Bully, a step too far?

As many of you are aware, I am very liberal, I don't like to see anything banned unless there are extremely good reasons and like my freedom of speech... But even I second guess myself when reading about Rockstar's (makers of GTA) new game called Bully.

The concept of the game, is basically you are a Bully and you beat up other school kids, steal their money which you then use to buy weapons, such as knives and guns in order to better victimise people...

Isn't Bullying in schools bad enough, and with the added threat of 'happy slapping' that society should let it become the new trendy thing to do (e.g. Smoking, stealing cars, owning a gun)?

The UK government is seriously considering banning this game; good decision or another step towards an nanny state?

PS - Did you know that "happy slapping" was inspired by a Tango ad a few years ago (1998?)... For those that don't know, it is the 'art' of filming a violent attack on a student with a mobile phone and then sending it around to their friends. Started out as running up and randomly slapping some kid and has grown to seriously bodily harm.

If you don't like it, don't buy it.  Banning it will just make it more attractive to people attracted to misbehavior.  It's sad that there's a market for this sort of crap.

I agree, "Bully" really is too far.

(He even looks like a chav).

I can see chavs buying/car-boot-sale-ing this game (especially if its made available for the PS2, and the M or Ao ESRB rating only gives them more reason to buy it) and getting ideas from it.

When I first heard about this game I didn't think it was anything like this, I thought it was just a "codename" or something.

Either way, having being a victim of school bullying (to the point of attempted suicide... more than 5 times), I can say that I am disgusted by this game.

Manip wrote:

The concept of the game, is basically you are a Bully and you beat up other school kids, steal their money which you then use to buy weapons, such as knives and guns in order to better victimise people...

As far as I know you got it wrong. The concept is to stand up against a bully, not be one. A lot of people are against this game based on wrong information.

The first sentence on Bully from Gamespot: "Bully is an action game from Rockstar that takes place at Bullworth Academy, where you face bullies, mean teachers, and more."

My opinion: No, it doesn't go too far.

ZippyV wrote:

As far as I know you got it wrong. The concept is to stand up against a bully, not be one. A lot of people are against this game based on wrong information.

Not what I've read at all... And if you look at the screenshot above the bully is centre frame, not his victims.

Nice to see the media is weaving it's magic again.

You are NOT a bully, you are 'standing up' to bullys.

The press release from Rockstar games says: "As a troublesome schoolboy, you'll laugh and cringe as you stand up to bullies, "

Unless you believe Jack Thompson.

What's with the whole "bully" idea being crossed with a prep-school like theme of an academy? What do you end up graduating to? Gang member? Wait, no, then you'd have to drop out.  :O

The problem with these games is that they are becoming more visually realistic all the time, and especially with something as interactive as this.  I remember playing a 3-D driving game a few years back, when I worked nights (after my shift I played it) and then driving home at about 3 in the morning...and I could see how such a realistic game could have a subtle affect on someone's real-world driving. After an hour of running into all sorts of stationary objects in the video game, it makes you look at "real world" things a little differently...if only for a little while.

I think the coat of arms/insignia in the lower right hand corner sort of sums it up: a rat, a fist, a snake, and a skull.  Topped off with a goat. Oops, I mean a bull.

ZippyV wrote:

The first sentence on Bully from Gamespot: "Bully is an action game from Rockstar that takes place at Bullworth Academy, where you face bullies, mean teachers, and more."

So...what happens to the mean teachers? A pleasant chat over a cup of tea or do they get pasted to a locker?

ZippyV wrote:

The press release from Rockstar games says: "As a troublesome schoolboy, you'll laugh and cringe as you stand up to bullies, "

Unless you believe Jack Thompson.

Just remember bullies have their own bullies too.

meh .... it's just a rip-off of Skool Daze anyway... does anyone make original games these days...

When I was a lad.......

Oh and the goverment is NOT considering the bannage of this game, an MP who has no idea about the industry asked for the game to be refferred to the BBFC(Standard practice anyway) and said if it has not already been classified(the game isnt finished so it would not be classified yet) then it should go under consideration.

Anyway, stupid politicians are just drawing serious attention to this game, remember what happened with manhunt. That game was a so-so performer and when that kid killed another kid(media got everything wrong it that case aswell) and the game was "pulled" the game was the next weeks number 1 seller.

BenZila wrote:

Anyway, stupid politicians are just drawing serious attention to this game, remember what happened with manhunt. That game was a so-so performer and when that kid killed another kid(media got everything wrong it that case aswell) and the game was "pulled" the game was the next weeks number 1 seller.

Actually, "Man-hunt" was owned by the victim, not the killer.

Hence, (the media got it all wrong it that case aswell)

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6976

My daughters school took her and her class to a karate school for a field trip to teach them about bullies and how to handle them.

My Reasoning: If you take the bullies to the same karate school doesn't that teach them what the kids who are going to try to defend themselves with the same thing? Which pretty much makes it ineffective.

Bully is going a tad too far in either case...

Cybermagellan wrote:

Bully is going a tad too far in either case...

Well, I've joined the liberal camp, I'll not say any more until I actually know for sure what this game is about.

However I have reservations about any violent game that involves those under 18 in-game.

At least Postal2 didn't involve children.

BenZila wrote:

Oh and the goverment is NOT considering the bannage of this game, an MP who has no idea about the industry asked for the game to be refferred to the BBFC(Standard practice anyway) and said if it has not already been classified(the game isnt finished so it would not be classified yet) then it should go under consideration.

But given Rockstar's track record as of late...especially with the whole "hot coffee mod" incident...who knows what will buried in there this time.

billh wrote:

But given Rockstar's track record as of late...especially with the whole "hot coffee mod" incident...who knows what will buried in there this time.

Sex with students?

...I can see that going down well