8. UK's Moral Panic Over Manhunt
Rockstar's Manhunt had already been embroiled in plenty of controversy ahead of release for its shocking violence, and this reached an apex in July 2004 when a 14-year-old British boy was killed by his 17-year-old friend. Manhunt was found at the murderer's home, and was apparently seized as evidence. The parents of the murdered child, in their grief and looking for someone to blame, pointed their finger at Rockstar, claiming that such a violent game shouldn't be allowed to be released, while regulatory committee ELSPA responded that tragic though the incident was, to blame it on video games is, quite frankly, totally absurd and irresponsible. After all, why did a 17-year-old have a copy of an 18-rated game anyway? The kicker came when the police even denied the link between the game and the murder, and it eventually came to light that Manhunt was found in the
victim's house, not the perpetrator, again asking the question why he was playing the game in the first place. When Manhunt 2 eventually hit stores, Jack Thompson attempted to help the family of the victim get it banned, albeit unsuccessfully.