Australia has banned Manhunt, the grisly game claimed to have influenced the murder of a UK teenager earlier this year.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), a cross-state body, this week said it had revoked the game's MA15+ certificate. That classification indicates which age groups any given title can be sold to, in this case only people over the age of 15. This week's move in effect renders the sale of Manhunt in Australia illegal - the game is not suitable for anyone to play, the OFLC effectively said.
Indeed, "any existing stocks of this game held by retailers must be removed from the shelves immediately", the body warned.
The removal of the certificate follows a demand from Attorney General Philip Ruddock after a complaint by Western Australia state Justice Minister Michelle Roberts.
"In the Classification Review Board's opinion, the game warrants a refusal of classification because it contains elements beyond those set out in the classification guidelines and legislation for a computer game at the MA15+ classification," the OFLC said in a statement.
Manhunt has been on sale in Australia for almost a year now, so arguably the ban may do little to impact demand for the product. More to the point, if it's not suitable now, what made it so on its release in October 2003? The OFLC said it will provide a more detailed rationale in a few weeks' time.
In July, public attention was drawn to Manhunt after the parents of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah claimed the game had influenced their son's killer, 17-year-old Warren Leblanc, who pleaded guilty to the crime.
That prompted UK retailers Dixons and Game to pull the title from their shelves, even though, again, it had been on sale since the previous autumn. Right-leaning newspapers frothed at the mouth in indignation that such stuff could be sold to the nation's youth. In fact, it shouldn't, as the title's 18 certificate makes clear.
Indeed, Leicester police, who investigated the murder, ruled out the game as an influence on the murder, which is believed to have been motivated by Leblanc's need to obtain money to pay back a drug-related debt.
This is just stupid. The game has been out for over a year. If it was going to damage anyone, then the damage has already been done.
I don't think anyone who comitts any crime should be able to lay blame to a movie, book, computer game, song or whatever. If you know the difference between right and wrong, then you are accountable for your own actions.
Just because one idiot decided to kill another person, why should that mean that the government has to step in and decide for us whether this game is too violent. It had warnings on the cover, it was only available to a certain age group, they had done enough to protect people who couldn't handle the violence from being exposed to it. Banning it alltogether is just plain
Totally agree with you I have got the game and I have never wanted to go out and kill anyone because of it because I have always been taught that it is wrong to do that.
I still wonder how the murderer got this game if his parent bought it then maybe they should be asking themselves why they bought him a game with an 18 certificate in the first place.
the weird thing about this ban by some shops is that more and more people want it to see waht the fuss is all about and sales are being pushed up.
I am surprised that the Australian governmnet banned this game I reckon there would hell to pay if the governmnet over here tried it.
I don't know what you two are talking about, I'm lobbying to have Simpsons RoadRage banned because since I played it last year I've wrecked 6 cars, gotten 379 traffic citations, run over 64 innocent pedestrians and been fined for operating an invalid taxi service.
Holy War....You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend. - Richard Jeni
The new game that must be banned is Gand theft auto San Andreas because as one campaigner said " it is nothing more than users guide to becoming a car thief and murderer" again nothing more than rubbish from some people who have probably never played the game. Apparently it is also a racist game because the led charcter is a black man.
10-01-2004 06:00 AM
