You all know the story, and Rockstar's open letter to Manhunt's community pretty much sums up our opinion on the whole rating/banning matter. With no further comment, just read Rockstar's response to their fans' barrage of support messages.
"We wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to contact us about Manhunt 2, which we had been planning to release on PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii,"
As you know, Manhunt 2 was effectively banned around much of the world, after it was refused certification in the United Kingdom, prohibited in Ireland, and denied an M rating in the United States.
We are very proud of Manhunt 2 and believe it builds on what the team accomplished with the first title in the series. The game was developed as a horror experience, and to be an M rated title, aligning it with similar horror content created in other forms of media. Unlike many other people, we do not think video games should be singled out for special treatment from the authorities. We hope to have more information for you soon, but in the meantime, we wanted you to know how much we value all of your messages of support", said Rockstar's email.
Ignoring our own "no further comment" part, it is interesting to note that Manhunt 2 official site still states that Manhunt 2 is coming July 2007.
