It turns out that owning the ‘most controversial and infamous’ video game that has ever been released could result in you being handed a two year jail sentence.
It's currently banned in three countries, and was heavily criticized following its release.
The premise of the game is that you play the role of a death row inmate known as James Earl Cash, who wakes up after his supposed execution to find out that his life has been spared by snuff film director, Lionel Starkweather.
Sound familiar?
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The game is titled Manhunt, a psychological horror that is known as having pushed the boundaries when it comes to gaming violence.
But there’s a catch - in order to buy his freedom, Cash must perform in a series of violent films where he will be expected to murder gang members.
Banning of the video game
The game received a lot of criticism after its release and has been banned in multiple countries including New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Germany.
Real life murder controversy
In 2004, Manhunt was blamed for having inspired a real life murder after a 14 year old boy named Stefan Pakeerah was murdered by his friend.
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The friend was allegedly obsessed with the video game, although police later discovered that the game belonged to the victim, not the killer.
No further evidence was found linking the game to the brutal crime but media coverage and outrage from the public led to calls for stricter game regulation to be put into place.
This resulted in UK retailers such as Currys and Game to halt their sales of the game.
Jail sentence for owning the game
If you’re still considering getting yourself a copy then you might want to look up the laws of the land you’re in.
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This is because it is a criminal offence to own the video game in New Zealand after it was declared an ‘objectionable publication’ in 2003.
Punishment for breaking the law on this matter includes a two year prison sentence and/or a fine up to a maximum of NZD$100,000 ($59,771).
If anyone in New Zealand is caught distributing the game, including selling and advertising, then that could land you with a year in prison or a hefty fine.
Enforcement of the video game banning
While there are no records to show that anyone has actually been jailed for owning Manhunt, there have been instances where the game has been seized from someone’s possession.
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New Zealand has also seen other games seized including Postal 2, with those convicted facing potential prison sentences of up to 10 years.