Political Punch

Joe Lie-ber-man would not complain about 'Manhunt 2' if it was Iranian Guard. Unfortunately that's not the case.

The gas price is soaring and we are heading to a recession - does not Senators has better thing to do for American people? After all, we are paying them six figures salary and free healthcare!

maybe if they would stop cutting school activities down, kids would be exercising instead of playing these video games.

@been there

congratulations for citing godwin's law already. Although these games AREN'T marketed for children nor do they dehumanize people or teach people to commit violent crimes but well I gguess someone exictable as you wouldn't bother to find any of that out.

If any of you have a case against violent games I invite you go to gamepolitics.com and make your case there. We might be able to show you where you've gotten things wrong.

So much Bs to shift through in that letter so little time

"Dear Ms. Vance, We are writing to suggest that it may be desirable to revise or enhance the current ESRB rating system. We continue to believe that the ESRB takes seriously its responsibility with respect to the ratings and their enforcement. However, we believe that a number of issues have been raised regarding the release of Manhunt 2."

Translation: We're going to try to tell you how to do your job because we're upset about manhunt 2.

"In October 2007 the BBFC again refused to rate a revised Manhunt 2 stating that "[t]he impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature." Other countries agreed and have also banned the game."

Translation: Because we have an anti-game bias we agree with the BBFC decision more and are trying to get you to follow suit.

Honestly why should the BBFC's decision matter? They banned the game for its bleakness and callousness in tone. That's a horrbile reason to ban anything, does that mean they'll ban the Raven next.

"Unlike the British Board, the ESRB reduced the revised version's rating to "Mature" (M) effectively opening the door to its widespread distribution and its licensing approval by game system manufacturers Sony and Nintendo. And, while significant progress has been made, the FTC reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can still successfully purchase M-rated games meaning that the practical difference between an AO and M rating affects more than simply 17-year-olds."

By significant progress they mean the number is getting closer and closer to 0 every year.

"Manhunt 2 was sanctioned by Nintendo for its Wii system. That system permits children to act out each of the many graphic torture scenes and murders in Manhunt 2 rather than simply manipulating a game pad."

First off the game IS NOT MEANT FOR CHILDREN, there's a big old M on the game which means it's not suitable for children. If a child has gotten his hands on the game that is not the ESRB's or Rockstar's falt. If Hillary can't even get these basic facts straight even though they've been repeated numerous times I shudder to think what she'll be like as president.

"This led one clinical psychologist to state that the realistic motions used with the Wii mean that "you're basically teaching a child the behavioral sequencing of killing." While this was not cited as the reason for the BBFC decision, we do believe that the ESRB should take the Wii remote controller, and future advances in game controllers, which create more realistic gaming environments, into consideration."

Even though there have been tons of proffesionals saying that psychologist is wrong, and waving the wiimote around is about as realistic as waving a stick, and kids have been playing with fake swords for a very long time she's gonig to ignore all that jsut to complain and look good for the voters.

"Another disturbing aspect of this saga is that the AO version ended up being leaked on the Internet thereby circumventing the rating restrictions. News reports state that the leak came from a Sony employee, who was reportedly fired, rather than the game manufacturer."

NOT THE ESRB'S FAULT. . . AT ALL! Really it seems like she's just listing a bunch of vaguely related 'points' just to sound important and appeal to voters.

"Nevertheless, the possible use of the internet to circumvent the ESRB and permit broad access to kids is another concern."

Parents can also circumvent the ESRB but she doesn't complain about that. Also using the internet to cimcurmvent the ESRB has only happened a couple of times and thus it is a very very small problem (not to mention illegal to do in the first place). Also if a kid gets a game rated for a more mature audience that is entirely out of the ESRB's control.

" First, there appears to be a lack of information, to the public and developers, regarding why a particular rating is given or changed."

Actually they provide developers with all the information they need as to why a rating is changed, just not the public since they don't need to know.

"Why is information regarding rating changes or reasons for decisions unavailable, except for content descriptors, to the public?"

Because the Esrb isn't allowed to, it's part of the contract when they rate ANY game.

"We understand to some extent the concerns regarding the confidentiality of pre-released materials however that argument is no longer compelling after the product is released."

But the contract still stands.

"Some speculate that the ESRB could be used to provide attention to increase sales of future games. Under this scenario, a game like Manhunt 2 would first be produced to ensure receipt of an AO rating and thereafter tweaked to get the reduced M rating."

Oh not that old conspiracy theory again,

"A more transparent process might protect the ESRB from being used in this manner."

It really wouldn't

"Further, do the same reviewers view the original and the revised version of a game after an AO rating is received? How frequently do you use more than your minimum of three reviewers when evaluating a game? Are three reviewers adequate for the more violent games? How often do your reviewers disagree in their initial ratings and how frequently is the final rating a majority opinion rather than a consensus?"

I'd actually like to know the answers to these questions.

i agree, hillary should just continue figuring out how to seperate everyone from their money

hey hillary, what about clening up the internet a little?

She is really going to hate my new game...."Ft. Marcy Park"!

This is an excellent idea. I further would restrict such types of games to adults only. This is just one more step down the road to nazism again and their crimes, where victims are dehumanized, and being directed at young children in particular who are learning to act out these crimes. geee guess who did the same thing in Germany. at their nazis youth camps.

O lord, crook Hillary has just found another area to try and gather votes! Talk about oppertunism!!!

Comment from some bible-thumper: "We must get back to the golden rule, for all of us."

Right, the golden rule... do unto imaginary characters in a video game as you would have them do unto you.

Did I get that right?

?????? and I played with toy guns and knives. I even played the earlier video games when you shot and killed the aliens etc. How is it I never assaulted anyone, Killed anyone, stabbed anyone, or ever spent one minute in jail. I used to play the race car games and only have ever had 2 traffic violations. People need to stop blaming problems with their children on everything except the way they were raised. Get a life. If you don't want to raise kids and be responsible then don't have them!!!! Games and TV are nothing but a scapegoat!!!

When Hillary plays it, she can have an opinion about it.

CUDOS to these Senators.....This gaming thing is getting way out of hand and someone needs to put their foot down.

Boy oh Boy,,, Hillary reveals her own ignorance more and more each day . Frist of all if a kid is playing manhunt 2 that is not rockstar's fault . It's the parent's for buy the kid a game that was meant for adults . If Hillary and her circus want to santion anybody it should be the parents because they are the ones buying these games that were made for adults . It's like a movie for example just because the cover says movie does'nt mean it's ok for a kid to watch it . Just because the label reads video game that does'nt mean that particular game was made for a kid. When are people going to understand that. look i'm in my 30's and a woman and I enjoy these games but i also don't act out the stuff in them because I know the difference between reality and non reality . if anyone should get in trouble it should be the parents that are buying these games for thier kids . To me it's no different than if a parent bought a xxx movie for thier kids just because the cover said it was a movie . The same applys to games . Even though it is a video game it was not made to be played by minors . Geezz when will people stop being ignorant !

Whatever happened to biblical values? I mourn for America when I see this kind of thing becomming a part of our sick culture. God will not hold him guiltless who leads another astray. Some things are evil for children and adults alike. We must get back to the golden rule, for all of us.

I noticed a couple of things in the letter. First, the Senators are asking that the ratings system be revised to be more 'public'. Yet they acknowledge that the system is already used by game manufacturers to get advance 'buzz' started for their more objectionable games, and is routinely circumvented by internet pirates. And, secondly, nowhere in their letter do they simply say that 'manhunt 2' should be banned or restricted. Therefore, I see the letter as a publicity stunt--and one of the opening salvos in a drive to get more media under the Congressional jack-boot. That's what I think they really mean when they say the system should be more 'public'. I think 'Manhunt 2' is disgusting--the Senators don't have the guts to come out and say it. I think Congressional control of the Media would be disastrous. And the Senators don't have the guts to say that's what they really want.

First and for most I think the Senators need to find better things to fight. Second why in the world would a child be playing this game or in the same room while it is being played. I am a gamer and I don't like this game, but their are people who do and I think they should be allowed to play it. Oh and as far as the games go I know of a lot of movies that show the same thing and I don't see them getting banned. According to a survey conducted by the National Institute on Media and Family,childen between the ages of 13-16 years old were able to purchase videos games rated M for mature 46% of the time. Compare that to children being able to purchase R rated and unrates DVDs 71% of the time and they were also able to purchase CDs with explicit content 76% of the time. So I think the rating are working.

There are parents out there who will buy this and play this, they have no clue how to raise children and if they do allow their children to play this then they should be prosecuted and thrown in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

I don't believe in the video games they are making today that show violence. They should be banned off the market because it gives young kids wrong ideas and those ideas are not good. Whatever happened to the good games these companies used to manufacture without all the violence in them like basketball, football, baseball, etc. Gangbangers hang out in some of those video stores and that's gave them ideas to go out and kill.

Hey,.. :) as a video games engineer, and designer, and former employee of Rockstar games, I have talked to a bunch of professionals in the games industry about these issues, and this is what I've gathered. The ratings system is not bad, but has NO enforcement, or legal powers. VIRTUAL CHILD PORNOGAPHY is protected by the US constitution and bans are, non-existant. "Cop Killer", Flag Burning, virtual child porno, all legal, and I personally belive that this stern enforcement of the US constitution is vital, and more important than the rare but sick virtual child porno. BUT what seems to be the issue of confusion, and the target of lobbiests, is the retailer fine issue. Most game devlopers that I have talked to think it would not be so bad to fine EB $1000 or something for trying to use every dirty marketing trick in the book to get a 10 year old to buy a porno game or something. But BANNING is a violation of the constution, and is how the lobiests want to make the people who want to -fine the retailers- look like they are trying to do. Hillary seems to stay away from the issue now. (and other science/murder related issues) So in the media, in effect everyone is trying to "BAN" violent video games,. and step all over the constitution,. and then movies are next or whatever, then whatever. It is simply a confusion tactic I think. Burn a flag today :) and look up at the statue of liberty and remember that LAW is the final word next to morality, becuase morality and freedom is being stripped away in the name of our own security,.. "Were doing it for you!!" "You're Not Safe",... "We need to murder little children in priviate so we can all be more safe, and you don't even get to vote on it" "we know more than the whole population put together",... No wonder people in Canada are hating the US.