This week Develop caught up with Gordon Hall, the founder of Rockstar Leeds. The topic of Manhunt 2's ban was brang up many times, and Mr. Hall had this to say about the game:

I like the game for what it is – and I was a big fan of Manhunt before we joined Rockstar, and I was actually a bigger fan of it more than I was of GTA – I like where it placed you in the world and the questions it asked of the world. Manhunt 2 is no different to the first in terms of content, it’s just that times seem to have changed and they’ve changed against this type of game. But if you look at a film like Man Bites Dog, it makes Manhunt look tame in comparison, but that film can be bought by anyone aged 18.

Later on Develop asked "Was there a feeling amongst the Rockstar studios that the company was being singled out?" Mr. Hall answered with:

I don’t think Rockstar specifically has been picked on, but I do think that the wider issue attacks our entire industry. We need to teach people that games are an art form – they are more artistic than film.

I think the games industry should rally behind us, because there will come a time when we’ll all have an idea that’s a little edgy, and we need to have the freedoms to express it.

We are an adult entertainment industry – we may have started out with child-like technology making games solely for a younger audience, but it’s just not like that anymore. It might take legislature a little while to catch up, but if the industry sticks together hopefully we can change people’s attitudes quicker.

I hope people do listen to the wise words of Mr. Hall and rally behind Rockstar, if not know then whats next? Banning of games just because they contains blood? Games are games, movies are movies, the two do not meet up anywhere. Games are nothing more then Photoshopped images, pixels and 3DSMax models, they shouldn't be treated like some kind of weapon, they should be treated as an art, just like movies are. Unless somebody can find a good reason why movies can be called art and games not...