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AO Rating Basically Bans Manhunt 2 From Release
Yesterday we discussed Manhunt 2's AO rating, and what it meant for the game's retail outlook. Gamespot points out that effectively an AO rating means that the game will never be released in the first place. "Both [Nintendo and Sony] forbid licensed third-party publishers from releasing games rated AO for Adults Only on their various hardware platforms. Though Manhunt 2 isn't slated for any of Microsoft's systems, the company has also confirmed that it does not allow AO-rated titles on the Xbox or Xbox 360. The sole exception to this rule was in 2005 when the already released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was retroactively rated AO, at which point retailers pulled it from shelves and Take-Two suspended production of the game."
If you exclude the ultracasual market (Snood, Popcap Games, etc.), he's right. The effect is further magnified if you just look at the console market. Of course, the non-casual gaming market is growing to include older gamers, but if you look at average age of gamers weighted by dollars spent per year on gaming it's still going to be heavily skewed toward teens and preteens. This will probably change eventually, but it hasn't yet.