"It’s been almost a year since Nintendo stepped onto the stage of their E3 2007 press conference and threw the industry a curveball with their new take on gaming.

Let’s run down some of the major announcements at last year’s conference:

* “Wii Fit” revealed and demoed
* “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” “Super Mario Galaxy” release dates
* Wii Zapper announced
* “Mario Kart Wii” and wheel peripheral shown

More importantly, Nintendo did the opposite of their wildly popular ..."

""Creators have to enjoy freedom of expression but at the same time it's an industry that impacts society," EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding told a news conference.

Public concerns that videogames can cause aggressive behavior have been heightened by school shootings such as that in Finland last November, and have led to several countries banning games such as "Manhunt 2," Reding added."

"“Mr Vaz called for this game and its follow-up Manhunt 2 to be banned based on compelling evidence that such games had a direct impact on the actions of this man.”"

"The seemingly never-ending saga over the release of Rockstars Manhunt 2 for the Nintendo Wii in the United Kingdom, it seems, could soon see a resolution, with Manhunt 2 now, reluctantly it appears, given an 18 Certificate rating in by the British Board of Film Control."

"Details arising from Take-Two's conference call (the same one that confirmed BioShock 2 for release towards the end of '09) last night have revealed that Rockstar will release a "major sequel" sometime in 2009."

"MOVES to allow a "dark and violent" adult video computer game to go on sale in the UK have been blocked by a High Court judge, who ordered that the matter be reconsidered.
The British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) refused to give Manhunt 2 – from Edinburgh-based Rockstar Games – classification in case it fell into the hands of children.

Last month, the Video Appeals Committee (VAC) lifted the ban when it allowed an appeal by the US publishers.

It ruled the game was "unlikely" to cause h..."

"The Telegraph reports that the British Board of Film Classification, which banned Manhunt 2 in June before being recently overruled on appeal, has won the right to have the case heard by England’s High Court."

"News has emerged today that the BBFC is seeking a judicial review of the recent decision issued by the Video Appeals Committee overturning the Board’s initial refusal to grant Rockstar Games-developed Manhunt 2 with an age classification."

"Rockstar's appeal against the BBFC's decision to reject a modified version of Manhunt 2 has been successful.

The Video Appeals Committee announced its decision to allow the appeal today. Although the final judgement has not yet been released, the organisation says that it decided in favour of Rockstar by four votes to three.

"The BBFC will carefully study the judgement by the Video Appeals Committee when it becomes available," said BBFC director David Cooke, who revealed that the BBFC "..."

"All those U.S. parents unable to understand and appreciate the usual ‘E for Everyone’ and ‘T for Teen’ and ‘M for Mature’ guidelines slapped onto all videogame packaging (which are provided for parents by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board) should probably think twice before purchasing the following for pesky ankle biters below the age of 17 or 18..."

"A survey has found that almost 50 per cent of minors in the US have been able to buy games rated M for Mature from retailers.

The study found that of over 60 stores nationwide, 46 per cent sold M rated games to consumers under the age of 18, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The survey was carried out by the East County Youth Coalition and the National Institute on Media and Family.

The findings back-up a report from the NIMF last year, which also found that half of retailers will..."

"Local Target stores have been pulling Manhunt 2 off their store shelves in response to the recent events where some hackers uncovered adult content within the game.

Even though the ESRB themselves remained firm with the game's M rating, it looks like Target is taking no chances and is removing the game from its stores.

According to the source, all Target managers are required to stop selling the game, including refusing shipments of the game for all systems. Also Take-Two agreed to take..."

"I am disappointed and outraged that Rockstar Games tries to pretend that Rockstar Vienna and the work we did on Manhunt 2 never happened - the work of over 50 people, who put years of their lives into the project, trying to make the best game they could. I am proud to have been a part of that team."

"Hackers have already tampered with the code of Rockstar's Manhunt 2 to reinstate the violent scenes and images thought to have been removed from the game.

The PSP version of the controversial title has been exploited less than 24 hours since the game was officially released in North America."

"Joining other well-known critics of violent video games, Dr. Susan Linn of the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood has weighed in on the release Manhunt 2.

In a just-issued press release, Linn also had harsh words for the video game industry:

Tomorrow’s release of Manhunt 2 epitomizes much of what’s wrong with the videogame industry’s current system of self-regulation."

"With the Manhunt 2 launch now upon us, influential video game violence critics are weighing in.

California State Sen. Leland Yee (D), architect of his state’s contested video game law, has issued a press release urging parents to boycott Manhunt 2."

"As the Manhunt 2 launch draws near, the hurly-burly over the controversial game shifts to San Francisco where watchdog group Common Sense Media will hold a 10AM press conference at City Hall.

On Friday GamePolitics reported that the organization was urging parents to boycott Manhunt 2. The game is scheduled to arrive in stores tomorrow.

There was a bit of an oops in CSM’s Manhunt 2 bashing, however, as GP’s Friday coverage pointed out. At least one gory scene detailed by the group - tha..."

"Despite months of intense hype surrounding Manhunt 2, at least one major review site finds the game disappointing.

GameSpy has clubbed the Wii version of Manhunt 2 with a ho-hum 2.5 (out of five) score."

"Much has been made of Manhunt 2’s Halloween release date, but GamePolitics has just received a press release from publisher Take Two Interactive indicating the game will be available today."

"I've played through and beaten both the original and Manhunt 2 multiple times on both difficulty levels, and while it's great to see Rockstar start to make this into a "franchise," it feels as though a number of things went missing in the sequel."

"It is clear by now that violence in video games is thought more pernicious than comparable violence in more traditional media. Just look at coverage of Halo, the top-selling science-fiction series that is akin to “Star Wars” in its level of made-up mayhem. In the mainstream media Halo is often described as a “violent space epic” or a “violent shoot-’em-up game.” But when was the last time “Star Wars” was described as George Lucas’s “violent space movie”? For that matter, when was the last tim..."

"Xbox 360:

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Bee Movie

Cars: Mater-National

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition

Timeshift

The Simpsons Game

Virtua Fighter 5

Viva Pinata: Party Animals

Xbox Live Arcade:

Mutant Storm Empire

PS3:

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Stranglehold

Cars: Mater-National

The Simpsons Game

Wii:

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Battalion Wars 2

Manhunt 2

Bee Movie

Barbie Island Princess

Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey

The ...

"

"Downloaded games, he said, do not need an age-suitability classification, such as 15 or 18, because the Act, which mandates the BBFC's certification programme and forces retailers to obey the classifications, only covers physical products.

A BBFC spokeswoman confirmed that if Manhunt 2 publisher Take-Two Interactive chose to sell the game online as a download then “that would be legal and not contravening the Video Recordings Act”. She added that some games are already sold this way withou..."

"Although he raised a spirited First Amendment defense, Hoenig was clearly not conversant with current video game issues. It would be nice if Fox would put someone up against Thompson who knew what they were talking about.

We wonder if Thompson would have the brass to go up against a video game-aware opponent instead of the likes of Hoenig, Bob Guccione, Jr. and author Gerard Jones. Nice folks all, we’re sure. But when Thompson gets into video game specifics, they are out of their depth.

..."

"After following up on available clues GamePolitics has learned that the leak came from PlayStation Europe."

So, Nintendo sent out new PR, detailing their new release schedule. Unfortunately, that includes Brawl on Feb. 10

However, there are some very amusing and hidden gems. Assassin's Creed apparently is set to be released February '08, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin will be releasing on January 21st. There are some delays, including February 4th for Professor Layton (originally Dec. 3). It is shaping up to be a great end of '07/early '08.

Take note that this is a partial list. Most not...

"We are continuing to appeal the British Board of Film Classification's (BBFC) decision to deny the edited version of Manhunt 2 an 18+ certificate and thereby ban its release in the United Kingdom. The changes necessary in order to publish the game in Britain are unacceptable to us and represent a setback for video games."

"The BBFC has rejected a revised version of the video game Manhunt 2. This follows the rejection of the original version of the game in June. The distributor had set in motion an appeal to the Video Appeals Committee against that decision, and this was suspended while the revised version was considered for classification."

"The biggest and most disappointing change relates to the major death strikes. When Danny sneaks up on an enemy, gamers can hold the A button down, at which point they will be given the option to pick from three different murder animations (on Wii, they get to act them out with Nintendo's motion-sensitive controllers). In the AO-rated build of Manhunt 2, we could clearly see these over-the-top and horrific animations. In the M-rated version, Rockstar has added both an extreme blur effect and i..."

"The uncut version of Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 will now be readily available in at least one country when released later this year, after Holland deemed the game suitable for public consumption. Late last week, the ESRB passed a revised edition of the game with a ‘Mature’ rating in North America, after initially granting the title an ‘Adults Only ’ certificate.

Citing a law which states that adults are capable of making their own decisions, the Dutch Ministry let the original game through, thou..."

"Since Manhunt 2’s recent re-rating by the ESRB, the conspiracy theorists have been piling it on thick. GamePolitics correspondent Andrew Eisen managed to identify four different conspiracy theories, each of which attempted to explain why Manhunt 2 clinched that M rating...

Visit the source to revel in the madness..."

"Last week the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) quietly announced it had re-rated Rockstar's controversial game Manhunt 2 from an Adults Only (AO) rating to a Mature (M) after the developer resubmitted the title for review. The ESRB did not disclose any details about what content had been changed in the new version that warranted a lower rating. Early previews of the game had shown us Manhunt 2 was the goriest game we'd ever seen, including sequences of castration with a pair of pli..."

"The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is extremely concerned that the ESRB has downgraded its rating for Manhunt 2 from Adults Only (AO) to Mature (M). Despite industry claims to the contrary, M-rated games continue to be marketed and sold to children under seventeen. The ESRB’s reversal of its earlier decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Manhunt 2 – the most violent game to date produced for the interactive Nintendo Wii platform – will be marketed and sold to children."

"Rockstar has announced that a reworked version of its controversial Manhunt 2 has been granted an M rating by the ESRB. Free of the shackles of its original AO classification, the game is currently scheduled for release in the US on Wii, PS2 and PSP this Halloween, October 31.

Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games noted of the decision, "Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience". He continued, "We love the horr..."

"Rockstar Leeds boss Gordon Hall has called on the rest of the games industry to support the company in the Manhunt 2 controversy. Speaking to Develop Magazine, Hall defended the Rockstar London-developed game, which has been banned in a number of countries, and had commercially damaging age certifications slapped on it in others."

"Rockstar announced it would be appealing Manhunt 2’s ban in the UK last week, but UK trade paper MCV has now warned that the developer could be in for a lengthy scrap with the BBFC before the appeals process is done and dusted. And, as MCV grimly points out, that could mean the hype surrounding the game may well have died down by the time it appears on store shelves."

It's a move that most people will have expected, and Rockstar have surely delivered. Rockstar Games yesterday filed an appeal with the Video Appeals Committee (VAC) against the BBFC's decision of not giving Manhunt 2 an age rating.

Since the decision by the BBFC, Manhunt 2 has been given an AO rating in the US and banned in Australia and Germany. The outcome of the appeal will most likely, as the news about the game's banning has, intensify the curiosity that people feel for the game, and ...

"Dear Mr. Fahey,

We are responding to the article Sick Filth?, in which you expressed support for the ban of Manhunt 2.

Although censorship makes you "deeply uncomfortable" and you found the ban’s rationale "a less comfortable topic", you agreed with the judgment of the British Board of Film Classification that no one - regardless of age or personal opinion - should be allowed to consider playing Manhunt 2.

We are still exploring our options for Manhunt 2, but how does banning our gam..."

"What is the purpose of a rating if it means effectively that a title cannot be released?...Having a rating that we don't think is appropriate is one issue, obviously, and a separate issue would be if we feel the rating is appropriate and we can't bring it to market…that seems somewhat nonsensical."

"In an official statement, the company took the opportunity to thank the fans who had shown their support, before suggesting that games were being singled out from other types of media when it came to censorship. Manhunt 2, argued Rockstar, had been the victim of "special treatment", meted out by authorities who had "effectively banned" the game through their decisions."

"Rockstar is sending out this email to anyone that has approached them concerning Manhunt 2. Thanks to Purple Kitsune for the heads up!

We wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to contact us about Manhunt 2, which we had been planning to release on PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii. As you know, Manhunt 2 was effectively banned around much of the world, after it was refused certification in the United Kingdom, prohibited in Ireland, and denied an M rating in the United States.
..."

"Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime has spoken out for the first time on the controversy surrounding Rockstar title Manhunt 2.

Speaking to Newsweek Fils-Aime said, "This is not an image issue. Wii welcomes games rated E, T and M. We haven't approved AO-rated games. I doubt we ever will."

According to Fils-Aime, Manhunt 2 is "a game rated outside our spectrum, outside any manufacturer's spectrum"."

"The ban in the UK and Ireland slapped on Take Two's Manhunt 2, and its subsequent AO rating in North America, is a response to the company's previous controversial content, according to one analyst."

"This petition submitted on June 21, 2007 is hereby presented to Nintendo of America, Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft Corporation, Take-Two Interactive Software, Rockstar Games, future console developers, and other software developers. We hereby petition the above organizations to reevaluate the current policy towards software titles rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to be AO (Adults Only), specifically the decision in lacking endorsement to said titles in being re..."

"The decision by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. to suspend distribution of the violent video game "Manhunt 2" could actually end up boosting demand from curious gamers, industry analysts said Friday.

Analysts do not believe the move will harm the company's long-term bottom line. And if the game ever sees the light of day, the current controversy could give the title "a lot more exposure that would actually benefit game sales in the long run," said Colin Sebastian, senior research analys..."

"In other words, with Manhunt 2, Rockstar has crossed the line - and crossed it at a full tilt run, it would seem, since the BBFC was unable to suggest any cuts that would bring the game in line with its guidelines.

In making such a game Rockstar has been juvenile, shameful and irresponsible. The right of creators to push the boundaries of media and society must be balanced out against a simple sense of social responsibility - something with Rockstar seems to entirely lack."

"After this week's major gaming news surrounding the banning of Rockstar Games' stabby-stabby, killy-killy adult-themed thriller, Manhunt 2, the CEO of Running with Scissors has revealed he doesn't think the Manhunt 2 ban will do anything other than pacify politicians and damage creators Rockstar and the games industry as a whole."

"This week, it's UK Home Secretary Jack Straw’s turn to latch onto the anti-gaming conga line, and accuse the games industry of "lacking social responsibility." Straw made his comments after vocal games critic and Labour MP Keith Vaz brought up the recent controversy generated by Rockstar’s Manhunt 2, which was this week banned in the UK and Ireland."

"The inevitable has happened: Take-Two just issued a statement explaining the upcoming release of the currently AO-rated Manhunt 2 has been officially suspended. Originally scheduled for a July 10 release, Take-Two is reviewing its options following the UK ban earlier this week and the death sentence cast down by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.

"We continue to stand behind this ordinary game," the publisher said in a statement, according to Reuters. "We believe in freedom of creat..."

"Only 23 games have ever been rated Adults Only in the 13-year history of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, according to the board's site.

If Manhunt 2's AO rating sticks it will be the twenty-fourth title to receive such a rating and the first console title, not including the Hot Coffee edition of GTA San Andreas, to get such a distinction.

Other AO titles include Playboy the Mansion: Private Party, which received its rating due to nudity and strong sexual content; the director's..."

""It's currently our policy not to allow the playback of AO-rated content on our systems," a Sony spokesperson told GameSpot.

Nintendo's official line was much the same. "Games made for Nintendo systems enjoy a broad variety of styles, genres, and ratings," a representative told GameSpot. "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..."

""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," the companies said in a statement sent to GameDaily BIZ and other media. "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 the rating..."

"If ever there was a time for the ESRB's strongest and most unambiguous rating, it is now. An Adults Only rating is the only way to limit children’s exposure to this unique combination of horrific violence and interactivity...

An "M" rating is more like a wink and a nod than an effective safeguard. The industry appears to be going through its paces, but as the FTC’s most recent data show, these games are still being marketed to children."

""A decision from the BBFC such as this demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the U.K. that is effective. It shows it works and works well. Any decision the BBFC takes, it takes on the basis of its remit to rate on screen entertainment," commented director general Paul Jackson. "The games industry is a creative phenomenon that produces all kinds of games across all kinds of genres that appeal to all kinds of people across the country, young and old, male and female. The important..."

"Whether it’s the vast, desolate expanses of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, or the dank, dark corridors of the Nostromo in Alien, any entertainment experience seeking to create unease and terror must rely heavily on the visual stimuli of its setting: to provide the subtle visual cues that instill dread, and the sudden shocks that trigger surprise."

"Is Manhunt 2 worse on the Wii?

GamePolitics has confirmed via multiple sources that Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) has expressed concern over the impending release of Rockstar’s controversial game on Nintendo’s next-gen console.

For McCollum, the issue seems to be the use of the Wii’s motion-sensitive controller. It is widely anticipated that players will be required to simulate slashing, stabbing or clubbing motions in order to play Manhunt 2 on Nintendo’s popular system.
..."

"IGN has a report up on the many different environments you'll run around when playing Rockstar Toronto's anticipated Manhunt 2. The previewed stages include the Dixmore Asylum, the S&M Club, and The Honey Pot.

It was noted that the Dixmore Asylum serves as the tutorial/learning stage of the game. However, despite the stage's introductory nature, it was said that it is in no way a "trial run." You can still die in the worst of ways. As for the S&M club, it was said that in the later stages ..."

"Attorney General Bill McCollum is concerned about any games which may instill violence in children, particularly games that encourage children to engage in violent behavior, even in simulation. He believes it is important to help protect children from influences which may introduce violence into their lives and stresses the importance of parental involvement in the efforts to keep these influences out of our homes and away from our families."

"In Manhunt 2 an experiment at a secret research facility has gone catastrophically wrong. Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper are the only surviving subjects. The Pickman Project will stop at nothing to hunt them down and stop the truth from getting out."

"Yep, the visuals are definitely last-gen, but who cares about that when you can strangle people, shoot them, burn them or slash them open with your sharp axe."

"It's been another interesting day in the world which Jack Thompson lives. After burning through his fifteen minutes of fame regarding the VA Tech shooting, settling out of court with Take-Two, and with disciplinary actions pending at the Florida Bar, one would tend to think that maybe the game industry would be getting a reprieve from Thompson's attacks. Of course, this IS Jack Thompson we're talking about.

The latest target of Thompson's furor is none other than the Wendy's fast food res..."

""

"An experiment at a secret research facility has gone catastrophically wrong. Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper are the only surviving subjects. The Pickman Project will stop at nothing to hunt them down and stop the truth from getting out. The door to your cell is open. One choice. One chance. They took your life. Time to take it back."