What good does this game do? Answer, nothing at all. Can it do harm? Common sense says that it can. We do not need long drawn out studies to tell us that somewhere , sometime ,some sick individual will be effected.

Various people seek, fairly aggresively, to defend this and similar games. Perhaps the effects are already with us. Just ban them, no argument. Nothing worthwhile is lost, considerable gains may result. Again, if I am wrong, so what?

D.L. Stephens, York, England

I notice that almost all the ney-sayers are dodging the issue of parental responsiblity. Why do so many people understand that NOT ALL GAMES ARE FOR CHILDREN.

As has been widely publicised, the videogame industry is a giant, outperforming Hollywood by a massive margin. By not giving the industry the recognition it deserves and taking it seriously, parents will continue to let their children handle media which has been deemed unsuitable. A person knows a movie is unsuitable because they look at the age rating, why does this simple logic escape them when it comes to games?

If an unbalanced individual plays a violent videogame and subsequently feels the need to imitate what they have seen (which I find unlikely) then that is unfortunate, but if you want to lump videogames with such a stigma, it has to be placed on violent films, television and news reports as well.

It is not the game that makes the person violent but rather inherant traits and lacklustre parents.

Gareth, Guernsey, UK

David, Bromley:

If you actually read the gamers' comments, you'd see that it is the others who are detached from reality. For example:

"With some variants of these games one can even experience the sensation of knifing or strangling a person" - Socrates, London

No, you CAN'T experience that "sensation." Video game controllers aren't that advanced yet.

Martin, St Andrews,

I'm reminded of the time, that having played a computer game I was inspired to climb through pipes, stamp on turtles and attempt to rescue a princess. There was the other time after a rather gruelling 8 hour session on Pro Evolution Soccer, I turned the computer off and then attempted to become a premiership footballer. The worst situation I've ever encountered form playing a computer game though, was a botched DIY attempt at building a brick wall having played Tetris (talk about crazy paving!).

Of course this has never happened to me, or anyone else, but surely computer games inspire people to imitate the game they've played? This is rubbish, I agree fully that this game is unsuitable for under 18's, but with an 18 rating it should be released.

I'm going to go play Mario Kart now, I'm sure on the drive to work tomorrow I will be firing red shells at the other drivers in my way.

Eddie T, Bristol, UK

"It is not healthy to expose children and teens to this type of material and we cannot be surprised when their as yet unformed minds begin to be affected by what they experience."

It seems the rating given agrees with this hence the ADULT rating. There is no issue here other than freedom for concenting adults.

Jon, Preston,

The teen gangs in South London and around the country are being brought up on this fodder. It is not healthy to expose children and teens to this type of material and we cannot be surprised when their as yet unformed minds begin to be affected by what they experience.

With some variants of these games one can even experience the sensation of knifing or strangling a person. There will come a point in the future when adults will say 'enough is enough', but by that time Society will be even sicker than it is now.

The Video Appeals Committee may not be as independent as it purports to be.

Socrates, London, UK

Before Video Games I take it that there was no murder, or any violent acts?
If someone is going to go out there and commit a crime such as murdering someone, and Manhunt 2 was still banned, I'm sure sceptics would find a different trigger for the act.
Freedom of thought, Freedom of expression.

Wolfiefish, Athens, Greece

hehe... this is prime for the troll posts.

"as a concerned parent, even though i havent seen or played the game, or even read the above article by someone else who probably hasnt played it either, im disgusted that this release is going ahead. rockstar are worse than hitler."

and other words to that effect. if you dont like it, dont buy it, and dont let your kids play it (they might hate you for putting limitations on their freedom simply because you dont trust them to adequately distinguish the moral codes of a computer game from those of reality, but if its For Their Own Good then im sure You Know Best) - dont expect the state to intervene and curtail other people's rights just because YOURE scared of something.

can someone remind me, why are we banning computer games depicting animated pretend violence, but constantly allowing kids to watch one-sided news reports about actual, real, flesh and blood killings?

bish, lancaster, uk

If you think these games don't affect some peoples behaviour ,how come billions are spent each year on advertising.
And to say these games have been around for 30 years is rubbish. With regard to not allowing children access by blocking the computer or consul is also useless,
are we supposed to go round to their friends houses and block theirs as well, and what about older siblings?

mick, poole, uk

It's interesting reading the views of people who actually play these games. It seems that they are already a little divorced from reality. The difference between the screen and the outside world is not so great for a number of them. The examples are all too real.

David, Bromley,

Of course this game was going to get a release in Britain. Jonathan, you have said yourself why; Britain is unremittingly bleak, callous and sadistic.

Our imaginations no longer fuel our experiences, our experiences fuel our miaginations.

Art imitating life.

Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, England

Yet again money wins over sense and realism. We have all watched films and felt differently when we leave the cinema. Its worse with games because you are in control of the destiny of your characters. Of course we are all responsible adults and know the difference between a game and reality? An age restriction barrier - what a joke. What is it going to take to make us wake up - this year, last year - next year? numerous murders, stabbings and beating ups done by teenagers for kicks. Its not them that should be looked us, but us for letting games like this to be sold.

Lynda, Manchester,

Has been delayed for long enough. Cant wait to play it.

Ryan, Cheshire, UK

All these people can say what they want about games like this being a "danger." Fact is, this is not one example you can point to that clearly shows that someone committed a crime because they played a computer game. Yet millions of people have been playing these games for nearly 30 years.

Bill Cotton, London,

Books, films, music and games are all healthy escapism and stimulation.

Their is absolutely no proof of any correlation between video game experiences affecting or influencing human behavior.

On the contrary video games, violent or passive in pace and tone, stimulate responsiveness and problem solving.

Any instance in the media associating games with heinous crimes are purely lazy tabloid nonsense.

Certification can teeter on very thin subjective lines. It's healthy to have these discussions and to keep refreshing our understanding of current social behavior and influencer behavior.

I am 35 and consider myself a hardcore gamer. I have been enjoying all genres of gaming ever sine the industry began.

I have yet to dress up in a Red Italian Plumbers suit and bounce up and down on giant mushrooms.

nick craske, lodon, UK

"2. anybody who is worried about there children playing can go upstairs turn on there childs console and activate the password protected content blocking, this will block the console from playing films and games higher Than the age you set.
More parents should be made aware of this feature. "

but what about those parents who stand their toddlers up on bar stools to reach the 18 rated video games in the holiday arcades?
it's guaranteed there will be kids out there that get to play this 'game'...

zane, London, UK

Grow up Chris.
If kids big enough to be able to drive a car dont know the differencee between right and wrong we have bigger problems in our society than a few explicit video games.
Did it not cross your mind that without a market these games by definition wouldnt have a market?

Matt, Oxford, UK

The difference between videos and computer games, as Chris said, is that in a video game the player is choosing what happens. The player is deciding, in this case, who lives and dies and how it happens. In a movie, the viewer has no choice in what happens. While one could argue that the lack of decision in a movie may cause curiosity in real life, I feel the video game is worse because the player has already made the choice hundreds or thousands of times. Also, video games are generally hours longer than movies allowing for much more exposure. Besides being longer, the interaction and decision making ability of video games make them much more involved, influencing the consumer to a further extent than a movie.

Devon, Madison,

more than just a few points to be made here

1. Manhunt 2 is 18 rated, this means that the target audience are adults
2. anybody who is worried about there children playing can go upstairs turn on there childs console and activate the password protected content blocking, this will block the console from playing films and games higher Than the age you set.
More parents should be made aware of this feature.

3. Killing in a video game is nothing like killing for real. Video games characters don't have feelings, or families. Nobody can say that holding a gun to something that doesn't exist is in anyway the same as holding a gun to a real person.

4 it. Should be the parents responsibiltie to control what media there children access(see point 2) and not just blanket ban by an unelected body,, in case children get hold of it. If we are to go down the banning route why not ban all 18 rated media, and not just this witch Hunt against the gaming community.

keith, chester, uk

What I find ridiculous is that Manhunt 2 is a bad game. Genuinely bad. The previous one was edgy - it forced the player into the position of a not-exactly-good man.. but a rational man.

While the game didn't give you a choice as a character - the man in charge had his finger on the button with regards to whether you lived or died, he was Caesar in that respect - you nevertheless had a choice as a person. You didn't have to enjoy it. You didn't have to continue.

But you did. You kept playing. You pushed your character to the most gruesome executions for the sheer delight of seeing what happened.

The first game was a comment on what violent games and movies have become; what they make us. The second game was at best a bad rehash and at worst a betrayal of the aims of the first.

It didn't deserve the attention it got. And it's only served to further dirty the name of games in the wider world.

Iain, Stirling, Scotland

If we think the Iraq war is a problem, wait until the water wars, the food wars, the coming catastrophic battle for ever more scarce resources that will demand much aggression from our fighters.
If such games help increase aggression, instil in our youngsters the lust for battle, the spirit we will need to fight our corner, so much the better.
Peace and love, socialism, united nations.. it's all over, a 20th Century fading failure.
The 21st Century path to all out world war was set in motion by USA's reaction to September 11th.
Conscription to military service will soon return and the more kids who are ready for it the better.
With ever more sophisticated military tools, computer games whizz-kids will be vital for what will become a war of robots, drones and cyber-sabotage.

And if I'm wrong, it's still better to have kids beating up images on screens than their fellows.

Harlan Leyside, Basildon,

The notion that merely playing a computer game (be it an incredibly violent one) can turn a seemingly normal functioning human into some form of sadistic killer (ie: the games protagonist) is rediculous. These people do not kill because they played a game, they kill because their crazy, why censor the vast majority sane folk in the name of a few (already) psychotic folk?

Dan, Brighton,

I really wanted this game. But now its not banned I don't want it:( If they had banned it, it would have been a "Legend" collectible. Now its just worthless. Please ban more games and films for my Nasty collection. LOL.

Blood, Salam,

People seem to assume that children will be playing this game which if is the case,is illegal as it has an 18 certificate.
It's okay to posters all over the place with 'saw4' and the likes being advertised is it?

Andrew, Edinburgh, Scotland

what a ridiculous argument.
The difference is, that with a video game kids believe they are comiting the murders!

They are not observing some psycho doing it, they are the psycho!

After reading that two kids ran down 2 police Officers at 1 am last night ... I can't believe these games are allowed. Or that Rockstar would even want to produce them. Have they no conscience. They’re as bad as those 2 kids

Chris, UK,

But has the final release had cuts? It’s a disgrace that in the 21'st century the government can still control what adults see in films and video games.

James, Portsmouth, UK