Hello, fellow readers,

Today I post on something that’s going down in the gaming community. As you see, I play games. I like them. I like the creativity, novelty, and education that goes into a game. Not to mention the hard work and constant stress it takes to refine it into something that can be enjoyed by many. However, I don’t like when certain people force their uninformed opinions and jurisdictions on me.

What I’m referring to is the recent debacle known as manhunt 2. It is a game that may never be released thanks to the governments bully tactics. and by bully tactics, I mean the esrb. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great idea to keep adult material away from the hands of children, but I also strongly believe that the best person to make a childs decision is THE PARENTS.

Manhunt 2 is just a glimpse of what our society can regress to. It IS an ultra-violent game with a sadistic theme and protagonist. However, it is a creative game nonetheless. The esrb is currently rating this game as AO (adult’s only), which is fine. but that limits the places that will actually carry this game for retail. That means any national retailer will not carry it (although I have seen movies, such as hostel, be promoted at these retailers). It also means that some consoles will not carry it at all (as is the standard policy for Nintendo AND Sony). I also believe that the AO rating is bs. Why is there an M rating? Wouldn’t Mature also be Adults Only?

While an AO rating could be “technically” applicable, why is it that it’s only applied to games? In fact, this game has already been completely banned in the UK. How soon before games are completely banned in the States as well? And why do games get negative preferential treatment? Is the creativity not as in line as movies? Are games, which have always been viewed as children’s entertainment, not allowed to “grow up”?

One would think that Grand Theft Auto, Bully, and other “alternate reality” games made the point that games are purely fiction and there is no correlation to real life. No matter how “real” the games may seem? As a responsible adult, I can tell the difference between right and wrong and I can discern between virtual and reality. Why must I be forced to adhere to a policy (the ESRB) that is unfair? Our only way to combat this biasedness is to talk. Make it known that you’re a rational person that wants to experience Manhunt 2. With enough of a stir, somebody will have to listen. And hopefully that person can be a collective voice for us all.

As Dennis Hopper once said: “You know what’s wrong with America? If I lovingly tongue a woman’s nipple in a movie, it gets an “NC-17″ rating, if I chop it off with a machete, it’s an “R”. That’s what’s wrong with America, man….”

That couldn’t wring more true during this debacle…