So much buzz about the new Manhunt game coming out soon...or so it is. With the game automatically receiving an "AO" rating without warning. Now I played the first Manhunt and never finished it but I enjoyed the hell outta the game, very interesting game....felt like playing a game version of Running Man (which I'm sure was a little inspiration for it).
Now I'm just wondering why the hell the industry is so afraid or an "AO" game. Is it because of the Hot Coffee scandal? Or will our young youth mimic the game's actions.
Was in Gamestop this afternoon overhearing an employee and 3 kids no less than 16 years old talking about the game. Of course they want the unedited game out cause who would want a watered down game like that?
Of course this all comes down to Amendment #1 once again. On an artistic level, the game sounds to be a lot of fun and action for the older crowd, but for the youth, it could possibly be a training game for killing others (something Jacky would obviously bring up).
My game that I have wrote doesn't have such brutal ways to kill people, but a sex scene and cussing to a San Andreas content will probably give it an "AO" rating. I mean, how can I water it down to "M"? Take out the sex scene, which gives a huge character development push and is something new...sorta, or just put more bland text for the player to read? I mean I got a lot of text, pages upon pages of character and game development. The sex scene must stay! :p
Its the developers freedom to make whatever they choose and, of course, our freedom to ban the game or whatever we will do to it. I think we are afraid to take every single damn step to make this country better. I mean Stem Cell research peeps and "AO" games on the market (2 totally different things but ya get my catch).
Hell, no ESRB would be great. Artistic freedom cranked to 11! Also if developers had a choice in the matter...much like what Sirius Radio is, a different flavor with no censorship whatsoever. Only distribution online to the PC and any game stores that want to carry the logo less product.
Bu seriously, in 10 years when Manhunt 2 is in the bargain bin at Gamestop with the "AO" rating, we will laugh upon this silly argument for artistic freedom for developers and hopefully we have not turned back the clock for censorship and advancement into the 21st century for the USA. People just have to accept changes whether they like it or not.
