Games not linked to violence, says Govt.

The government has said it has no plans to intervene on the planned release of Manhunt 2 in the UK.

A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport told GamesIndustry.biz there was no evidence linking violence and videogames, and left the debate in the hands of the VAC / BBFC.

"The classification of Manhunt 2 is a matter for the BBFC and the Video Appeals Committee," said the spokesperson.

"It is important to note that there is no conclusive evidence of any link between playing computer games and violent behaviour in real life. Our concern is to make sure that inappropriate material is kept away from children."

The British Board of Film Classification was forced to issue Manhunt 2 with an 18 rating on Friday, after the Video Appeals Committee re-examined the game and deemed it suitable for sale.

The government will be publishing the results of a Prime Minister-issued review into videogames "shortly", in an effort to establish if they do have a detrimental effect on our behaviour.

"The Prime Minister asked Dr Tanya Byron to lead a review to assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material in videogames and on the Internet, and to make recommendations for improvements or additional action.

"Dr Byron's review will be published shortly and Ministers will give careful consideration to any recommendations then."