by Sean Workman

Rockstar/Take 2 has recently hit a snag with the various ratings boards regarding their upcoming game Manhunt 2, sequel to their 2003 game which was surprisingly named Manhunt. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board for the one of you that didn't know) has given the game the retail death sentence rating of AO, or Adults Only. I say retail death sentence because that means just about any large retailer either will (or has already) cave under public pressure to not carry and support such sexual/violent/explicit material that many see squarely aimed at teens and children.

How bad is Manhunt 2? It's bad enough that one scene was described as a rape and decapitation of a woman where the man then attempted simulated sexual intercourse with her bloody "neckhole". That's pretty bad on multiple accounts. The lead system for this game was Nintendo's Wii known for its unique motion control that often simulates or mimics actual movements or actions. Nintendo is on retail fire right now selling millions of their systems to both gamers and the newly termed "casual gamers", people that didn't realize they wanted to play games until they saw that they weren't all just blood and gore fests... well, I guess that remains to be seen to some degree. Nintendo has recently gone on record and publicly refused to license Manhunt 2 in its current form for their system. For their part, the often edgier Sony also refused to release the game in its current form. Microsoft didn't have to bother refusing because Take 2 didn't even try to put the game out on their system.

Now we get back to the title of this article; Manstunt 2. I don't think it was any accident that Manhunt 2 was sent to the various international ratings boards in the state it was in. You may remember the little "Hot Coffee" incident that surrounded GTA San Andreas. That generated a LOT of buzz (coffee pun intended) in the gaming world and non-gaming media as well. Take 2 and Rockstar had to halt the sale of their game and reissue a "safe" version. What a minute. Did I just say Take 2 and Rockstar? Hey, the same damned companies!

Now I'm no rocket surgeon but I smell a pattern here. These guys knew EXACTLY what they were doing. Do you think these guys sat around and thought "Corpse humping? Yeah, that oughta be fine! Let's submit it!" No, they didn't. They thought "Should we spend $50k-$100k on a proper advertising budget for this (possibly gimmicky and/or mediocre) game or should we spend $10k on a couple weeks of extra dev time to pump out some extremely outrageous content that'll surely get us the water cooler talk we can't even buy at any price?!" That's when someone said "Do it!". This game was never intended to be released as it was submitted. They have a win-win situation here... they get media exposure without paying for it, they get morbid curiosity from potential gamers, and when they're forced to remove "the good stuff" as some will see it, they STILL come off as the good guys because "the man" made them do it. It's ingenious actually! But why isn't anybody calling them on it? I'm surprised. As much as the media loves a good scandal, you'd think being such a poser/martyr of the game development community would be worth a story or two... and I can't believe Jack Thompson hasn't chimed in on this yet. Wait, don't they have some sort of legally binding agreement against that guy? Hmmm... this intentional marketing theory of mine is really coming together...

So the question now is how far back does Rockstar have to take this game to get it released on the various systems. Was everybody's balking based on the AO rating or the concept of the title in general? If they make it an M rated title, will the retailers carry it? Will the consumers even want it then? Will they buy it knowing it's not the same game the ESRB saw and knee-jerked at? Honestly I rented Manhunt when it was first released and I never got hooked. I got bored. I didn't give it a fair shake probably, but I never would've given Manhunt 2 a second look normally. But now, to some degree... I'm ashamed to admit that I'm curious what the folks at Rockstar have up and running in their daily builds. I'm curious what their idea pitching sessions are like... I mean how do you have a work environment that respects sexual harassment laws when you're producing content covering rape, murder, and sodomy (sometimes in that very order)? I'd hate to work in Rockstar's Human Resources department... "No, no, I didn't fondle her by the coffee pot, I was showing Josh the new move for our game!" Rockstar should teach classes in cheap/free game marketing via manipulating the media's natural tendency to flock to anything sensationalistic. They could probably charge an arm and a leg for it... you know, to use as a training aids during the classes.

Great observation!

With all the hype I'm ready to pre-order.

yeah, i never realized there was neckhole humping. This changes everything ;)

I'm afraid this tactic might backfire for Rockstar.

SCEA and NOA have already come out and said they won't allow AO titles on their systems. (http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/06/20/nintendo-and-sony-on-adults-only-rating-for-manhunt-2.aspx) Ok, so Rockstar might have done this for cheap publicity, but it's entirely the wrong kind of publicity to be generating.

They're already "Public Enemy Number 1" to all the anti-video game violence zealots, and pushing out a gory game to get AO just to get some media buzz only elevates their status further and harms the gaming industry as a whole. Expect a whole new round of salvos to be fired by Jack Thompson and the myriad of other zealots who think video games should all be happy-happy My Little Pony and Lego games.

Likewise, this is the kind of publicity which I know Nintendo absolutely hates so it may cause a real strain between Rockstar and Nintendo and may harm any possibility of ANY other Rockstar games coming to the Wii.

Edit: Jack Thompson has already begun chiming in about Manhunt 2. Back in May, he demanded Wendy's restaurants cancel the Wii kid's meals promotion (http://www.nintendic.com/news/467) simply because Manhunt 2 is slated for release on the Wii.

That is just stupid! It's like saying let's ban all competitions for televisions because children COULD wach porn on them, or lets ban a contest for money because you could use the money to buy a gun which MIGHT fall into the hands of a youngster who COULD go on a killing spree. :-/

nice. I agree.

Everybody's trying to build their install base. If either Nintendo or Sony drastically ruled the market, my guess is AO titles would have a better chance. But right now in the infancy of both platforms, getting the sensation folks' panties all up in a bunch and causing protests against their system isn't something EITHER camp wants... this is actually representative of two different issues/problems. Rockstar/Take 2 are pushing the limits and got an AO rating. As far as their game, that's basically it... end of story. Then kicks in the separate issue of Nintendo and Sony saying "we're not going to allow (ie. "approve") AO rated titles on our system". I don't think it's so much "we're not letting Manhunt 2" as much as AO titles in general.

While I'd love a perfect world where excessive sex and violence didn't get into the wrong hands, I personally can't blame Sony or Nintendo... if I were in their shoes, I'd do the exact same thing... and if I were in Rockstar/Take 2's shoes, I'd probably try to make a game that got critical acclaim and praise without hooker killing and neckhole humping... oh wait, they made Table Tennis didn't they... meh, I can't be bothered by blocked crap I'd never buy anyway.

Bring on the next sensationalistic story.... Psst! I hear Sony uses baby's blood in their formula for the coating of Blu-ray discs! You heard it here first!

Maybe I should write for the Associated Press (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070623/ap_on_hi_te/games_manhunt2;_ylt=AiOQ4IkWGuyKzyrgHj5BzHgjtBAF). ..

'Manhunt 2' suspension may boost demand
By MATT SLAGLE, AP Technology Writer
Sat Jun 23, 9:05 AM ET

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 analyst at Lazard Capital Markets.

"Manhunt 2," initially slated for a July release on Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2, depicts the escape of an amnesiac scientist and a psychotic killer from an asylum and their subsequent epic killing spree.

Following bans by Britain and Ireland, as well as a ratings flap in the United States, Take-Two said late Thursday it was reviewing its options.

"We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment," the company said.

The game received a preliminary "Adults Only" rating in the United States from the industry's self-governed ratings body, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, restricting sales to customers 18 and older.

More importantly, such titles aren't stocked by large retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and all three console makers [ch8212] Microsoft Corp., Nintendo and Sony [ch8212] do not allow "AO" games on their systems.

Take-Two still could appeal the rating or craft a toned-down version that meets the less-stringent "Mature" rating for players 17 and older.

It's a move anticipated by analysts, but no indication was given on the fate of the title as of Friday. Telephone messages left with a Take-Two company spokesman were not returned, and a spokesman for its Rockstar Games division, which created "Manhunt 2," declined comment.

"It's free publicity," Sebastian said. "Consumer backlash is a risk but at the end of the day if it's rated `M' the retailers will take it."

Added Rick Munarriz, a senior analyst with The Motely Fool: "If anything, with this suspension there's going to be a demand for it because of the controversy."

Investors also seemed unfazed as Take-Two shares rose 21 cents, or 1 percent, to $20.82 in trading Friday.

Take-Two and Rockstar still have a marquee franchise on tap for a fall release.

"Grand Theft Auto IV," the latest in a series of urban crime games, should prove to be the real money maker when it is released on the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 in October.

Previous versions have been top-sellers, and Sebastian said any financial hit from "Manhunt 2" would be more than offset by the new "GTA" game.

"Relative to Grand Theft Auto it's a lot less significant," Sebastian said of "Manhunt 2." "Grand Theft Auto is the key driver. This is a second-tier title."

The previous game in the series, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," was at the center of a ratings controversy two years ago that sparked a Congressional inquiry.

Rockstar was forced to replace its first edition of "San Andreas" after a hacker discovered a password-protected game inside it that involved a sexual encounter.

This year has already been a turbulent one for Take-Two, which recently underwent a shareholder coup that ousted its chief executive and nearly all of its board.

The company said earlier this month that layoffs were likely as part of a restructuring effort designed to cut costs by about $25 million a year by 2008. Specific numbers haven't been released. Take-Two has about 2,100 employees.

It's not clear what effect the "San Andreas" controversy had on sales, as the title had already been available for months by the time the hack was discovered. In 2004, the year it was released, "San Andreas" was the top seller with more than 5.1 million copies sold in the U.S., according to market analyst NPD Group.

Controversies like "Manhunt 2" are to be expected for a company with a reputation for publishing edgy content, said Munarriz, the analyst.

"You have a company that's always lived in the gray area," he said. "These games are controversial and that's part of the allure."

I theorized as much the second this news came out. Though obviously my argument wasn't quite as cohesive as this one.