Manhunt 18+: The European Controversy Surrounding Rockstars Latest Hit

In an era where video game violence is increasingly under scrutiny, few titles have generated as much debate and controversy than Rockstar Games' latest offering - Manhunt 2. Scheduled for release in February of this year across Europe, the highly anticipated sequel to last years smash hit has already found itself at the center of a major storm.

Initially rated '18+', the highest rating possible under European Union laws governing video game content, it was widely expected that Manhunt 2 would sail through without incident. However, following an extended period of review by the UK's censoring body - The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) - a surprise decision has left many in the gaming community reeling.

On February 21st, just hours before its planned release date across European territories including Ireland and Denmark, it emerged that Manhunt 2 had been refused an '18' rating by British authorities. Citing scenes deemed too graphic and violent for younger audiences - specifically a notorious sequence involving fellatio between two male characters which some have likened to actual sodomy - the game was instead handed down with a higher '18+7' certificate.

This move effectively bans Manhunt 2 from being sold or rented in any form until further notice, unless significant cuts are made to its highly graphic content. The implications of this decision could not be more far reaching; with major retailers such as Tesco and Sainsburys already stating their intention to pull the title from store shelves altogether should it fail to meet EU guidelines within a 12-month window.

For Take-Two Interactive, publishers behind Manhunt 2 - who have invested millions of dollars in marketing this highly anticipated release across Europe alone - these latest developments must be nothing short of disastrous. With sales projected to top $100 million worldwide before the end of its first week at retail alone, a ban that could potentially extend into next year or beyond would not only represent an enormous financial blow but also deal irreparable damage to Rockstars already tattered reputation in key European markets.

As tensions continue to mount between game publishers and EU authorities over issues such as video game violence and sex content, the Manhunt 2 saga serves only as further evidence of the deepening divide that now exists within this once harmonious industry. Will a last-minute compromise be reached? Only time will tell. One thing however remains certain - for Rockstar Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive alike, the future has never looked bleaker.

Manhunt 2 is scheduled to receive an '18+7' rating from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe on February 21st 2008. For more information about this title please visit eu./manhunt2

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