1P Start

A few days ago it was discovered that, by hacking into the PSP version of Manhunt 2, you could remove the pesky censorship and play Manhunt 2 as it was originally intended: chock full o’ guts! Naturally, this had people scared out of their wits that the ESRB would pull a… well, an ESRB, and re-rate Manhunt 2 like they had with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion before it.

Not to fear, the ESRB is laying off the banhammer. For now. In a conference call with all the big gaming news organizations that I didn’t attend simply because I was busy reviewing a producting, ESRB el presidente Patricia Vance stated that due to the nature of the hack, the ESRB had no plans to return Manhunt 2 to its original rating of AO. The ESRB believes that Rockstar disclosed every piece of pertinent content to the review organization, and went on to remind parents that they can’t regulate mods and hacks.

What parents, and indeed all consumers, need to be aware of is that computer software and hardware devices are susceptible to unauthorized modification. Parents should be cognizant of whether or not their children are engaging in unauthorized modification of their games, consoles or handhelds, as those modifications can change game content in ways that may be inconsistent with the assigned ESRB rating.

Glad to hear that the ESRB is sitting this one out, even if it does seem slightly hypocritical that they allow this hack to go, but a similar hack (Hot Coffee) brought down everything but the literal hand of God. To me, it’s just more proof that violence is more accepted than sex in this culture.

Press Release after the break.

ESRB STATEMENT REGARDING INVESTIGATION INTO MANHUNT 2

Manhunt 2 was rated Mature by the ESRB for ages 17 and older for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs.

Earlier this week we learned about a hack into the code of the PSP and PS2 versions of the game that removes special effects filters that were put in place to obscure certain violent depictions. We have investigated the matter and concluded that unauthorized versions of the game have been released on the Internet along with instructions on how to modify the code to remove the special effects. Once numerous changes to the game’s code have been made and other unauthorized software programs have been downloaded to the hardware device which circumvent security controls that prevent unauthorized games from being played on that hardware, a player can view unobscured versions of certain violent acts in the game. Contrary to some reports, however, we do not believe these modifications fully restore the product to the version that originally received an AO rating, nor is this a matter of unlocking content.

Our investigation indicates that the game’s publisher disclosed to the ESRB all pertinent content in the authorized Mature-rated version of Manhunt 2 now available in stores, and complied with our guidelines on full disclosure of content.

What parents, and indeed all consumers, need to be aware of is that computer software and hardware devices are susceptible to unauthorized modification. Parents should be cognizant of whether or not their children are engaging in unauthorized modification of their games, consoles or handhelds, as those modifications can change game content in ways that may be inconsistent with the assigned ESRB rating. That being said, the vast majority of consumers have not made the unauthorized modifications to their hardware necessary to view the content at issue.

ESRB president Patricia Vance said:
“Manhunt 2’s rating makes it unmistakable that the game is intended for an older audience. The unauthorized hacking into the code of this game doesn’t change that basic fact.

“Parents need to be vigilant about monitoring what their children are downloading on the Internet and ensure that they are not making unauthorized and oftentimes illegal modifications to software and hardware that remove the controls the industry has so diligently put in place for their own protection.”