Rockstar's Manhunt BANNED In New Zealand!

[Spiffor]

3000$ fines for importing a video game is completely overkill, no matter how you look at it.
I just got informed about Manhunt, and there are dozens of games that would deserve a ban more than this one. When you kill demons, undead and ridiculously strong thugs in such an unrealistic setup, you cannot associate the game with reality.

Even GTA3 is far more "dangerous" than Manhunt

[MrWhereItsAt]

Originally posted by Sava
wow, I guess the US isn't the closest "free country" to fascism... tell those ****ing censor ****s to move to north korea or china... ****ing stalinist ****s!

**** the new zealand government... they allow the filming of violent movies like The Last Samuria where guys get sliced and blown up, but a computer game? OH GOD LET'S BAN IT!!

This is all rather startling, as NZ has been far more lenient on most films + games than anywhere else I have much knowledge of. IIRC, A Clockwork Orange is still banned in the UK, but there were no problems showing it at the movies here a few years ago.

As I have said, Oz tends to heavily censor games, but for some reason both countries have reversed their norms in this case.

[Space05us]

A Clockwork Orange is still banned in the UK

why?

[MrWhereItsAt]

Same reason anything is banned. Graphic and excessive protrayal of distrubing violence and or sex, especially the juxtaposition between the two.

In fact, a French film called Baise-moi was only allowed in NZ after along and tedious appeal process. A group calling itself The Society for the Promotion of Community Standards wanted it banned.

The film was going to be put on during Wellington's annual Film Festival, and depicts two women who go on a sex + killing spree.

[Hurricane]

And had it not been for all that censorship talk around Baise-Moi it would probably never have been distributed out of France, because it really is rather crappy a film.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sava


**** the new zealand government...

You wouldn't say that if you saw the Prime Minister, who is colloquially known by New Zealanders as "The Bride of Frankenstein."

[FrostyBoy]

Hey! Our Prime Minister is good, I will vote for her again!

Looks don't run the government!

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sn00py
Hey! Our Prime Minister is good, I will vote for her again!

Looks don't run the government!

She's a closet lesbian and all.

I know that for a fact. Sandra Lee quit politics because Helen threw her over for Judith Tizard.

Anyway, I voted for the Greens since we might as well get stoned instead of facing up to the mess the country is in.

[FrostyBoy]

I don't care if she's an alien transvestite with a passion for collecting used toilet paper.

As long as she runs the government well - and that she does extremely well. Imagine having Aussie's Prime Minister? Now THAT would be sad.

Go for it, vote for the Greens. I actually voted for the fat guy (yknow, the guy who set up KiwiBank), but only to make sure that Labour doesn't get all the power - coz we all knew they would get at least 50% of the seats.

However, if the Greens had all the power, then I'm leaving this country immediately, I'm not living in a country full of stoned dits everywhere.

[FrostyBoy]

BTW, what makes you think this country is in a mess?

We're doing just fine! Did you expect countries to run any better? We had our golden age, and that was before the war, we all only get one golden age.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Besides, does Clark or the current set of goons have ANYTHING to do with a civil servant like the Chief Censor, who has likely held the same position forever?

And we have a pretty good record with censorship, in fact I was rather happy with it all up until now.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sn00py
BTW, what makes you think this country is in a mess?

We're doing just fine! Did you expect countries to run any better? We had our golden age, and that was before the war, we all only get one golden age.

I think Clark is doing well with a bad hand. I happen to like her.

NZ is ****ed because of the extreme nature of the post-1984 reforms and their knock on effects. Basically they took a wrecking crew to something that needed mild surgery. They've created an upper middle class of parasites and an underclass of lifetime welfare beneficiaries with no prospects. I'm old enough to remember when everyone worked.

Now people are leaving in order to pay off their student loans and the shortfall is being managed by allowing almost unrestricted immigration of anyone with money, without any concern for the social and constitutional consequences.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
This just in...


The Chief Censor went on record on the radio as saying that if anyone was found brining the game into the country (even only for private use or as a gift), they would be fined $3000.

Scratch my idea of bringing it back from overseas!

WTF kind of decision is this?! I can understand banning it from sale here (if I don't necessarily agree), but this is almost classing it as a drug!

* MrWhereItsAt sighs

I guess it's time to find where I can email the Chief Censor's office and bug him about this.

He's probably been reading this thread.