Hot off the presses is the ESRB’s statement on the Manhunt 2 re-rating fiasco:

STATEMENT BY ESRB PRESIDENT PATRICIA VANCE REGARDING THE

M (MATURE) RATING ASSIGNED TO MANHUNT 2

August 28, 2007 – “Upon reviewing the modified version of Manhunt 2, the ESRB assigned a rating of M (Mature 17+) with content descriptors for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs. This is a very clear and firm warning to parents that the game is in no way intended for children. As always, we urge parents to strongly consider the ESRB rating in their decision about whether a game is appropriate for their children.

“Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis. It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released. What can be said is that the changes that were made to the game, including the depictions themselves and the context in which those depictions were presented, were sufficient to warrant the assignment of an M (Mature 17+) rating by our raters.

“The FTC, the national PTA, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Peter Hart Research have all found that parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the ESRB rating system. Rather than publicly second-guessing what is unmistakably a strong warning to parents about the suitability of a particular game for children, which presumably neither Senator Yee nor CCFC have personally reviewed, we feel a more productive tack would be to join us in encouraging parents to take the ratings seriously when buying games for their children.

“The FTC reports that 89% of parents say they are involved in the purchase or rental of the video games their children play and 85% say they restrict them. Additionally, parents can now easily activate password-protected settings on game consoles to block out content they deem inappropriate. Further, according to a recent audit by the Federal Trade Commission, the major game retailers, representing approximately 90% of all sales, currently stop the sale of M-rated games to buyers under 17 the vast majority of the time, having surpassed the level of enforcement achieved by theatre owners in connection with children’s access into R-rated movies.

“It is a parent’s rightful place to make choices for their own children. The ESRB and console manufacturers provide families with the tools and information to help them do so.”
I want to know more, but the situation is a bit understandable. And better no transparency than the CCFC and Yee being allowed to dictate the terms of ratings. Or federal regulation.

Manhunt 2: No Response Means You’ve Been Hoodwinked

Manhunt 2′s recent ESRB rating controversy has been lighting fires under our butts. We all want to know what the hell was cut from the game, when it was only days after the announcement of its AO rating, that it was re-rated M and slated for an October release.

Here’s an excellent compilation of conspiracy theories that I’ve reposted here from GamePolitics.com:

 

Theory 1: The whole things a scam! Manhunt 2’s content hasn’t changed at all. Take-Two and the ESRB are in cahoots to placate the industry’s critics.

Theory 2: Rockstar did something simple but drastic like fading to black during the killings.

Theory 3: There was only one kill or sexual situation that earned the game an AO in the first place. Maybe all Rockstar had to do was remove the testicle trauma or put some underwear on a bordello girl.

Theory 4: Rockstar intentionally put in some truly over the top and obnoxious sex and/or violence that they never intended to have in the game. It was included solely to have something to cut out when the ESRB balked.

If we don’t hear back from Rockstar on this issue, then we can safely assume that Theory #4 is the closest to the truth. Emails are flying to inboxes… we’ll see what happens.