so, it seems like the best thing we can hope for is more neo-mcarthian idiots like thompson making asses out of themselves on television?  

it's too bad sony and rockstar couldn't have worked something out to secure a ps2 release for manhunt 2...  just because walmart won't stock it doesn't mean people won't buy it.

if we can't convince the esrb to give games mature ratings, then we can increase the social acceptance of mature rated games...  sony should have allowed the game to be released.  nintendo too, but of course we all knew that wasn't going to happen.

Personally, i thought bioshock was more controversial and gruesome than manhunt 2, not to mention being in high definition.   i was happy to see such a fantastic game receive and M from the ESRB.   in general, the ratings board seems pretty arbitrary when giving out the AO in my opinion...   probably just because it was a rockstar game... paying them back for the hot coffee debacle.

harrison - I agree with you, especially with this latest crop of candidates that they'd send their Moms COD for a bump in the polls. But I do think the age of just screeching about the evils of videogames and expecting applause from the press and the public is coming to and end. After the VT shootings, of course, Jack was around the nets making an ass out of himself, but I found alot of editorials telling him to shut up and media coverage more neutral than it has been before. Keeping in mind that the average age of the video gamer is close to or over 35 making for a more mature audience and that games have greater penetration than what they use to be. Sure, there are ultraviolent games that everyone will condemn, but they do that for ultraviolent films too.

Oh man. "This ain't NeoGAF, son." Niiiice.