U.K. ban on 'Manhunt' may be lifted
Panel votes to reconsider controversial game
A panel of the British Board of Film Classification decided Monday that the org must reconsider its decision to ban Rockstar Games' "Manhunt 2," according to numerous reports.
Controversial game, in which players control an escaped asylum inmate on a killing spree, was originally banned in Blighty and drew an AO rating in the U.S., which made it impossible to release in stores Stateside. Rockstar, owned by Take Two Interactive, edited out some of the most violent moments and received an M rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board in the U.S.
But the British Board of Film Classification still refused to allow the toned-down version to go on sale in the U.K.; Rockstar appealed to the org's Video Appeals Committee and won in a four-to-three decision.
The BBFC must decide whether to challenge the appeal, which it hasn't yet done. If it chooses not to, "Manhunt 2" will go on sale to those 18 and older.
However, BBFC director David Cooke did note in a statement that his group "twice rejected 'Manhunt 2' for its focus on varied and cumulative killings."
