"Gaming has a content ceiling."

This quote is hands down the best thing I have read regarding the Manhunt 2 saga that has unfolded over the last week or so. It was written by one of the gaming editors at Ain't it Cool News and appeared in this weeks game wrap-up:

The AO rating is censorship in action. No one will sell it. No one will publish it. AO is ESRB for "Return To Sender". It’s a total sham. It has nothing to do with telling people what to expect and everything to do with controlling access.

But it's not just the ESRB's fault. They are certainly culpable, by way of having a 'rating' that functions as a ban - they are not ignorant of the consequences AO carries.

And the companies are guilty of saying, "Gaming has a content ceiling." It's a big flashing sign that definitively states Games Are NOT For Everyone, And MOSTLY For Kids. The industry is outpacing the rules for it. We need room for games to experiment with inappropriate content. Not entirely 'freely', but enough so that experiments like this can reach the adult market and consumers can decide for themselves.

Amen.