Features// SPOnG's Review of 2007: May/June

The BBFC - 19/06/2007
Manhunt 2 Banned

June, it turned out, was a month that saw video games come under mainstream attack.

Before all that, however, we got a price cut denial from Sony. Responding to suggestions from analysts that a price cut was on the way for the PS3, Sony's European director of corporate communications Nick Sharples snapped back. “The idea of price certainly doesn’t follow on to any adjustment in production.”, he said. “Analysts may wish to think so, but there’s no basis of fact in any of it.” Interesting stuff. We waited with bated breath to see if Sharples’ comments would hold true…

Meanwhile, rumour went on the rampage. Various reports told us that it had been “confirmed” that Sony would be losing one of its staple exclusives – Metal Gear Solid. Apparently, the fourth instalment was set to do a GTA IV and also head to the 360, taking exclusive downloadable content with it. SPOnG learned, however, that nothing of the sort had been “confirmed" - 'twas all but rumour and speculation.

After a bit of a scare the PS3 quickly rebounded, however. The console hit the one million sales mark in Europe. “That was faster than both PS2 and PSOne. And I think that the analysts out there will also realise that it’s faster than our brothers and sisters in the competitive world”, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's president, David Reeves told us. So there.

The happy days weren’t to last, however. Sony’s first-party shooter, Resistance: Fall of Man, drew heat from the Church for a map that included Manchester Cathedral. The use of the location – where gamers have to defend mankind from aliens – was apparently encouraging youngsters to have gun battles there in real life. SPOnG was left to assume that the Church is a bit disadvantaged when it comes to FPSes, having taken two and a half months to discover the in-game Cathedral.

Rockstar was next to come under the knife, as the debacle that was the banning of Manhunt 2 in the UK began. Having looked at the game, the BBFC – which rates games and other video content in the UK – decided that Manhunt 2 was not fit for human eyes. “Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing”, the organisation told us.

Yup, that sick filth was suitably banned – leaving SPOnG with fears for our own Adam Hartley, who’d previewed the game not long before. I, for one, have been giving him a wide berth ever since, least he snap at some offhand remark and start hacking at my jugular with a spork.

At least we had the rather good Tomb Raider: Anniversary to console us. Then there was The Darkness – ban worthy filth if ever we saw it, but a good lark nonetheless. Microsoft also provided a bit of relief for those of us growing frustrated with sitting in our stationary cars in city centres with Forza 2.

You can read up on the shenanigans of January and February then March and April here and here.