Rockstar jumps to Manhunt 2's defense

Rockstar has moved quickly to defend the recently announced Manhunt 2, firing a pre-emptive strike before the inevitable controversy war initiates.

Speaking to MCV, a spokesperson for the company said that the sequel is clearly aimed at an adult audience and that "Rockstar submits every game to the appropriate bodies for rating and classification".

"We anticipate that it will receive an 18+ rating," the spokesperson said.

"Manhunt 2 is a chilling and compelling drama and is only appropriate for people who are old enough to play it," they continued.

"We are aware that in direct contradiction to all available evidence, certain individuals continue to link the original Manhunt title to the Warren Leblanc case in 2004. The transcript of the court case makes it quite clear what really happened. At sentencing the Judge, defense, prosecution and Leicester police all emphasized that Manhunt played no part in the case."

The spokesperson went on to say that Rockstar respects people who have different opinions about the horror genre and videogames "but we hope they will also consider the opinions of gamers."

Manhunt 2 has been announced for PS2, PSP and Wii. We ran the first trailer from the sequel yesterday.

February 8, 2007