Washington - A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has called for a "thorough review" of the video game industry's ratings process, in a letter to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) that focuses on Take-Two Interactive's (NASD: TTWO) violent "Manhunt 2" game.

In their letter, Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) point to the refusal of the BBFC -- the British counterpart to the ESRB -- to provide a rating to the game even after Take-Two made modifications that compelled the ESRB to change the game's rating from "AO" Adults Only to "M" Mature.

The letter quotes the BBFC, which said "the impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient. There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature."

It also points to the "more realistic gaming environments" enabled by the motion-sensitive controller on the Nintendo Wii, quoting "one clinical psychologist" as saying, "you're basically teaching a child the behavioral sequencing of killing."

The Senators are seeking more transparent information from the ESRB on how games are rated, and how changes are made to game ratings.

"We ask your consideration of whether it is time to review the robustness, reliability and repeatability of your ratings process, particularly for this genre of 'ultra-violent' video games and the advances in game controllers," the letter concludes.

Related Links:
http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=287809

http://www.esrb.org

http://www.rockstargames.com/manhunt2