Rockstar Responds to Fahey’s Sick Filth?

I gave readers the highlights of Rob Fahey’s no holds barred article “Sick Filth?” on Manhunt 2, the ban, and Rockstar a few weeks ago. GameIndustry.biz’s Fahey has recently received a response from Rockstar.Rockstar expresses its amazement that Fahey could support a total ban on any video game that was meant for adults 18 and older. A ban is a victory for the video game industry’s staunchest opponents and denies people the right to even experience the game for themselves and decide whether it is right for them or not.

I still have to side with Rockstar on this one. No the game is not appropriate for everyone. Yes Manhunt 2 sales should be restricted to mature audiences only. An AO rating is extreme in that it makes it very difficult for those responsible adults that would like to play Manhunt 2 to find a source for the game. A ban denies them their rights altogether. That isn’t good.
The full letter is quoted after the jump.

Dear Mr. Fahey,

We are responding to the article Sick Filth?, in which you expressed support for the ban of Manhunt 2.

Although censorship makes you “deeply uncomfortable” and you found the ban’s rationale “a less comfortable topic”, you agreed with the judgment of the British Board of Film Classification that no one – regardless of age or personal opinion – should be allowed to consider playing Manhunt 2.

We are still exploring our options for Manhunt 2, but how does banning our game support the industry or further the development of the medium? Unlike a heavy-handed editor or a critical review of a game, a ban is punishment for deviating from tradition.

A ban denies everyone the chance to consider, experience, or discuss the actual game. The only obvious victor is the status quo.

You seem to view banning Manhunt 2 as a way to protect the industry from scrutiny and unfair attacks. In fact, a ban is a triumph for the industry’s harshest critics, not an act of diplomacy.

A ban is only likely to encourage those who believe video games, already the most regulated medium in entertainment history, should be further restricted.

What about games make them deserve special treatment from the authorities? According to industry groups, the average games player is in his or her 30s, yet you support the widely held view that games are somehow a less sophisticated medium than cinema, only suitable for immature audiences.

In other words, although gamers can negotiate the boundaries between reality and fiction in other media, you believe we are incapable of navigating the same boundaries in videogames.

Yes, we have responsibilities as an industry, but as a creative industry, not as a pharmaceutical or weapons industry. Creative industries have always faced harsh political and legal criticism, and we know some of the movie industry’s more reactionary responses to scrutiny actually backfired.

We believe in a well-run ratings system. With the best rating system in history and the future of the industry and medium at stake, we don’t understand why it is necessary to effectively ban all games intended for players 18 and older.

Sincerely,

Rockstar Games