BBFC agrees to take a second look at Manhunt 2 ban

It ain’t over yet: Manhunt 2 (Wii, PSP, PS2) may still find its way into the UK as the British Board of Film Classification has agreed to take another look at the Manhunt 2 ban in the UK. This comes after the decision by the Video Appeals Committee to allow Rockstar to make an appeal in behalf of the game. Read the BBFC’s comment on the appeal in the full article.

It ain’t over yet: Manhunt 2 (Wii, PSP, PS2) may still find its way into the UK as the British Board of Film Classification has agreed to take another look at the Manhunt 2 ban in the UK. This comes after the decision by the Video Appeals Committee to allow Rockstar’s appeal.

The Video Appeals Committee allowed the appeal against BBFC’s (second) rejection of the game by a majority vote of four to three. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC, made the following comment on the appeal:

The BBFC will carefully study the judgement by the Video Appeals Committee when it becomes available.

The BBFC exercises great vigilance and care in ensuring that all violent games which are submitted to us are correctly classified. Our decisions are based on published guidelines, which are the result of very wide public consultation. […]

The BBFC twice rejected Manhunt 2 for its focus on varied and cumulative killings. We recognize that rejection is a very serious step, in which the desire of publishers to market their games, and that of gamers to buy them, must be balanced against the public interest, including the full range of possible harm risks to vulnerable individuals and to any children who may be wrongly exposed to such games. Such balancing judgements are inevitably complex and multi-faceted, and are made only after very careful consideration of the contents of a work. We played Manhunt 2 for well over 30 hours prior to our decision.

The Board recognizes that the available research findings on the effects of video games (including positive as well as harmful effects) are varied and contested. But we continue to believe that a broad approach to the possible risks is needed, which goes beyond purely behavioural harm, and which also takes account of other possible effects on the sensibilities and attitudes of individuals.”