Common Sense Media asks parents to boycott Take-Two’s Manhunt 2

Common Sense Media (CSM), a non profit organization which rates movies, video games, and other forms of media, recently released a press release urging parents to boycott Take-Two Interactive‘s Manhunt 2 (PlayStation Portable, Wii) when it comes out on October 31. The organization also announced that they would hold a press conference on October 30 to further strengthen their stand on the subject.

In the press release, CSM posted an image taken from the game of a police officer being decapitated with a shovel. They said that Manhunt 2 is the “most violent and gruesome game ever produced for a mass market” and that they want to make sure that parents know that this game is “NOT ok for kids”

Take-Two Interactive has responded to the CSM PR saying that the screenshot that was posted was from a leaked earlier build of the game. The creators of Manhunt 2 stressed that this scene does not appear in the ESRB-rated version of the title that will be released this October 31. Here’s their exact statement:

Take-Two wishes to make it clear that the screen shot of Manhunt 2 shown in a recent Common Sense Media press release does not appear in the ESRB-rated version of the game that will be released on October 31. It has been speculated that they have used the unrated version that was leaked some time ago.

It’s understandable that certain organizations would really be up-in-arms about the release of a game which handles adult-themes such as this. However, these groups should remember that the title has been rated as M-17 and shouldn’t really be played by younger members of the gaming community.

Common Sense Media (CSM), a non profit organization which rates movies, video games, and other forms of media, recently released a press release urging parents to boycott Take-Two Interactive‘s Manhunt 2 (PlayStation Portable, Wii) when it comes out on October 31. The organization also announced that they would hold a press conference on October 30 to further strengthen their stand on the subject.

In the press release, CSM posted an image taken from the game of a police officer being decapitated with a shovel. They said that Manhunt 2 is the “most violent and gruesome game ever produced for a mass market” and that they want to make sure that parents know that this game is “NOT ok for kids”

Take-Two Interactive has responded to the CSM PR saying that the screenshot that was posted was from a leaked earlier build of the game. The creators of Manhunt 2 stressed that this scene does not appear in the ESRB-rated version of the title that will be released this October 31. Here’s their exact statement:

Take-Two wishes to make it clear that the screen shot of Manhunt 2 shown in a recent Common Sense Media press release does not appear in the ESRB-rated version of the game that will be released on October 31. It has been speculated that they have used the unrated version that was leaked some time ago.

It’s understandable that certain organizations would really be up-in-arms about the release of a game which handles adult-themes such as this. However, these groups should remember that the title has been rated as M-17 and shouldn’t really be played by younger members of the gaming community.