Remember last year when all the major players said they would never carry an Adults Only game on their respective systems. We know this due to the fallout from Manhunt 2 a glorified murder torture simulator. Where the game was so excessive that it was outright banned in many countries. Today Brittain finally gave its rating for the GTA 4 handing down a rating of 18.
Yet we haven't heard Microsoft or Sony say they wouldn't be carrying the game in the market. A Adults Only rating and an 18 rating are the exact same rating. They prohibit the exact same thing. So why are the consumers in the United States getting the shaft. You cannot even argue that its the market most innured to violence and sex. The game has received only a rating of 15 down under.
Unfortunately I doubt that there was any way the title could have gotten an Adults Only rating in the United States. No matter how much it deserved the rating neither Microsoft or Sony would have tolerated the game being given that rating. The entire system is entirely voluntary. They would simply reject the rating and apply their own. Most retailers would not object, and if they did to selling the title. Their retail competitors would gladly take in the sales windfall.
What do you guys think. Do you think the ESRB is nothing more then a paper tiger handing out token Adult Only ratings only when the game will not be a major seller. Were there an existing series behind Manhunt that has enough extreme content to deserve the rating it would be Grand Theft Auto. I honestly doubt there was any way this title could have received the ban rating.
The way I see it is that come April 29th we will all be playing a game that is Adults Only, but at least in the United States we are going to pretend that is not. The allure of money is too great, and the threat of system defiance is all too powerful.
