In the 1980s, politicians (and political wives like Tipper Gore) attacked rock stars because their music was "infecting the youth of the world with messages they cannot handle." Nowadays, the target of pop cultural ire is Rockstar, and, most recently, their now-delayed horror game Manhunt 2. Designed for the Nintendo Wii and Sony’s PS2 and PSP, this midnight-black sequel centers around an escapee from an insane asylum who has been a victim of evil experiments. He doesn't remember what's been done to him, but dude sure recalls how to slaughter folks in incredibly icky ways.

Thing is, you’re not trying to capture him--you play as him--and that’s why MH2 has been, so far, banned in Great Britain and Ireland (with Italy likely following suit), verbally attacked by UK House Leader Jack Straw, and given an "Adults Only" rating in the US which has resulted in the release stuck on hold.

See, the ESRB ratings board created a voluntary system intended to get politicains and anti-gaming activists like lawyer Jack Thompson off their case. But the AO rating is a death sentence--neither Nintendo nor Sony (or Microsoft, for that matter) allow AO games to be played on their consoles and most retailers won’t sell them. Adults are not considered mature enough to decide for themselves just because a teenager may one day get their hands on it.

Of course, teens can also watch horror DVDs on their PS2 or surf for porn on the Wii web browser, but these console companies draw the line at a game that is intended for adult audiences, especially if there‘s a hint of computer animated sex.

Think about the pseudo-scandal that erupted over Rockstar’s GTA: San Andreas when someone discovered a sex-based minigame that was excised but not removed from the game code. Sure, the “Hot Coffee’" minigame required a hacker-built crack and thus was not readily accessible to the vast majority of players who had the PS2 version. Still, even Hilary Clinton jumped on the banning bandwagon.

Those who have had some hands-on playtime with the MH2 game describe the various executions as “cinematic” which is where the double-standard comes in--it’s apparently cool to release Saw and Hostel [both of which the NY Times dub "way ahead of games in delivering top-notch gore“) but if the horrific imagery is animated and interactive then suddenly it’s got to be censored. The fact that the Wii version allows for motion-sensitive slaughter made this game even more controversial (and, like, way better).

For the moment Rockstar is deciding whether to appeal the ruling or edit the game and re-submit or release an unrated version on PC. Regardless, the sheer amount of free publicity should no doubt make Manhunt 2 a hit--if it ever comes out, that is--and hopefully has now exposed the ESRB's hypocrisy in claiming their AO rating isn't an outright ban.