[Multiplatform] Rockstar's making Manhunt 2 for the Wii, PS2 and PSP

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/06/ro...2-psp-and-wii/

Quote:

Get ready to wave goodbye one last time to all those specious misconceptions that the Wii -- thanks to its unique name, diminutive size, and first-party mascot -- is a children's system. Rockstar Games, who've always had a penchant for controversy, just added a gasoline-soaked two by four (with nails in it) to the "do video games teach kids to kill" bonfire, announcing that Manhunt 2, the sequel to last generation's ultraviolent snuff film-slash-video game, will be released on the PlayStation 2, the PSP and the Wii -- with nary an Xbox 360 or PS3 announcement in sight.

The PS2 and PSP versions are being developed by Rockstar London, their newest studio, in conjunction with Manhunt series creator Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto) while the Wii version is being handled independently by Rockstar Toronto (The Warriors). We're going to be hearing a lot more about this one.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Slide the wiimote horizontally to slit a neck, and pull it and the nunchuck back rapidly to strangle a guy with a wire?

Fuck yeah, I could get behind that.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Now here's a game to carefully tread water on. On one hand, it's pretty much THE game to help eliminate Nintendo's 'kiddy' image ONCE AND FOR ALL. It'll also bring publicity and publicity=sales.

But what should happen if ignorant parents and office wanking politicians completely miss the point, burn the Wii, giving it a bad image resulting in suing and a drop in sales? When this game comes out Jack Thompson will have FIELD day with this game.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when's the last time whining politicians negatively effected a console's sales? Unless they outright ban the game from stores or something, I'd think it would do quite the opposite. When Mortal Kombat came out for the Genesis, what did every kid on the planet say? I need to get me sum dat! More recently, look at the Hot Coffee fiasco in GTA: San Andreas. Alot of people bought the game just to see the removed scene, making an already successful game sell even more. And Jack Thompson, does anyone even take that jackass seriously anymore?

Yeah, I'm not too interested in the game since the first one was pretty much "Oh, look how violent it is, he certainly shoved a crowbar into that man's rectum now didn't he" for the first 5 minutes and like most Rockstar games, once the novelty wore off it got kind of lame.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Thompson is going to explode when he sees this game, and the flash will be visible from mars.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Rockstar is predicting that the content in Manhunt 2 will get an AO rating, so it should be even more hardcore than Manhunt 1. It's unbelievable that Manhunt 1 even got a M rating considering the ultra violent nature of that game. I can't wait to play this.

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Originally Posted by kuttlas

Yeah, I'm not too interested in the game since the first one was pretty much "Oh, look how violent it is, he certainly shoved a crowbar into that man's rectum now didn't he" for the first 5 minutes and like most Rockstar games, once the novelty wore off it got kind of lame.

You're right, the first one wasn't that great.

However, actually performing the motions with your hands might prove entertaining enough to make playing it worth while. I guess it's all dependant on how they pull off the Wii controls.

FELIPE NO

Moving this to General and edited the topic title appropriately.

I'm still cautiously expectant of this. On one hand, Manhunt was a unique, brilliantly built game with exceptionally strong setting and audio design, superb structure and genuinely chilling concept, not to mention Brian Cox's voice was such a big part of the whole experience, it simply can't be done again. On the other hand, the first game was far from a large commercial hit, so there's got to be more to this sequel than a committee meeting, and it might just turn out to be something really special.

Either way, I highly suspect Daniel is some kind of mental patient, or at least held at some very corrupt/messed up ward. The story won't necessarily revolve around snuff films this time around, a manhunt can be done in other circumstances as well.

Just as long as they don't try for some bullshit freeroaming crap, I'm sure I'll like it. Probably not as much as the first, but hopefully it'll be able to stand on its own rather than simply look less.



EDIT:
Just realized no one's linking the official teasers or site.

When I spoke of Daniel, I of course mean Daniel Lamb from the teasers, who's apparently the protagonist of the game. Wimpier looking than Cash, Juan hilariously pointed out last night he looks like me.

Official site

Manhunt Uncut - fansite with news and quotes from developers on the game

Teaser 1

Teaser 2

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

OMFG I AM SO EXCITED!! I loved Manhunt.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

UK sez NAAAWWW to Manhunt 2. And I even had a magical plan of importing this from the UK (if the game is actually good) when the upcoming 'banned in Australia for being a video game that isn't based off a Disney movie' announcement hits. I wonder if they'll bother with a PAL version at all? Did the first one get banned over there? They released it here for a few months before deciding to ban it.

"Here you go QUICK QUICK"
"Oooh, OOOH"
"Haha no, so sorry little Timmy, too slow. I'll be taking this"
"But but but, I just paid for it!"
"Hahaha"

There's nowhere I can't reach.

If this manages to get an AO rating, I'm definitely picking it up to support Rockstar.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The UK ban goes back to that age old belief that games effect your thinking, that and idiots making everyone else have to suffer because they need protecting from themselves. Come on guys the British Classification Body are the same people who banned Streets of Rage being an easter egg in the Sonic Gems collection, and this sort of imagery doesn't exactly do it any favors even if it is setting the tone of the game



I'm certain nearly everyone here is smart enough not to be warped by this game, but there are plenty of stupid people who are, and the less we say about the massive amount of dumb kids also playing Rockstar games who shouldn't the better

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Originally Posted by Infernal Monkey

UK sez NAAAWWW to Manhunt 2. And I even had a magical plan of importing this from the UK (if the game is actually good) when the upcoming 'banned in Australia for being a video game that isn't based off a Disney movie' announcement hits. I wonder if they'll bother with a PAL version at all? Did the first one get banned over there? They released it here for a few months before deciding to ban it.

"Here you go QUICK QUICK"
"Oooh, OOOH"
"Haha no, so sorry little Timmy, too slow. I'll be taking this"
"But but but, I just paid for it!"
"Hahaha"

Didn't they ban 18-rated games entirely now? ;_;

Either way, first game was released here and we've had no issues about selling 18-rated games here, so hopefully anything in the UK or US won't affect the rest of Europe (except Germany lol no Smash Bros or FF7 4 u), but we'll see.

I'll probably order the US version from dvdvboxoffice anyway. Unless of course that gets a brunt snip as well.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Tokubetsu

If this manages to get an AO rating, I'm definitely picking it up to support Rockstar.

Already has, confirmed today.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Guess they'll have to tone it down a bit. Nintendo doesn't allow AO rated games on the Wii.

If they release a AO version on the PS2 on their website I would totally buy it.

FELIPE NO

I doubt even Sony would allow an AO rated game. They got Acclaim to censor the ALMIGHTY BLOCKBUSTER BMX XXX while the GC version was left untouched. That's why Acclaim and GameCube were both so popular!

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

They'll tweak the sections that made the game rating AO before it's released.

Nintendo has no problem releasing AO titles for their system, but publishers don't want their games to carry that rating because lots of major retailers won't carry adult-only titles, including Wal-Mart (the world's largest retailer).

It isn't advantageous to have an AO rating.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Here's a quote:

Quote:

This just in from Take Two Interactive, publisher of the embattled Manhunt 2:

The ESRB has issued an initial rating of AO (Adults Only) for Manhunt 2.

We believe the process of rating videogames is to help people make informed entertainment choices and not to limit them.

Manhunt 2 was created for mature audiences and we strongly believe it should receive an M (Mature) rating, aligning it with similar content created in other forms of media. We are exploring our options with regard to the rating of Manhunt 2.

Beyond that, T2 isn’t talking. It is unknown exactly when the AO was assigned to Manhunt 2, but it would have to have been less than 30 days ago, based on earlier comments by ESRB president Patricia Vance.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Guru

Nintendo has no problem releasing AO titles for their system

Wrong.

Quote:

*Please note that Nintendo does not sell or license games that carry the ESRB rating "AO" (Adults Only).

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/buyers_guide.jsp

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Miles, Reggie personally lobbied for this gam on Wii. They'll change their policy.

But the game should be banned anyway, not on grounds of violence but rather jsut because it's shit

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Man, I want this game now. I loved the original, to no end, I just hope the AO rating doesn't mean I'll have to go out of my way to get it. I'm really interested on how it plays on the Wii, perhaps I can talk my friend into getting it as well.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by RABicle

Miles, Reggie personally lobbied for this gam on Wii. They'll change their policy.

But the game should be banned anyway, not on grounds of violence but rather jsut because it's shit

Think again, dude.

Quote:

"Games made for Nintendo systems enjoy a broad variety of styles, genres, and ratings," a representative told GameSpot. "These are some of the reasons our Wii and Nintendo DS systems appeal to such a broad range of people. But as with books, television, and movies, different content is meant for different audiences. That's why the ESRB provides ratings to help consumers understand the content of a game before they purchase it. As stated on Nintendo.com, Nintendo does not allow any AO-rated content on its systems."

Turns out Sony has the same policy...

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Ok so now the game is pretty not getting published. Good.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Microsoft

Adults Only: This rating means what it says: The program or game is only for adults, meaning ages 18 and older. This is pretty straightforward. A game receives this rating if there are prolonged scenes of extremely graphic violence and/or sexual content. It is company policy that there are no AO games for Xbox® or Xbox 360.

Originally Posted by Nintendo

Games made for Nintendo systems enjoy a broad variety of styles, genres and ratings. These are some of the reasons our Wii and Nintendo DS systems appeal to such a broad range of people. But as with books, television and movies, different content is meant for different audiences. That's why the ESRB provides ratings to help consumers understand the content of a game before they purchase it. As stated on Nintendo.com, Nintendo does not allow any AO-rated content on its systems.

Originally Posted by Sony

For questions or comment regarding the rating of Manhunt 2, please contact the publisher, Rockstar. Currently it's SCE's policy not to allow the playback of AO rated content on our systems.

DON'T WORRY GUYS, THE N-GAGE IS STILL AN OPTION

You know what will happen? Rockstar will cut out a whole bunch of stuff from the game, make it into a watered down piece of shit, THEN have it approved by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. I'm guessing Nintendo wouldn't bother period, but Sony and Microsoft might look at it if it were more appropriate.

Then, in a few years, they'll edge Manhunt 2: Directors Edition into a console. Smells like delicious profit.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

What stops publishers from releasing unlicensed games these days? Is there some sort of proprietary software code that has to be included to make the game work on the console? Or is it because Take Two don't want to hurt future relationships with the company?

Jam it back in, in the dark.