Manhunt 2: Nintendo Made the Wrong Call

We’re only a little removed from the Manhunt 2 debacle. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past week, here’s the breakdown: First, the BBFC refuses to give the game a rating, effectively banning its release across the United Kingdom. Then, the ESRB slaps it with an initial rating of AO for Adults Only, a rating usually reserved for games with “Playboy” or “Wet Hot” in the title.

After the announcement of the AO rating, Nintendo and Sony wasted no time in releasing statements that they refuse to allow Adults Only content on their systems. Rockstar already planned to resubmit the game to the ESRB for further review, but this in effect forces them to edit the game until they can meet with the ESRB’s (increasingly questionable) standards.

Over the last week you’ve heard all sorts of arguments and counterpoints regarding this matter, from ESRB singling out Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive, to the double standards of the ratings board, and more. This column is not about any of that. I’ve yet to see anybody take this angle with the issue, and I think it needs to be addressed.

Nintendo dropped the ball on this one.

We all know about Nintendo’s supposed childish image that they’ve garnered in the past decade, spurned in no small part by Sony’s original PlayStation ad campaigns attempting to paint their console as “adult” and Nintendo’s as “kiddie.”

Over the past few years Nintendo has gone a long way in beginning to dispel this image. Game releases like Eternal Darkness, grabbing exclusivity rights to Resident Evil, bringing Zelda into the Teen market, resurrecting Metroid, and more have helped Nintendo regain some of its lost “edge.” A good amount of Mature games have already appeared on the Wii, including Far Cry, The Godfather, Scarface, and Resident Evil 4, with many more on the way.

And now Nintendo has the opportunity to shed off even more of its baby-fat by being the only console with the true version of Manhunt 2, as intended by the developers – the Adults Only version.

Whether or not the rating is deserved, warranted, or supported by the developers and gaming community, that’s the rating for the current incarnation of the game. Nintendo has the unique opportunity of not only helping their own tarnished image, but smearing that of the competitor responsible for that very tarnishing.

Should Nintendo allow Rockstar to release Manhunt 2 on the Wii with the AO rating, they would have in their hands the ultimate retort to any “Nintendo is for babies, PlayStation is for big boys” argument. They would be the only major console company to be able to claim the true version of what some are calling the goriest, most depraved game in history, whereas their more “mature” cousin in Sony would have the stripped, watered-down version.

Allowing AO games on the system is not a floodgate opener. You don’t have to allow All-Nude Sex Party 12 with real Wii Remote masturbatory motions onto the system. Use discretion. It might prove to be a valuable ally in the long run.

Sure, most retailers would refuse to carry the AO version, but that’s OK. Who cares if Wal-Mart and GameStop won’t stock the game? You’ll still be able to get it online, or get the M-rated version if you prefer. The very idea that it’s out there would be enough to help Nintendo regain some of their lost footing.

With the overwhelming success of the Wii so far and the undeniable dominance of the DS, it would be nothing but a positive for Nintendo to open the doors and invite in some more controversial stuff. Controversy is publicity. It gets people talking. It gets people interested. It makes people say “What is the big deal? I might have to check this out…”

But, instead of taking Mr. Frost’s proverbial road less traveled, Nintendo is going the safe route. No, it won’t hurt them in the end to have denied the AO version of Manhunt 2. But it also won’t help them distinguish themselves from the competition. And in this generation of gaming, the competition is going to be very, very close. A bit of an edge should be appreciated.

Sorry, Nintendo – you guys messed up on this one. You missed one of the few opportunities you’ll get to really push the Wii in a way that would really separate it, and given you just a little extra boost in the mature market.

Carl DeNovio