoned censorship is wrong, and I'll forever back Rockstar because I know the truth, the powers that be are trying to hide.

I agree with your larger points Joji, but beware what you wish for...

If Import shopping becomes prevalent enough (as it did for Sony with the PSP) they WILL shut it down. Remember that globalisation exists so that corporations can get brown people to make things cheap, sell them to white people expensively and send the profits to tax havens. Of course, they sell those SAME things cheaply in brown people's countries - and they DO NOT like white people using the power of the Internet try and buy those things.

Remember what happened to Lik Sang.

If there's anything productive to be done to assist Rockstar (petition etc) I'd like to sign myself up for the cause. This is a hideous precedent being set and harks back to the days of information control. I can now watch Cannibal Holocaust but can't play Manhunt 2. Utterly absurd.

What if I get a spray-on tan?

Its just the yella man, tryin' ta keep an orange brotha down...

Yeah Doc, I'll never forget what happened to Lik Sang and I'll have dagger for Sony for ages over that (especially for PSP which is region free for such a reason). Import gaming is the last line of defense if you will, against censorship and draconian ill conceived bans. I thought the BBFC were okay, but after this underhand act to ban a game that passed their own criterior, after resubmitance, purely out of fear and loathing of the game and Rockstar, is totally out of line.

In the long run, adult games can only stand to benefit if a lot of game content begins to appear online as downloads, like those of Steam. Then I wonder if the likes of the BBFC will still moan about it, once the chance to be fair, is possibly taken out of their hands like this?

Just think, with PS2 nearing the end of its time (and the possibility of PS3 maybe doing PS2 DLC in the future), Rockstar could esaily offer the original uncut version of the Manhunt 2 over Steam for PC and via PSN for PS3.