wraggster
August 30th, 2007, 17:09
Seems that the Dutch cant do a thing about the release of Manhunt 2, heres the details from Gibiz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=28207)
Although Rockstar still has no plans to release the game in Europe until further notice
Manhunt 2, effectively banned in the UK and Germany, and only recently granted an M rating in the US after changes were made to the code, would be allowed on shelves in Holland, but only if Rockstar decided to go ahead and publish the game in Europe.
Currently the title has been axed while the result of an appeal against the British Board of Film Classification's initial decision to refuse the game a rating is pending, although there's no indication as to how long that process may take.
But in a recent development, according to an Associated Press report, the Dutch government is actually unable to apply a ban to the game.
This is because, as Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin wrote, the country's laws are based on "the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material."
That illegal material would include racist propaganda or material appealing to paedophiles, neither of which is contained in Manhunt 2.
Therefore a scenario might arise in which the game, while banned in the UK and Germany, could be released in other PAL territories, such as Holland.
However, this is speculation at this point, and as a Rockstar spokesperson reiterated to GamesIndustry.biz today, the company's position has not changed since the original BBFC decision.
Holland doesn't have its own ratings board for videogames, and Ballin stated that while his ministry was looking at whether new laws were required to address situations such as this, he hoped that the EU might come up with "a joint approach [that] could lead to a ban on the most violent games."
DIGG THIS NEWS (http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Dutch_would_allow_Manhunt_2_release) - Lets all move to Holland :)
http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Dutch_would_allow_Manhunt_2_release
Although Rockstar still has no plans to release the game in Europe until further notice
Manhunt 2, effectively banned in the UK and Germany, and only recently granted an M rating in the US after changes were made to the code, would be allowed on shelves in Holland, but only if Rockstar decided to go ahead and publish the game in Europe.
Currently the title has been axed while the result of an appeal against the British Board of Film Classification's initial decision to refuse the game a rating is pending, although there's no indication as to how long that process may take.
But in a recent development, according to an Associated Press report, the Dutch government is actually unable to apply a ban to the game.
This is because, as Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin wrote, the country's laws are based on "the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material."
That illegal material would include racist propaganda or material appealing to paedophiles, neither of which is contained in Manhunt 2.
Therefore a scenario might arise in which the game, while banned in the UK and Germany, could be released in other PAL territories, such as Holland.
However, this is speculation at this point, and as a Rockstar spokesperson reiterated to GamesIndustry.biz today, the company's position has not changed since the original BBFC decision.
Holland doesn't have its own ratings board for videogames, and Ballin stated that while his ministry was looking at whether new laws were required to address situations such as this, he hoped that the EU might come up with "a joint approach [that] could lead to a ban on the most violent games."
DIGG THIS NEWS (http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Dutch_would_allow_Manhunt_2_release) - Lets all move to Holland :)
http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Dutch_would_allow_Manhunt_2_release