Rockstar’s annoucement that Manhunt 2 will appear on the Nintendo Wii raised a few eyebrows in the gaming world.
After all, for sheer up close and personal violence, the orginal Manhunt had no equal. For that reason alone, the game seems out of synch with Nintendo’s longtime reputation as a family-friendly game company. And then there’s the highly interactive nature of the Wii controller. We can visualize the game manual:
Slashing someone’s neck with a shard of glass? Simply move your Wiimote right to left in a sweeping motion while pressing the B button…
Could it be that Nintendo hopes to move the Wii into the M-rated market? GamePolitics asked Nintendo about licensing Manhunt 2 on the Wii. Beth Llewelyn, Sr. Director of Corporate Communications responded:
Manhunt 2 is not developed or published by Nintendo. It is one of many titles released by third party publishers for our system that appeal to people of all ages and interests. Just as with movies, television, and books, different video games appeal to - and are appropriate for - different audiences.
Video game retailers and purchasers are strongly encouraged to follow the age-specific ESRB ratings when considering what software to sell or buy. If parents are concerned about kids having access to inappropriate Wii games, we encourage them to utilize the PIN-operated Parental Control features built into Wii.