Organized Chaos

Some of you read my regular video game column, The Gamesman, in the Entertainer (now inserted in your paper on Thursdays). From time to time I’ll post my Gamesman columns with an enhanced version featuring links and pictures that may not be included in the print version.

Here’s the first enhanced Gamesman, where I talk about the controversey surrounding Manhunt 2, which I purchased for the Nintendo Wii. My early impressions are favorable, but I don’t see the what the big hoopla was about.

Here is the enhanced version of my latest column:

The fervor surrounding Manhunt 2 will be at its highest point this week.

The controversial video game was scheduled to hit store shelves on Halloween. Many of you have by now delved into the game created by Rockstar Games that has been plagued by bad publicity over the last few months.

To put it simply, Manhunt 2 is a test of survival and a trip into insanity. Your aim is to kill before being killed. And there are many gruesome ways in which to dole out punishment.

The game was originally saddled with an Adults Only rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, as well as by the United Kingdom equivalent. An Adults Only label is akin to a kiss of death, because Sony and Nintendo, the two platforms the game is found on, won’t sell Adults Only titles. Many retailers also won’t sell Adults Only games.

So Rockstar was left with two choices: Scrap the game it called a display of artwork or tweak it to please the ESRB.

The meat of the game is still there, according to some media outlets that have played both versions. Some violent cutscenes have been blurred out, though you still will have an idea of what’s going on, only without the splattering of blood and such.

The ESRB gave the new version a rating of M, for mature audiences ages 17 and older. Last I heard, that wasn’t good enough for our friends to the East, as the game won’t be sold in Queen Elizabeth’s backyard.

The new rating did little to get rid of the controversy. You probably saw numerous news shows talking about the game’s violence and how children shouldn’t be subjected to a bloody game where your goal is to kill as many people as possible.

I will always maintain that the first line of defense for children is their parents. In simple terms, anyone under 17 shouldn’t play the game. In realistic terms, this rating will not stop anyone from playing the game if they so choose.

Some would say the game should be banned. That’s a laughable idea. If you don’t want to play it, you don’t have to, but let other people make their own choices.

Yes, the game is ultraviolent, even moreso than the first Manhunt. Yes, the content is disturbing. And yes, there are some sick and twisted things in the game.

But just because I can hack a guy’s head off and use it as a weapon (which you can in the game) doesn’t mean I’ll go do the same thing on the weekend while spending time at a local putt-putt. I’m sane enough to know what’s right and wrong, and that all I’m doing is playing a game.

That brings us to a major fear, that the game could trigger some to kill. Again, that’s a bit laughable.

Those who decide to kill after playing this game probably had the inkling to do so long before firing up their Nintendo Wii. They are the kind of people who are already hurting inside and have a mental glitch that makes them see the world in an evil way. They are the people who should be under supervision.

But that’s too easy an answer for some to swallow because we live in a society that chooses to get riled up over the hot topic of the day. This won’t be an issue in two months. This will all die down until the next game gets people off their duffs for a reason to complain.

Here’s a piece of advice if you’re worried about it: Play the game and then decide.

See for yourself, and maybe you won’t be as fervent. Or, maybe you will. Either way, after you’re done you can move on to more important things.

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