Rockstar hits the wrong note

L ibertarian aficionados of explicit, hardcore violence are feeling especially peevish this week. Internet forums are ablaze with outraged reaction to the BBFC's second rejection of Manhunt 2 - which follows a resubmission of the game after it was first banned back in June.

The outrage can be mostly summarised as "They passed that nasty horror film, they just don't like games" and the less accurate "They've got no right to tell us what we can and can't see!" Er, actually, they have...

To be clear, the original BBFC criticisms were not simply about explicit representations of violence. The board was as concerned with the "sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer". Unlike film, this really wasn't about what you