Manhunt 2 will be the first game to ever be given the rating of (AO) Adults Only. "So what" you may say, after all most of us are old enough to buy a game without our mommy going to the store with us, or maybe you don't really give it a second thought because after all Manhunt 2 is not ment for the 360, it is developed for the PSP, PS2 and Nintendo Wii. So whats the big deal?
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Well the big deal is that the Anti-Video game groups have managed to intimidate the game industry. Giving a game the AO rating is like giving it the Plague as far as retailers along with Sony and Nintendo are concerned. Out of fear of criticism from these groups and activists such as Jack Thompson, both Sony and Nintendo have now changed plans and refuse to allow the game ( which was due out next month ) on thier consoles. And game retailers are following suit. Though the retailers refuse to shelf AO rated games they seem to have no problem what so ever with NC-17 and Unrated movies. you can play a porn dvd on your 360 but dont you dare put in a game that is deemed too violent or may show a nipple. If you want a grown up game you may have to stick to grown up hardware like a PC.
If the industry cowers down then this means games have hit a limit as to content, and any game given the AO rating is dead in the water, you can go to the video store right now and rent SAW but an adult game with half the violence will be slapped with an AO rating basically keeping it from ever being released to the public. Even though the average gamer age is 34 years old, the game industry will limit our game exposure to the 17 year old equivalent. It seems games have gotten as adult as they ever will, unless the retailers and console companies can grow a spine and quick. Lets hope that at least Xbox will take a stand and a chance of letting its gamers decide what is appropriate to play in their own homes on its expensive console.
As with Roe vs Wade, once a precedence is set it is very hard if not impossible to go back on. Not only would it give a boost to the Anti-videogame groups but it would bolster the myth that games are basically simulators training us to kill, rape, kidnap, steal etc..
They also said the same thing about Elvis and his evil Rock N Roll.
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