After being bombarded on all sides with criticism of the game’s bleak setting and sadistic methods of violence, Take-Two Interactive has decided to temporarily shelve their controversial sequel, Manhunt 2. While the company will continue to support the title and reserve it for a possible future release, it will take all the time it needs to fully examine its options.
“Take-Two Interactive Software has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the BBFC and ESRB,” said a Take-Two representative in a prepared statement (provided by Next-Gen.biz). “We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment.”
Manhunt 2 was initially refused a rating by the BBFC, thereby effectively banning it from publication within the U.K. Soon thereafter, America’s ESRB attached the game with a preliminary rating of AO, which then prompted both Sony and Nintendo to restrict the title from being released on their console systems.
With this new change, the game’s original intended release date of July 10th will most certainly be affected, but it may be too early to tell when or if the game will be released in the future.