Tiga CEO, psychologist defend Rockstar Games before Video Appeals Committee

With all the flak that Rockstar Games has gotten lately due to their controversial Manhunt 2 (PSP, Wii) game, two respected people have stepped up to the plate in Rockstar Games’ defense: Tiga boss Fred Hasson and psychologist Guy Cumberbatch.

Read what these guys had to say about Manhunt 2 after the jump!

With all the flak that Rockstar Games has gotten lately due to their controversial Manhunt 2 (PSP, Wii) game, two respected people have stepped up to the plate in Rockstar Games’ defense: Tiga boss Fred Hasson and chartered psychologist Guy Cumberbatch.

Hasson and Cumberbatch have both appeared before the Video Appeals Committee panel and have supported the certification of Rockstar Games’ controversial title.

Hasson considered Manhunt 2 as “tame” compared to other games that had previously received certification, while Cumberbatch debunked the common belief in the link between violent games and violent people, arguing that the kind of people who are attracted to violent media tended to be more thick-skinned and less sensitive to portrayals of violence.

Fred Hasson and Guy Cumberbatch both have the credentials to back up their statements: Hasson is the founding CEO of Tiga, which represents the commercial interests of game software developers in UK and Europe. Cumberbatch, on the other hand, has conducted extensive psychological research on the topic of media violence.