USA Today reports:

The horror title Manhunt 2 will hit stores on Halloween for Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 2. Since the Wii version uses the motion-sensitive controllers, it literally gives players the hands of a killer...

Players take the role of a psychiatric escapee who has murderous rages as he tries to uncover his past. On the Wii, players physically make killing motions with the controllers - slashing for stabs and lifting to strangle - rather than simply pushing buttons...

"It is a technological fit, and the gameplay works," says Newsweek's N'gai Croal. "But culturally, it's not a fit."

. . .
» Read More 

Rockstar Games released an exclusive web-only companion prologue to the events of Manhunt 2 featuring key backstory revelations. The Daniel Lamb Session was scripted, directed, and recorded by Rockstar on vintage analog equipment, in order to capture the grim, thick atmosphere of Manhunt 2.
» Read More 

The UK government has finally responded to an online petition filed after Manhunt 2 was banned by the BBFC.

"The Government is satisfied with the BBFC's procedure and with the provisions for appeal, and will not be intervening in this process," said a statement on the Prime Minister's website.

The government statement referenced the BBFC's guidelines and noted that it "uses its powers to reject works extremely rarely." It also noted that there is an appeals procedure "which the game's producers are apparently pursuing."
» Read More 

People rose to their feet, the band began to play and there was much rejoicing: Rockstar triumphantly returned to our offices with its newest build of Manhunt 2. In case you've been laid out, coma-stricken under a rock with no electricity, you've probably heard tell about the drama surrounding Rockstar's latest survival horror nightmare. Cruelly stamped with an Adults Only rating by ESRB, the game brought down the wrath of moral crusaders everywhere, was effectively deemed unreleasable by ... » Read More

It's "not the sort of game" the industry should be making says Frontier Developments boss David Braben.

"I think at the root of this problem is that there's still an expectation among parents that ESRB/PEGI/BBFC ratings can be ignored - possibly based on their experience of games when they were younger," he told CVG.
» Read More 

A copy of the PS2 version of Manhunt 2 has appeared on torrent sites, allegedly having been leaked early. This download has not yet been confirmed as genuine, and www.projectmanhunt.com feels is neccesary to remind users that it is illegal to download this file.

The source of this leak has not been revealed, although a 'Team Slonik' is taking responsibility for posting the file on the internet
» Read More 

07 Sept 07 GamesRadar has learned that Rockstar Game's Manhunt 2 has been leaked onto the Internet. Rockstar Games in the UK are yet to make a comment on the situation. Gamers may remember in October 2004 pirated Halo 2 code was leaked onto the Internet via newsgroups almost a month before it appeared in shops. However, the situation is particularly worrying for Rockstar Games as Manhunt 2 is currently not rated for sale in the UK. Furthermore, despite the downloading and playing of leaked ... » Read More

GamePolitics is serving up email transcripts that show increasing tension between Jack Thompson and 2K Games. The two parties have been acting at least vaguely civilly towards each other since an April settlement. A taunting, factually incorrect email from Jack to 2K (and other parties) has set things off again. 2K's response is to-the-point.
» Read More 

Despite Manhunt 2 being revised for its 31st October release in the US and currently banned in the UK by the BBFC, it seems the game will slip through the net into Europe via The Netherlands, since the country's Ministry is powerless to ban the controversial Wii/PSP/PS2 game from Rockstar and publisher Take Two.

Apparently it seems that the Dutch Ministry is refusing to step in and prevent the game from hitting The Netherlands as it would prove to be a matter of conflict with current law in that country. Whilst people can still be prosecuted if the game is distributed to those under the age of 16, no cases such as this have ever been tried in the Netherlands.
» Read More 

Aug 30 2007 Manhunt 2 is set to launch in Europe after government officials in Holland declined to restrain the release of Rockstar's infamous sequel. The game, recently re-rated in America in an edited form, will be the same uncut version banned by the BBFC. Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin informed the Dutch Parliment that: "The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal ... » Read More

Aug 29, 2007 Despite the demands of Calif. State Sen. Leland Yee, the Entertainment Software Rating Board said it would not disclose why it re-rated Manhunt 2 from an AO to an M. "Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis," said ESRB president Patricia Vance in a statement Tuesday. "It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released. "What can be said is that the changes ... » Read More

Rockstar Games has told Next-Gen that there have been no further developments in its efforts to secure a UK rating for Manhunt 2. Rockstar games are currently awaiting the verdict of an appeal against the BBFC's (British Board of Film Classification) decision not to grant the game a rating, hence barring it from release.

The controversial game, originally given an AO (Adults Only) rating in the US, was last Friday granted an M for Mature rating by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). The decision, which was rebuked by a number of parties outside of the gaming community, followed the re-rating of a modified version of the title, clearing the way for a Halloween release in North America on Wii, PS2 and PSP.
» Read More 

Following yesterday's criticism from California State Senator Leland Yee calling for transparency and an investigation into Manhunt 2's new M rating, ESRB president Patricia Vance has said simply that context and depiction changes in the game were enough to warrant the rating.

"Upon reviewing the modified version of Manhunt 2," said Vance in a statement, "the ESRB assigned a rating of M (Mature 17+) with content descriptors for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs."
» Read More 

While Rockstar fans are high-fiving over news that Manhunt 2 will now see the light of day as an M-rated horror game, the Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood is not impressed.

The group has called for a federal government investigation into how Manhunt 2 came to be an M-rated game.
» Read More 

Aug 24, 2007 Labeled as "cruel sadism," derided both publicly and within Rockstar, eventually banned, subsequently subject to a slew of supportive petitions; more of the public consciousness has been directed at Manhunt 2 than the average show of CSI. Now seven months of turmoil later, the Entertainment Software Board (ESRB) has reclassified the title from "Adults Only" to "Mature" in North America, allowing it to be sold to 17-year-olds and stocked in family stores like Wal-Mart - but only ... » Read More

Rockstar has finally received some good news over Manhunt 2: the game has been cleared for an October release in the US.

American ratings board the ESRB has granted the game an 'M' classification ¿ which allows sale to consumers of 17 years and older ¿ after Rockstar submitted a modified version of the title.
» Read More 

A new report claims that Rockstar's appeal to have Manhunt 2's UK ban overturned could take months to be resolved, leaving the publisher in a very awkward position.
» Read More 

As part of its revised revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2007, Take-Two has announced the delayed Manhunt 2 has been completely removed from its current fiscal year schedule, ended October 31. What's more, the game does not appear on the company's fiscal 2008 line-up.

1UP:
When asked why Manhunt 2 was not listed on release lineup, Zelnick replied, "It's because, you know... obviously, we don't have an M rating yet."
» Read More 

As previously speculated, Rockstar will indeed appeal the BBFC ban. The company has now told us that it's officially lodged a plea with the Video Appeals Committee over Manhunt 2's ban in the UK. Rockstar notified the VAC yesterday, at the last minute - as it was only allowed six weeks to formulate an appeal to the UK ban. VAC has the power to overturn the BBFC's ban decision, so depending on the body's decision we could finally see Manhunt 2 release on Wii, PS2 and PSP - though obviously a ... » Read More

Last year some people were worried that the Wii console overseen by Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime was driving some gamers to accidentally hurl their controllers through their TV screens.

A week ago, at E3, Fils-Aime helped unveil the Wii Balance Board, a bathroom-scale-shaped controller designed for Wii-enabled full-body yoga, hula-hooping and skiing video game action (see "Nintendo At E3: Mad 'Mario' Titles On The Way; Wii Zapper Could Be A Future Shock"). Might Nintendo be concerned that the Board will drive gamers to accidentally hurl themselves through their TV screens?
» Read More