From the Melon Farmers:
Update: Manhunt 2 On Appeal…
Rockstar come out fighting, all guns blazing
Some of the rhetoric sounds a bit strong to me, doesn’t sound like it
was well pitched to win over the hearts and minds of the VAC.
From Euro Gamer
Rockstar has launched its appeal against the BBFC’s decision to
refuse Manhunt 2 certification, accusing the board of putting its
reputation above the interests of gamers.
Geoffrey Robertson, representing Rockstar, began the proceedings at
the Video Appeals Committee hearing by claiming the British Board of
Film Classification was a misnomer – suggesting it should instead be
referred to as the British Board of Videogame Censors.
There’s no evidence that playing interactive videogames leads to a
propensity to act them out in real life. We wonder why Manhunt 2 has
been singled out for special treatment, he stated.
Robertson went on to accuse the BBFC of being simply ignorant of the
gaming experience and throwing adjectives with hyperbolic abandon at
the game. Their reputation is not at stake; if it were we could show
how, over the last century, they’ve been derided for some of the most
stupid decisions in censorship history, he continued. But we’re not
going to go down that road.
According to statistics presented by Robertson, there are 26.5
million gamers in the UK. Their average age is 28 and the gender
split is 45 per cent female, 55 per cent male.
Addressing the panel from the Video Appeals Committee present to hear
Rockstar’s appeal Robertson said, There you are, seven of you – not
one of you has experienced, I’m told by the chairman, computer games,
or are a gamer.
At this point one member of the panel interjected, stating, That’s
not true. Some of us actually have played computer games. It was also
confirmed that the panel did play Manhunt 2 in advance of the hearing.
Robertson described as offensive and outrageous the allegation the
board makes against adults in this country that they’re somehow going
to go and shoot or kill as a result of playing Manhunt 2.
Millions of gamers play videogames and no crime has ever been
directly attributed to them, with one exception. And in that case,
the murder of British teenager Stefan Pakeerah, it was found that
there was no connection.
“There’s no evidence that playing interactive videogames leads to a
propensity to act them out in real life. We wonder why Manhunt 2 has
been singled out for special treatment, he stated.”
Because of the hype created by the tabloid press, because of the
emotive words from the parents of Stefan Pakeerah and because of MPs
like Kieth Vaz seeking to blame video games for real life violence.
“Millions of gamers play videogames and no crime has ever been
directly attributed to them, with one exception. And in that case,
the murder of British teenager Stefan Pakeerah, it was found that
there was no connection.”
The BBFC ignored the fact that there was no connection between the
murder of Stefan Pakeerah and the original Manhunt game and ruled
against Manhunt 2 in order to avoid an outcry from the tabloid media
and self appointed moral guardian politicians and pressure groups.
It seems Rockstar are making their case based on challenging the view
that Manhunt 2 could turn players into violent psycopathic murderers.
They are going to have a very tough job convicing the BBFC that this
is not the case as it seems the BBFC have been taken in by the moral
panic created by the tabloid media and agenda driven politicians.
But we wish them the best of luck.
