The British government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no plans to intervene in the recent decision of the Video Appeals Committee and BBFC to have Manhunt 2 released in the UK, carrying an 18 certificate.
The BBFC was forced to issue the game certification after the VAC voted 4-to-3 to overturn their rejection of Rockstar’s latest in the franchise.
”The classification of Manhunt 2 is a matter for the BBFC and the Video Appeals Committee,” said a government spokesperson. ”It is important to note that there is no conclusive evidence of any link between playing computer games and violent behaviour in real life. Our concern is to make sure that inappropriate material is kept away from children.”
Dr Tanya Byron was asked by the Prime Minister to conduct an assessment of the procedures in place to prevent young children getting “exposed” to harmful material in video games and on the Internet.
”Dr Byron’s review will be published shortly and Ministers will give careful consideration to any recommendations then.”
It has long been argued that violence within games is a major contributor to aggression and a degradation of morals in children, teens and young adults but no such independent study has yet to prove such theories.
Games like Manhunt have been accused and wrongly linked to violent crime among young people. Stefan Pakeerah was a victim of murder in the UK in 2004 and his tragic and brutal death is often incorrectly linked with the game Manhunt.
Before video games were subject to this barrage of attack from right-wing conservative organisations and political groups the movie industry was subject to a similar “witch-hunt”. Let’s hope common sense prevails where parents who try to absolve themselves of responsibility or act out of grief, do not.
Maybe gamers and smart people are wrong, is Grand Theft Auto the ultimate simulator of crime?
