Fear of AO rating causes Condemned 2 developer to cut content.

[ObscureCaucasian]

Link

We haven't really covered it here on Xbox 360 Fanboy (for obvious reasons) but most of our readers are probably aware of the Manhunt 2 AO rating debacle -- the game received the AO rating from the ESRB for both PS2 and Wii. As a result, the game will have to be altered if Rockstar ever wants it to see retail shelves. It looks like this occurrence is already affecting the rest of the industry, as Condemned 2 producer, Constantine Hantzopoulos, reveals to CVG. According to Hantzopoulos, the Condemned 2 team is cutting certain content from the game in order to avoid an AO rating. As examples, he states that the ability to put an enemies head in a vice has been cut, as have several decapitations. Judging from Hantzopoulos' comments, other environmental attacks, like putting someone's head through a TV, may be cut as well. Condemned 2: Bloodshot, whatever its final state may be, is expected to arrive early next year.

 

[Dorkenstein]

Damn. Not that I am raring for an AO rating but I was looking forward to all the new stuff.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I was looking forward to the fingernails-and-pliers minigame

 

[ObscureCaucasian]

The sad part is that all that stuff would have gotten an "R" rating if it were in a movie.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: ObscureCaucasian
The sad part is that all that stuff would have gotten an "R" rating if it were in a movie.

Yep. WTH isn't Saw NC-17?

 

[ObscureCaucasian]

I'm all for ratings and stuff, but seriously, what 17 year old will be overly disturbed by a virtual head in a vice, especially after seeing that freaky oily thing on the box.

 

[BladeVenom]

The movie industry spends millions bribing (lobbying) politicians so they have much greater leeway with content. The video game industry isn't paying nearly as much in bribes so congress keeps threatening them so they have to be far more careful.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Censorship in gaming is what's going to kill my interest in it. It just gets worse and worse, they should, if nothing else, release 2 versions, one with the AO rating, and one without that would be labeled "Mature".

Sure, everybody is going to buy the AO version, and that would be proof that people want some spice in their games, like they have in their movies.

Censorship in gaming is disgusting.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Unfortunately, the console makers use copy-protection, patents and the DMCA to block unlicensed games, and all 3 companies have said publically that they refuse to allow AO games on their consoles.

So any vivisection minigames will be PC-only for now.

 

[ObscureCaucasian]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Unfortunately, the console makers use copy-protection, patents and the DMCA to block unlicensed games, and all 3 companies have said publically that they refuse to allow AO games on their consoles.

So any vivisection minigames will be PC-only for now.

But they're unlikely to put that in the PC because most retailers won't carry AO games.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: ObscureCaucasian

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Unfortunately, the console makers use copy-protection, patents and the DMCA to block unlicensed games, and all 3 companies have said publically that they refuse to allow AO games on their consoles.

So any vivisection minigames will be PC-only for now.

But they're unlikely to put that in the PC because most retailers won't carry AO games.

Bingo, it isn't just the console makers but the retailers themselves. I don't think I've ever seen an AO game sitting on a shelf in a game store or big box store. To retailers, AO is the same thing as XXX.

You may be able to find AO games online or through the company's store though. The market for those is so small though that devs and publishers just don't think it is worth the hassle.

I think what we are seeing with this and ManHunt 2 is the ESRB getting more aggressive policing games after there being so much outcry over wanting to bring in the government to regulate the game industry.

 

[Dacalo]

Oh noes! Polygon decapitations! Slap an AO rating!

Hostel on the other hand, who cares, slap an R rating, despite life-like violence/blood/limbs flying.

 

[mugs]

Nintendo should have welcomed Manhunt 2 with the AO rating. If they want to shed the kiddy image, that would be a good way to do it. Of course you still have the issue of retailers not carrying it, but they could always go the route that movie studios do - an R-rated and unrated version of the same movie.

 

[imported_michealo]

you could put people heads in vices in the soprano's game, among other various brutal methods of murdering people.

/shrug

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: mugs
Nintendo should have welcomed Manhunt 2 with the AO rating. If they want to shed the kiddy image, that would be a good way to do it. Of course you still have the issue of retailers not carrying it, but they could always go the route that movie studios do - an R-rated and unrated version of the same movie.

You mean the image that is making them a ridiculous amount of money now? Why would they want jeopardize that?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: mugs
Nintendo should have welcomed Manhunt 2 with the AO rating. If they want to shed the kiddy image, that would be a good way to do it. Of course you still have the issue of retailers not carrying it, but they could always go the route that movie studios do - an R-rated and unrated version of the same movie.

You mean the image that is making them a ridiculous amount of money now? Why would they want jeopardize that?

Because they want to appeal to a broader market. They said they wanted to encourage development of more mature games this time around, and so far that hasn't happened.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

This is about Grand Theft Auto IV but I thought it is relevant here too (not to mention I was just reading this an hour ago):
LINK

"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

Raymond Kelly, the real life New York City police commissioner had also said that it doesn't care where the game is set. "It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be,"

What bothers me about the above statements is - why target video games? Why not express displeasure for every movie, TV show and book that glorifies organized-crime? This whole AO-rating sounds stupid and gives it a seedy tentacle-porn like feel. I really wonder why retailers are happy to stock M-rated titles but not AO-rated titles? 17+ is fine but not 18+?

Since the vast majority of us moral citizens don't really give a shit about extreme profanity & violence in the media and consider anything sexual taboo, how about using the M-rating for extreme profanity/violence and X- for extreme nudity/sexuality? That way everyone is happy.

Oh no, that makes too much sense.