While there is some degree of hypocrisy at work here, I can't honestly say this surprises me really, nor can I say Target doesn't have the right. They certainly have every right to sell only those products they want to.

Look at it this way, I can't speak for everyone else, but I when I head on out to pick up a game, Target hasn't been the first place I stop, since...ever... I can't say this bothers me. The only way this is worrysome is if it starts a cascade reaction. I really wish Rockstar would clean up their behavior, if the game were at least good, it might be worth so much controversy.

To be honest, I'd be more upset with this if Manhunt 2 was a game that was, in any way, worth playing. The game feels rushed, looks like ass, and has highly jittery and unbalanced controls, making playing it little if any fun. Personally, The game seems to run on nothing but controversy. Violence is all well and good when it is done right, ala gears of war or God of war or halo 3. but when it's just bloody and senseless and has no context like in manhunt, it feels like Rockstar made the game just to cash in on the controversy. They are free to make the game.

I however, chose not to buy it. THat is what needs to be remembered. They have a right to make it, you have a right not to buy it.

Seems like a poor decision by Target to me. Maybe they are looking for a pat on the back from the political pressure groups that have been so concerned about Manhunt 2. Mainstream media will probably always over react to situations like this.

JB,
From the English side of bestbuy.ca:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=092...

It's showing M from what I see. And on bestbuy.com as well.

Everyone,
It comes down to consistancy. There is none. I'm not even talking about retailer to retailer. I'm talking about within a single retailer. As has been pointed out, Target has no problem selling UnCut versions of movies, nor does it have problems selling other rated M games.

Target CLAIMS it doesn't want to sell the game because some individuals will hack the game (a reportedly illegal act). Guess what? DVDs can be illegally copied. Maybe you should stop selling those. Your steak knives you sell in kitchenware can be used to kill someone. Stop selling those. You sell poisons, used for legitimate purposes, that can be used to kill people. Stop selling those. There are great MANY things that are sold for a specific legitimate purpose, but can be used, modified or not, to do something people preceive is harm (although it's questionable that "harm" is done by playing an unblurred version of a game or watching an UnCut version of a movie, they PRECEIVE it will). Stop selling everything. Get out of the business.

They MIGHT have had better excuse to not sell it in the first place. Now, it just looks like someone's agenda stunt.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

@ Discombobulator.

He already has in other threads. It is his new chest beating toy.

I'm not crazy about the way they put this story together. It muddies the issue more than it informs. From everything I've read, the only versions that can be altered are the versions played on Sony consoles and handhelds, but the reporter then talks about the Wii version. It was more fair than some reports, but I think they could, and should, have gone farther.

sad. Jack Thompson think's he is winning.
the truth is, no one gives a shit about manhunt 2.

DCOW said it, get him! :p

I just saw the Bestbuy page for the Wii version. The description is as follows:

It’s one thing to be criminally insane. It’s another thing to be criminally insane with the need to kill other criminally insane psychopaths. The motion control of the Nintendo Wii is put to horribly accurate use in Manhunt 2. Please note: If you’re under 18, don’t even bother thinking about it. We’re not selling you a copy.

Can this really be what they are using to sell this game? Is this authorized by Take Two? It sounds really biased to me.

Target has the right to decide what they will and will not carry.
Just like I have the right to decide not to shop there anymore. Target has just lost a customer.

It isn't that I care about manhunt as a game.... what I care about is that Target has now sided, in real terms, with groups I do not approve of.

This whole ordeal just goes to show what I've thought for awhile...The whole problem the industry is having is due to the retailers and console makers. I see absolutely no reason console makers shouldn't allow AO titles if they have locks on their systems. The retailers aren't really onboard with the industry in the ratings area either which is what makes the whole thing seem so goofy from an outside perspective. I mean the industry has this AO rating, but no developers will touch it because it means it won't be sold in stores and it can't be put on consoles.

The end result is pretty much all games targetted at an adult audience end up getting clumped into the M rating with other games meant for young adults. The M rating is really over used IMHO....

That's actually a nicely balanced report. Kudos to the news team at WCCO!

Best Buy's response is pretty measured and logical. Target's got every right to not carry the game, whatever their faulty reasoning might be, though like others here I'm concern about a cascade effect. Manhunt 2 doesn't seem to be that great of a game, but I have really enjoyed a lot of R*'s games quite a bit. Many of them can be appreciated on a surface level, but they have a lot of subtext, humor, parody and at times, real emotion. Bully was a very satisfying game, and the culture satire of the GTA series is something I've always appreciated. I've seen in various threads and forums that people wished R* would stop making games like this. I'm glad they do. Someone has to push the bubble. The only way Rockstar disappoints me is how they back away and double-talk about their content instead of defending it under the artistic and First Amendment grounds they've earned.

Target bashing aside...did anybody notice just how nice it was to see some real reporting on the issues and not just overblown fear-mongering on the part of the media reporting it? I refer to the fact that the chick asked him why they didn't just cut out the scenes and the guy actually responds with an informed answer about how the "hack" worked on Manhunt?

I just found it odd, is all.

I say the report is at least decent. A lot better than what we have today. However, the decision by Target is a bit stretched, because they only took out that one game. Wheres the other stuff thats bad.

Nightwng2000 said it right. Stop selling other violent stuff first if you pull something like this.

THANK YOU Best Buy. Granted you can still get the game in plenty of places, but they have no problem telling a network that they sell games directed at adults. That means something to me.

I thought the ps2 version coudlnt be hacked but u could get a gameshark code??