Scandalous Games

Manhunt, Part Three: Murder by PlayStation

December 05, 2023 Scandalous Games Episode 38
Scandalous Games
Manhunt, Part Three: Murder by PlayStation
Show Notes

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Kayt Ahnberg, and Ryan Weaver. Today, some of us are still here and alive to cover part three of our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's brutal 2003 survival horror title. This time, we examine whether Manhunt caused a real-life murder (spoiler alert: it did not), and how the British tabloids gave us the infamous July 29, 2004, headline "Murder by PlayStation."

CONTENT WARNING: brief discussion of a murder (5:30-7:17)

Topics discussed include: The British papers have a wobbly over Manhunt,  a fun look at some Daily Mail headlines, the positive aspects of playing horror games, and how to "accidentally" turn a video game into a best seller.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.