The state's attorney general has learned of the game's violent nature...from a certain notorious lawyer.
Industry gaming blog GamePolitics.com has learned that Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has taken notice of Rockstar's Manhunt 2, specifically the Wii version, because it will likely incorporate motion controls that mimic acts of violence, like stabbing or clubbing. In a statement released by the Attorney General's office, McCollum said that he is "concerned about any games which may instill violence in children, particularly games that encourage children to engage in violent behavior" and that "it is important to help protect children from influences which may introduce violence into their lives."
Big deal, right? After all, The Godfather on Wii is pretty violent in its own right, letting you do things like throw people off rooftops and choke people to death. No one has said much of anything about that.
That's because Jack Thompson didn't say anything about it. Yes, the same Jack Thompson that cries out against videogame violence at any opportunity he can. Thompson notified McCollum about Manhunt 2 Wii, only after which time did the Attorney General decide to take action.
We usually don't report on Jack Thompson sightings at NWR. We feel that covering anything he says or does only adds fuel to his fire. You know, sort of how like everyone is making "news" out of Paris Hilton going to jail. However, there's an interesting twist to this story that we feel makes it a newsworthy one.
GamePolitics sources are claiming that Nintendo of America President Reginald Fils-Aime (call him Reggie) pushed Manhunt publisher Take-Two to produce a Wii version so there would be more M-rated content on the system. The reason the source gives for this, and this would make sense from Nintendo's point of view, would be that it was "afraid too many people would pigeon-hole [the Wii] as a kid machine."
If this revelation is true, Thompson could easily—and unfairly—claim that Nintendo deliberately courted the game to the Wii in order to "train" people to kill, as is the Jack Thompson mantra. That hasn't yet happened, of course, but history has shown that he'll do anything to get what he wants: Attention.
GamePolitics has the full story, so click here to check it out. Hopefully nothing will come out of this Thompson tirade, and hopefully, this will be the last you'll see of him at Nintendo World Report for quite some time.
