Target imposes ban on violent video game "Manhunt 2"

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Target Corporation, a leading retailer in the United States, imposed on Wednesday a ban on selling the violent video game "Manhunt 2" at its stores nationwide. Target said it has pulled the sequel to 2003 title Manhunt video game from its stores because its gruesome content previously filtered out can be revived by hackers.

Made by Rockstar Games, the premium content development division of game publisher Take Two, the controversial sequel to one of company’s darkest games, Manhunt depicts the escape of an amnesiac scientist and a psychotic killer from an asylum and their subsequent killing spree.

Players of the video game 'Manhunt 2' assume the role of a psychotic man who escapes a mental institution and then indulges in a bloody killing spree, using variety of weapons and objects, as he tries to find out what happened to his family.

Late in June, the New York-based game publisher decided to temporarily suspend the release of the Manhunt 2 video game in the wake of ratings controversy in the United States and a ban in Britain and Ireland.

Troubles for the new Manhunt 2 game title began when the US’s Entertainment Software Rating Board, the video game industry's self-regulated ratings board, gave a preliminary version of "Manhunt 2" an "Adults Only 18+" (AO) rating, the most stringent rating that that prohibits retailers from selling the game to anyone under the age of 18.

However, in August, Rockstar eventually succeeded in winning "Mature 17+" (M) rating from US rating board for its long-awaited sequel “Manhunt 2” in North America, and launched the game on Halloween (October 31st) following the submission of a modified version of Manhunt 2 to the ESRB.

“Manhunt 2" was launched with the blurring effect masking scenes of violence in the game. But, hackers have got the ability to input a code that enables them to un-blur those gruesome scenes faded out to suit the entertainment ratings board.

"All video games and computer software sold at Target currently carry ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board from early childhood through mature audiences. While Manhunt 2 was given a mature rating by the ESRB, we received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code. As a result, we have decided not to carry the game," the Minneapolis-based country’s second largest discount chain Target said in a statement.

The graphically violent original Manhunt, which has been banned in many countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and Germany due to the game's violent content, revolved around a man on death row named James Earl Cash. The ultra-violent action game featured creative kills such as bashing faces with a crowbar and wire strangling.

Though the game was fairly well-received by consumers and the press, but at the same time it was surrounded by the controversy in many countries. The controversy stemmed from the extremely graphic manner in which the player kills enemies.

Manhunt became the first computer game in Ontario to be classified as a film. The game has been declared illegal for players of all ages in Germany. Apart of this, the game was linked to the murder of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, by his friend Warren LeBlanc, 17 in United Kingdom.

A copy of Manhunt was recovered from the murder site. However, later it was transpired that the murderer did not own or play the game, instead it was the victim who owned the copy of the game, even though he was under 18.