UK Stores Pull Manhunt

A number of games retailers in the UK have refused to continue selling Rockstar title Manhunt, after the game was linked to the brutal murder of a 14 year old by 17 year old Warren Le Banc. Several tabloid newspapers, including the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, have run the news as their front page story – with the former proclaiming “Murder by PlayStation”. Despite claims that Le Banc was “obsessed” by the game, there has so far been no direct evidence that he had any special regard for the title. His use of both a hammer and a knife in his attack though are consistent with the weaponry featured in the title. Manhunt was released on PlayStation 2 last Christmas and on PC and Xbox in April, when it was given generally favorable reviews, which nevertheless criticized the lack of variety and voiced disquiet at the gratuitous violence. The game, which has already been banned in New Zealand, has now been pulled from shop shelves by the Dixons and GAME retail chains, but HMV have so far refused to follow suit. HMV press spokesperson Gennaro Castaldo commented, "If it has been certificated by the relevant bodies, then we don't want to control what people should and shouldn't buy." Source: MCV