Feb 08, 1:40 pm
“Movement sensitive sadistic violence? Jack Thompson’ll need a new thesaurus”
This is the quote that best sums up my feelings on Rockstar’s announcement that they will be releasing the sequel to their controversial Manhunt on the Wii. Not just the Wii of course, it is also coming to PS2s and PSPs near you, but that’s old hat - we’re all used to nasty violence on those consoles.
The Wii (and Nintendo in general, I guess) symbolizes happy gaming things to me. I know I revealed a few guts in Trauma Center, but it was all in the name of medicine. Now here is a game that was supposedly linked to a killing, withdrawn from many shop shelves, and then replaced as media dna sales rocketed as a result of the furore. This type of plastic bag wielding death ride is not quite what I think I want to purchase next for my Wii as I tee up for a pre cookies and milk round of golf.
To me it just seems one step closer to all that is considered wrong with violent games. Not only are we allowed to enter the mind of the killer, get uncanny weapons knowledge, and generally relive our more twisted death loving sides, but now we also get to do it quite literally with our own hands. I can imagine the tutorial now:
Hold the remote and nunchuck firmly in each hand, flip the wire as if about to strangle someone and then pull tightly. If you cannot get the hang of this motion get a small child to stand in front of you while you practice.
No thanks!
Maybe you can argue that it is no different to using the Wii remote as a gun, but none the less it just seems odd. Will you get a plastic bag Wiimote attachment as standard like a steering wheel with a driving game? Will the “troubled” play it in dark rooms on their own before heading out into the night alleyways?
Stick to the blue skies please Nintendo!
