Rockstar Games has been notorious for publishing controversial titles, Grand Theft Auto 
and Table Tennis being the most obvious examples. The company's commitment to pushing the boundries of hardcore game and cause of social deviancy has always been known. It's quite curious then that Rockstar would be completely shocked when Manhunt 2, a game where you play a lunatic that violently murders people in tandem would get a rating of Adults Only.
Neither Nintendo or Sony Computer Entertainment are willing to put the title on their systems with the AO rating, and that leaves Rockstar the choice of either editing sections of the game or looking to Microsoft for platforms. The game could be easily ported to the 360/PC, but would it do well? The game was designed for the graphically inferior Wii and PS2 and would look completely out odd place on shelves with more impressive games.
The only reason that Rockstar could have justified selling this game for the normal $59.99 was the unique Wii controls. Back on the original General Games blog I posted an article questioning whether the Wii's motion sensitive controls and revolutionary gameplay would have an effect on the ESRB rating system. There's a big difference between pressing "A" to stab someone in the head with an axe and physically making the motions to achieve the same gratuitous effect. The immersion factor increases and thus the "risk". It has not yet been stated why the game recieved the Adults Only rating, but I have a feeling this may have had something to do with it.
The only gap in my theory is that the PS2
version recieved the same rating and it is not motion sensitive, but from what I understand games are not reviewed on each platform, but simply just the game code itself. They could have applied the same rating to both based on one review but again, I am unsure of this and will not take this as a standing point.
The other side of his coin is that Sony did not have an issue fronting GTA: San Andreas when it recieved an AO rating, but then again it only got it after an extensive M rated release. However, what if GTA: SA had the AO rating from the start? What if Grand Theft Auto IV did? It's importance to the console race is undeniable, Microsoft has poured money into the game and Sony needs to keep the title to stay afloat. If it recieved an AO rating would gamers be willing to comprimise for a pared-down Mature version? Would Rockstar? For tose that don't know most big box stores will not carry an AO title and it sinks the financial ship of any title. Distribution is minimal and a would be hit instantly becomes harder to find than a copy of Advance Wars: Dual Strike.
I doubt the game would launch with an AO rating, no store would back it regardless of how hard Microsoft and Sony did. Rockstar would more than likely settle for reducing the content of their game to Mature and at best Microsoft's downloadables could go unedited. As for Manhunt, the game is in dire straits, the game's July release date is severely compromised and tons is lost in advertising revenue and recoding if they change it. Hopefully Rockstar will be able to pull a less bloody rabbit out of it's hat and bring a much needed original mature title to the Wii.
and Table Tennis being the most obvious examples. The company's commitment to pushing the boundries of hardcore game and cause of social deviancy has always been known. It's quite curious then that Rockstar would be completely shocked when Manhunt 2, a game where you play a lunatic that violently murders people in tandem would get a rating of Adults Only.Neither Nintendo or Sony Computer Entertainment are willing to put the title on their systems with the AO rating, and that leaves Rockstar the choice of either editing sections of the game or looking to Microsoft for platforms. The game could be easily ported to the 360/PC, but would it do well? The game was designed for the graphically inferior Wii and PS2 and would look completely out odd place on shelves with more impressive games.
The only reason that Rockstar could have justified selling this game for the normal $59.99 was the unique Wii controls. Back on the original General Games blog I posted an article questioning whether the Wii's motion sensitive controls and revolutionary gameplay would have an effect on the ESRB rating system. There's a big difference between pressing "A" to stab someone in the head with an axe and physically making the motions to achieve the same gratuitous effect. The immersion factor increases and thus the "risk". It has not yet been stated why the game recieved the Adults Only rating, but I have a feeling this may have had something to do with it.
The only gap in my theory is that the PS2
version recieved the same rating and it is not motion sensitive, but from what I understand games are not reviewed on each platform, but simply just the game code itself. They could have applied the same rating to both based on one review but again, I am unsure of this and will not take this as a standing point.The other side of his coin is that Sony did not have an issue fronting GTA: San Andreas when it recieved an AO rating, but then again it only got it after an extensive M rated release. However, what if GTA: SA had the AO rating from the start? What if Grand Theft Auto IV did? It's importance to the console race is undeniable, Microsoft has poured money into the game and Sony needs to keep the title to stay afloat. If it recieved an AO rating would gamers be willing to comprimise for a pared-down Mature version? Would Rockstar? For tose that don't know most big box stores will not carry an AO title and it sinks the financial ship of any title. Distribution is minimal and a would be hit instantly becomes harder to find than a copy of Advance Wars: Dual Strike.
I doubt the game would launch with an AO rating, no store would back it regardless of how hard Microsoft and Sony did. Rockstar would more than likely settle for reducing the content of their game to Mature and at best Microsoft's downloadables could go unedited. As for Manhunt, the game is in dire straits, the game's July release date is severely compromised and tons is lost in advertising revenue and recoding if they change it. Hopefully Rockstar will be able to pull a less bloody rabbit out of it's hat and bring a much needed original mature title to the Wii.
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