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It was shaping up to be the grossest, sickest video game yet, but Manhunt 2 was impounded by ratings boards and then abandoned by hardware makers Sony and Nintendo this week.

Created by the always controversial Rockstar Games, makers of the Grand Theft Auto series and Bully, Manhunt 2 was supposed to tell the story of a mental patient being subjected to sinister experiments before escaping and then exacting revenge in ever-more grisly ways. Versions for Sony's PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable were due to be released July 10, as was a Nintendo Wii iteration, developed by Rockstar Toronto, that allowed players to physically act out the murders using that system's motion-sensing controllers.

But early this week the British Board of Film Classification banned the game outright, as did the Irish Film Censor's Office, because of its "gratuitous violence" and for being "gross."

Rockstar subsequently revealed the game had been designated Adults Only by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, which offers consumer advice and warnings for the North American market. This would have restricted its availability -- large chains such as Wal-Mart, which account for 25 per cent of game sales, will not stock Adults Only titles -- but Sony and Nintendo quickly made it clear that AO games were also not welcome on their systems.

The moves would effectively kill off Manhunt 2 in its current form. Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive are now deciding whether to appeal the rulings -- Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick told Reuters the game "fits squarely within the horror genre" and is "a fine piece of art" -- or alter it to secure a Mature rating.

Manhunt 2 is the latest in a string of entertainment products, including film franchises Saw and Hostel, that have been dubbed gorn, for gore meets pornography. The interactive nature of the game, especially the Wii version, which allows players to perform sawing and stabbing motions with horrific results, is being cited as the cause of its likely demise.

Many video-game and free-speech advocates decried the apparent double standard, including Wedbush Morgan financial analyst Michael Pachter. He told Gamespot.com, "Killing is killing, and it's either acceptable or not. "If it is restricted to adults, so be it, but a ban is inappropriate," he added.

Readers who want to make up their own minds -- and have digested their breakfasts -- can head to IGN.com to read a long preview of Manhunt 2 on the Wii.