ELSPA praises ratings system following Manhunt 2 ban

ELSPA director general Paul Jackson has said that the decision taken by the BBFC to ban Manhunt 2 from sale "demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the UK that is effective".

"The games industry is a creative phenomenon that produces all kinds of games across all kinds of genres that appeal to all kinds of people across the country, young and old, male and female," Jackson, the boss of the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association - of which almost all UK videogame companies are members - went on to add.

"The important thing to know is that all games are rated according to age suitability, with over 70 per cent of games being available to all ages over three years."

Earlier today the BBFC said it had rejected PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of Manhunt 2.

It's the first time a game has been banned by the BBFC since Carmageddon in 1997 - a decision that was subsequently overturned on appeal, which is an option still open to Manhunt 2 publisher Rockstar.