Update: Violent Manhunt-2 video game release SUSPENDED

Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. said Thursday it was temporarily suspending the release of the violent video game "Manhunt 2" because of an ongoing ratings controversy in the United States and a ban in Britain and Ireland.

Fortunately this violent and sadistic murderous game which was scheduled for a July 10th release in the U.S. on both Nintendo's Wii and Playstation 2 has been suspended. "After Britain and Ireland banned the game Tuesday, Italian Communications Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Thursday that he would seek to have the sale of the game canceled there as well. In a statement he called the game "cruel and sadistic, with a squalid environment and a continuous, insistent encouragement to violence and murder." The Wii version actually allowed the console's motion-sensitive console to be waved around to control a virtual murder weapon. You actually make motions as if you were torturing and murdering someone! How depraved is that? The video game industry is self regulated. It is wonderful that they gave a preliminary rating of AO which is Adult Only. This means that major retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart won't stock it which means sales are doomed. Rockstar, the publisher of the game, was given a 30 days to appeal or make changes to the game. Rockstar/Take Two has long been causing an uproar with their violent content video games. I am happy that Britain, Ireland, and soon Italy recognized that this is abhorrent. There is simply no need for something this blatantly horrific to be distributed as entertainment for minors.