Child Advocates Upset Over `Manhunt 2'

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I just don’t get the controversy here. If it is mature rated, that means it is intended for 17+…right? Are child advocates picketing rated R movies to ban children from seeing them? I could see if this was a E for Everyone game…but it is a Mature game not intended for kids.

"In my opinion, it's the most senselessly violent and offensive thing I've ever watched," said James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that advises parents about television, movies, Internet sites and video games that may be inappropriate for children. "It's disgusting," Steyer said. "It's so violent, it struck me personally as pornographic violence."
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DON'T BUY IT. Jesus.


Course they're probably pissed about the reality of the matter... somehow, someway, the kids will get ahold of it. Anyone who denies that has forgotten how they used to be. Parents cannot be around all the time....
 
mdameron said:
DON'T BUY IT. Jesus.


Course they're probably pissed about the reality of the matter... somehow, someway, the kids will get ahold of it. Anyone who denies that has forgotten how they used to be. Parents cannot be around all the time....
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i didn't know jesus was on the [H]ard forums

oh well... I WILL BE BUYING IT....

hehe
 
The problem: Video gaming is still seen as primarily a child's activity. A stigma, if you can call it that.
 
People fucking fail, you don't want to watch it/listen to it change the fucking channel/station. Same thing with games/movies if it offends you don't watch it, play it or buy it for your 12 year old kid. Common sense, fail.
 
and 18 means adult in the US right?

So why not the AO label?

sorry but mature does not mean 17+... it means someone who is mature.

I know a number of adults who are very immature while some young teens due to circumstances outside of their control to be very mature.

the rating for M is fubar and is a gray line that shops like to use to sell to adults but not say its for adults.

It should be E for everyone, G for General, T for Teenagers and AO for Adults Only.

Screw mature. Just have the stores and companies suck it up and put out games by adults for adults and not worry about how the soccer moms would react. AO shouldnt only mean XXX hardcore sex. The video game industry is built on the backs of adults buying games to play not on teenagers.
 
Government officials, lobbyists, and advocates will always be inconsistent when it comes to rating things.

Profanity? Rate it M
Nudity? Rate it M
Drugs? Rate it M
Killing? It depends on the vulgarity of the killing. Gore, hate crime, rape, extremity.

But it's STILL KILLING no matter how you paint it!
 
The funniest part about the whole situation is that all these advocacy groups are going to help the sales of what looks to be a bad game. They need to learn that if they don't want the game to sell they should just shut their mouths. The reviews are coming in for this game and they do not look favorable. The bad reviews would be the death of this game if these advocacy groups would just stop drumming up their brand of hype for the games. In situations like this there really is no such thing as bad press.
 
Pathetic. Why not go after the parents who lets their kids see / play these things?

It's rated M for a reason retards!
 
"pornographic violence", if it had this I would be buying it. I keep wanting a horror porn flick with good acting, but I either get a dude in a devil costume or a chick with bacne. Manhunt 2 is a let down because it lacks pornographic violence, not because it has it.
 
I prefer the comedic violence of cheesy 'horror' flicks but each to their own.

BettiePage said:
and 18 means adult in the US right?

So why not the AO label?

sorry but mature does not mean 17+... it means someone who is mature.

I know a number of adults who are very immature while some young teens due to circumstances outside of their control to be very mature.
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Sigh. This sounds like a nauseating debate on semantics that I will benevolently leave for someone else.
 
He doesn't live up to his company name "Common Sense Media"

Well err that depends on who you are I suppose...
 
That game sounds like the movie Hostel. That is a movie I wish I had never seen.

Oh well, it takes all kinds I guess to make this game and to buy it. :rolleyes:
 
brouski said:
The problem: Video gaming is still seen as primarily a child's activity. A stigma, if you can call it that.
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Both this and the fact that most of these parents are whining because the world is out to get them and make them actually... ACT LIKE PARENTS.

A few days ago I saw a blog comment from a mother that said essentially "I can't control where my son is all the time, I can't tell him he can't have this game, and even if I did his friends would get it and I can't keep him from going over to his friends house, can I?"

I was flabbergasted, I mean is she the kids mom or his maid? If you can't tell your kid "NO" then you're kid is already more screwed up then this game could ever make them.

My cat is better behaved then most kids I see in public these days, seriously.
 
"it struck me personally as pornographic violence."

So.....he got.....er......horny about the violence? Thats sick, man.
 
What the hell is "pornographic violence"?

Every Generation has its whipping child. Long long ago it was Books (Westerns, Pirates, Mysteries and the likes), then it was Comic Books and there Violence, then it was TV, then Movies, and now it Video Games.
 
Diablo2K said:
What the hell is "pornographic violence"?

Every Generation has its whipping child. Long long ago it was Books (Westerns, Pirates, Mysteries and the likes), then it was Comic Books and there Violence, then it was TV, then Movies, and now it Video Games.
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The movie and music industry are spending millions lobbying politicians so they conveniently get left alone. The video game industry just isn't paying enough in protection money to keep the government officials happy with their bribes.
 
Ockie said:
Pathetic. Why not go after the parents who lets their kids see / play these things?

It's rated M for a reason retards!
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"Go after" the parents? For what? ESRB is a voluntary rating system, it is not law. If a parent chooses to purchase this or any other M rated game for their child, you can certainly have a debate about good and bad parenting choices, but the parent hasn't done anything illegal. How would you suggest they "Go after" the parents anyway? Random spot checks by the Police in Private homes to see what games the kids are playing?

And just a comment on the AO rating. Because of the "Porn" stigma that goes with "Adults Only", console manufactures will refuse to give a license to a title with an AO rating, and many stores will refuse to sell games with an AO rating. Obviously this is US only, as different rating schemes and different local customs dictate what's appropriate in other parts of the world.

And FWIW, I wouldn't let my kids play, or even watch me play, something like Manhunt 2. I also doubt I'd even want to play it, but I know there are people who will, so to each their own. I don't like slasher flicks either, but lots of people get a kick out those too. Why is it we don't see these same wingnuts protesting at Blockbuster when Saw III is released on DVD?
 
The use of the term "pornographic violence" is KEY and that dude used it INTENTIONALLY....why? To eventually try to get it banned. And at the very least keep stores from stocking it.

I know the term sounds retarded but this is what these people do to lay the ground work to get something banned. Other key terms like "obscene" will get kicked around too before the run up to a call for a ban.
 
Yes, because video games are totally running wild raping the little children in the eyes, and not buying the game doesn't help. Just the fact they see it on the shelf means they are ruined for life!


lol I'm so tired of this crap.
 
Diablo2K said:
What the hell is "pornographic violence"?

Every Generation has its whipping child. Long long ago it was Books (Westerns, Pirates, Mysteries and the likes), then it was Comic Books and there Violence, then it was TV, then Movies, and now it Video Games.
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Pornographic violence means that it was so violent he got a chubby. :D
 
Video games are controlled by the user. This is the main problem parents have with the violence part. The very thought that their child could some how participate in such act - albiet virtually makes them cringe.

People need to take their kids aside and talk to them about such things as Smoking, Drugs, Sex, and Violence. This is what we call "Parenting".

I find it laughable that these media-whore-attention-seekers such as this guy or the infamous Jack thompson seem to believe we can legislate good parenting "values" to the masses.

If you want to live in a "Nanny State" you can! It is called England. ;)
 
[QUOTE"In my opinion, it's the most senselessly violent and offensive thing I've ever watched," said James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that advises parents about television, movies, Internet sites and video games that may be inappropriate for children. "It's disgusting," Steyer said. "It's so violent, it struck me personally as pornographic violence."[/QUOTE]

Good!
 
this kind of crap drives me insane. i think that rockstar likes to push the violence/offensive envelope as much as they can for higher sales (ie. they like the attention) but thats a different matter all together.

how hard is it to use rating system similar to movies? this is just a different form of media. for god's sake, if its rated mature then maybe you shouldn't give it to a child?? i dunno, just maybe...

i remember when i was a kid my parents wouldn't let me watch R rated movies unless they watched it first and made a decision for themselves. i remember one day my dad let me watch aliens after he felt i was old enough for it. he also watched the whole thing with me, hard is it people?? actually spend time with your kids? heavens! oh no! can't do that in our 'busy lives'. idiots.
 
wow...those people are so freakin' stupid...They just can't get it through their thick skulls.
 
THRESHIN said:
i remember when i was a kid my parents wouldn't let me watch R rated movies unless they watched it first and made a decision for themselves. i remember one day my dad let me watch aliens after he felt i was old enough for it. he also watched the whole thing with me, hard is it people?? actually spend time with your kids? heavens! oh no! can't do that in our 'busy lives'. idiots.
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I had a similar experience with the aliens movie. Although I think I was "mature" enough (12), that movie will give anyone nightmares for a while regardless of their age.

Of course my uncle has a sick sense of humor when it comes to children ;)
 
So is everyone so hypocritical because they're afraid that these whiners will actually affect change in the United States? I say hypocritical because you're all basically complaining about complainers.

Really...only people in countries that have banned games like this have a beef. And their beef is with their own governments...governments that in other threads are heads and tails ahead of the mess that is the US government.

Personally, these advocacy groups don't worry me. They're simply expressing their displeasure. Protected free speech, just like the games they rail against. It's all a celebration of freedom.
 
Vryce said:
So is everyone so hypocritical because they're afraid that these whiners will actually affect change in the United States? I say hypocritical because you're all basically complaining about complainers.

Really...only people in countries that have banned games like this have a beef. And their beef is with their own governments...governments that in other threads are heads and tails ahead of the mess that is the US government.

Personally, these advocacy groups don't worry me. They're simply expressing their displeasure. Protected free speech, just like the games they rail against. It's all a celebration of freedom.
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Well we don't say they can't say the game is bad for kids, we even agree that children shouldn't play some of these games.. They push to have them censored or even removed, bypassing trying to get parents involved in what their kids play.
 
For what it's worth, I believe a lot of companies explicitly state the things that are in the game, either on the front on the ESRB tag, or somewhere on the back. Some games even have popup disclaimers right within the game itself as to what kind of content awaits whoever plays. It's almost as if it's a last resort effort on the company's part to wake up a parent and say HEY, IF YOUR KID IS UNDER A CERTAIN AGE YOU MIGHT WANT TO RETHINK THIS ONE!

And yet the whining and the bitching continues.

I just looked at the trailer, the TRAILER of 30 Days of Night. I saw blood, breaking and entering, someone being set on fire and thrown, what appeared to be a house or even a TOWN on fire, someone cocking a shotgun, and what I -think- was someone being ground up in a machine. It was too fast for me to tell clearly.

This trailer was approved for ALL audiences. A game containing these same things would have been rated T or even M. The movie itself is rated R. But I hear no one lobbying for the violence of this movie.

A fellow co-worker of mine used to work at a movie theater, and he said part of the work expectations as an usher/ticket person was to remind adults with children going to see an R rated film (read: whether it contained nudity or not) that the movie is rated R, could potentially scare their children, has violence/nudity and basically inform them ahead of time that it's probably not a good idea to let their kids watch this. Parents -still- went with their kids to these movies, only to walk out bitching about the very things they were just informed about only a couple hours prior! How much more warning do these people need? You see the movie trailers, you see the R rating and why it has the rating, you get told AT the theater...

What more do they honestly need? THESE are the types of people who bitch about the games being too violent. The people who, despite ALL the red flags, STILL go ahead and EXPOSE their kids to this stuff anyway. These are the ONLY people who are bitching about the violent content in the games they play.

Hell, you go to any place that sells magazines and you see PLENTY of T&A from the covers, and you don't even need Maxim or American Curves anymore. Even a Low Rider mag does the trick. Most of these mags aren't concealed in plastic like the skinmags are. But nobody says anything about the magazines.

I didn't even care for the first Manhunt all that much, but the hate towards it makes me want to own it as well as the second one.
 
Manhunt gets free publicity for its game and the nannys get publicity's for they pet product. Protecting us from ourselves. In reality though I bet the game makers would be happy if the would be censors found something else to get hot and bothered about. The games speek for themselves wasting time on pointless litigation and attention whoring doesn't help to make or sell games in the long run.
 
The problem is, all these stupid people automatically equate video games with little kids...

They need to check the facts first (straight from the ESA):

TOP 10 INDUSTRY FACTS


1. US computer and video game software sales grew six percent in 2006 to $7.4 billion – almost tripling industry software sales since 1996.


2. Sixty-seven percent of American heads of households play computer and video games.

3. The average game player is 33 years old and has been playing games for 12 years.
4. The average age of the most frequent game buyer is 38 years old. In 2007, 92 percent of computer game buyers and 80 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.

5. Eighty-five percent of all games sold in 2006 were rated "E" for Everyone, "T" for Teen, or "E10+" for Everyone 10+.

6. Eighty-six percent of game players under the age of 18 report that they get their parents’ permission when renting or buying games, and 91 percent say their parents are present when they buy games.7. Thirty-six percent of American parents say they play computer and video games. Further, 80 percent of gamer parents say they play video games with their kids. Sixty-six percent feel that playing games has brought their families closer together.
8. Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (31%) than boys age 17 or younger (20%).

9. In 2007, 24 percent of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.

10. Forty-nine percent of game players say they play games online one or more hours per week. In addition, 34 percent of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA, up from 20 percent in 2002.


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I blame the clueless soccer moms... :rolleyes:

 
Steve said:
The use of the term "pornographic violence" is KEY and that dude used it INTENTIONALLY....why? To eventually try to get it banned. And at the very least keep stores from stocking it.

I know the term sounds retarded but this is what these people do to lay the ground work to get something banned. Other key terms like "obscene" will get kicked around too before the run up to a call for a ban.
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wouldn't "pornograghic violence' be BDSM or a snuff film? seems to me this a missuse of the term.never seen a snuff film but some BDSM can be pretty nasty.
 
I can't believe these guys haven't learned the best way to promote a game is to tell people to not buy it...

This guy's comment makes me want to get ahold of a copy to see the "most senselessly violent and offensive thing I've ever watched..." for myself, and I don't play games anymore.

I don't suppose the producers of these games would go so far as to hire people to boycott their games would they?

Would they? :D
 
sometimes when I'm masterbating I think of hitting people with my car because of grand theft auto 3.
 
i think the misconception for these groups are that movies are for everyone but GAMES ARE FOR KIDS.. and if the game has bad naughty things in it then it must be bad for kids right? ohhhhhhh we must protect the children! i love how people crusade behind the guise of protecting kids to push their own agendas :rolleyes:
 
Meh. These child advocates are just making up excuses for bad parenting. I bet they're the ones who sued McDonald's because two fat chicks OD'ed on big macs and fries, not knowing it's bad for them....somehow.
 
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