Rockstar Games protested over "Bully"

[S-T]

These articles are old (8-1 and 8-3, respectively) but I thought you would get a kick out of them anyway.

#1 -- http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/bully/news_6130289.html

Yesterday, members of the Washington, D.C.-based youth group Peaceoholics protested outside Rockstar Games' New York offices, carrying signs that read "Put the cuffs on Rockstar, not youth" and "Prosecute Rockstar Games; they are felons" and chanting "Hey hey, ho ho, Rockstar Games has got to go."

...

Although the game is not yet rated (an M for Mature tag seems a certainty) and Rockstar has revealed next to nothing about the actual gameplay, Bully has already made some waves. Given the developer's history with controversial titles and the lasting taboo of violence in a school setting ever since the Columbine High School shootings, it's a safe bet this won't be the last bit of protest directed Rockstar's way over its latest offering.

#2 -- http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/bully/news_6130128.html

"This game should be banned," the organization's Liz Carnell has said. "I'm extremely worried that kids will play it and then act out what they've seen in the classroom.... Bullying is not a game by any stretch of the imagination. We have around four suicidal children contacting us every day."

Rockstar Games describes the upcoming title as one where gamers play as a "troublesome schoolboy" who "stands up to bullies, gets picked on by teachers, plays pranks on malicious kids, wins or loses the girl, and ultimately learns to navigate the obstacles of the fictitious reform school."

Closer to home, Florida attorney Jack Thompson, an active campaigner who has in the past targeted aggressive e-mail campaigns at politicians and company officers he hopes to influence, is himself mounting an effort against the game--specifically, against certain game retailers as well as the game's publisher.

Banned?

The nanny state ninnies need to find another hobby.

[Mr. Keith]

Honestly, what the hell is wrong with this game? Do you yoruself have the opportunity to be a bully in it? All I'm getting from the description is that you fight off individuals who're bullies and maybe even get a girl. Will somebody explain to me how that's such a terrible thing!?

[Missy]

I was under the impression that you played the bully.

[Mr. Keith]

I was under the impression that you played the bully.

From the descriptions I've read, your just a teenager whose had enough of being picked on, so you begin to fight back against them. And that really doesn't sound all that bad, unless you can turn into a bully yourself later during the game.

[Payne]

I was under the impression that you played the bully.

Yeah, that's what I thought....

SWIRLIES FOR EVERYONE!

[Zephyr]

We have around four suicidal children contacting us every day.

I bet the schools will be jumping for joy when this game comes out, so they can blame it for what is really the schools problem and responsibility. Seriously, if your child is one that is highly impressionable, then don't buy him violent video games like that. All this rating stuff is crap, because it shouldn't be needed if parents would step up and take an interest in what their kids do. If parents would just sit down and watch their kids play a questionable new game, or go online a do just a bit of research, then the cases where a kid is actually imatating a game could be stopped. People need to stop blaming video games for what is their fault for being ignorant and lazy. I think I speak for a lot of gamers when I say:

STEP UP AND TAKE SOME FUCKING RESPONSIBILITY, YOU LAZY BASTARDS! [/RANT]

As a side note, I found this T-shirt that just about sums up what is so ridiculous about all of this.

[Luke]

This is all so stupid. I'm not quite sure how the rating system works in the US, but I'm sure it's similar to that used in Britain. If the game is rated 18 and over, then any supposed bad influence it has upon children is strictly the fault of the parents or relatives whom have purchased them a copy.

[Missy]

This is all so stupid. I'm not quite sure how the rating system works in the US, but I'm sure it's similar to that used in Britain. If the game is rated 18 and over, then any supposed bad influence it has upon children is strictly the fault of the parents or relatives whom have purchased them a copy.

Nope. In America we blame the stores!

Oh, I meant:

[Mr. Keith]

Holy crap, that GTA t-shirt rules. :rockon:

[S-T]

I sent the following "open letter" to Jack Thompson.

Mr. Thompson,

I have been playing video games for over 25 years, starting with the Atari 2600, and then to the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 2. Starting with Mortal Kombat in the early 1990's, there has been a campaign against video game violence by politicians such as U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman and activists such as you. As a gamer, I have closely followed this criticism, and especially threats to have government regulate these games.

I recently purchased the video game Bully, which prompted me to write this letter to you. As Rockstar Games was preparing to release Bully in 2006, you referred to the game as a "Columbine simulator". Bully received a rating of T, the equivalent of a PG-13 rating for a movie. As you well know, two students at the high school in Columbine walked into the school with firearms on April 20, 1999 and coldly slaughtered several students and teachers. The nation was shocked by this senseless act of violence and much was said about preventing another such massacre.

The events of the Bully video game are not even in the same solar system as the Columbine massacre, much less in the same ballpark. Is the game violent? With multiple fistfights throughout the game, the answer is yes. However, no human beings are killed in the game, and there are no firearms in the game. To call the game a "columbine simulator" is more than an exaggeration, Mr. Thompson. It is a lie. This statement may offend you. However, you should remember that when you say something that is not true, and you know that what you are saying is not true, you are lying. That makes you a liar, Mr. Thompson.

Given that you are an attorney, this should concern people. After all, our judicial system must be based on facts, and decisions made by judges or juries must be based on factual information. When you call Bully a "Columbine simulator", many people will assume that the player uses firearms to kill other human characters in the game. This simply is not the case, and you know it. When you lie so openly in a public campaign against a video game, how can a judge or jury be sure you are not lying when you present a case to them on another matter? How do they know you are not simply making things up? This does great harm to your credibility as an attorney.

Mr. Thompson, I would like you to consider for a moment the victims of Columbine, who you cynically exploited with your campaign against Bully. When you claim that a game that features no firearms and where no human characters are killed is a "Columbine simulator", how do you think the survivors of Columbine feel? Have you gone to Columbine, looked into the eyes of parents who have lost a child, and claim that the low level of violence in a "T" (PG-13) rated game "simulates" the carnage of April 20, 1999? The disrespect you showed for the victims, survivors, and victims' families is sickening. To enhance your own career, you effectively desecrated the graves of everyone who died at Columbine.

I do not deny that some video games are inappropriate for children, and that parents should use discretion in which video games they purchase. But it is not your place to play the role of Mommy for every child in America by abusing the legal system to prevent the release of a "T" (PG-13) rated video game. When you brazenly lie about the content of the game and disrespect the victims of a tragedy, your behavior becomes even more inexcusable. You have been described as a "conservative", but as a conservative myself I fail to see how content-based censorship can in any way be described as "conservative".

I could say a lot more, Mr. Thompson, especially as it relates to the level of violence and sexual content in video games as compared to other forms of entertainment such as movies. But I will instead close with a challenge. If you have any integrity at all, Mr. Thompson, you will do the following three things. First, you will apologize to the victims of Columbine for cynically exploiting them. Second, you will apologize to Rockstar Games for the campaign of character assassination you waged against the developers of the game. Finally, you will promise to tell the truth in any future criticism of the video game industry. Are you man enough to admit your lie and apologize for it?

[annericelover]

I sent the following "open letter" to Jack Thompson.

Mr. Thompson,

I have been playing video games for over 25 years, starting with the Atari 2600, and then to the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 2. Starting with Mortal Kombat in the early 1990's, there has been a campaign against video game violence by politicians such as U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman and activists such as you. As a gamer, I have closely followed this criticism, and especially threats to have government regulate these games.

I recently purchased the video game Bully, which prompted me to write this letter to you. As Rockstar Games was preparing to release Bully in 2006, you referred to the game as a "Columbine simulator". Bully received a rating of T, the equivalent of a PG-13 rating for a movie. As you well know, two students at the high school in Columbine walked into the school with firearms on April 20, 1999 and coldly slaughtered several students and teachers. The nation was shocked by this senseless act of violence and much was said about preventing another such massacre.

The events of the Bully video game are not even in the same solar system as the Columbine massacre, much less in the same ballpark. Is the game violent? With multiple fistfights throughout the game, the answer is yes. However, no human beings are killed in the game, and there are no firearms in the game. To call the game a "columbine simulator" is more than an exaggeration, Mr. Thompson. It is a lie. This statement may offend you. However, you should remember that when you say something that is not true, and you know that what you are saying is not true, you are lying. That makes you a liar, Mr. Thompson.

Given that you are an attorney, this should concern people. After all, our judicial system must be based on facts, and decisions made by judges or juries must be based on factual information. When you call Bully a "Columbine simulator", many people will assume that the player uses firearms to kill other human characters in the game. This simply is not the case, and you know it. When you lie so openly in a public campaign against a video game, how can a judge or jury be sure you are not lying when you present a case to them on another matter? How do they know you are not simply making things up? This does great harm to your credibility as an attorney.

Mr. Thompson, I would like you to consider for a moment the victims of Columbine, who you cynically exploited with your campaign against Bully. When you claim that a game that features no firearms and where no human characters are killed is a "Columbine simulator", how do you think the survivors of Columbine feel? Have you gone to Columbine, looked into the eyes of parents who have lost a child, and claim that the low level of violence in a "T" (PG-13) rated game "simulates" the carnage of April 20, 1999? The disrespect you showed for the victims, survivors, and victims' families is sickening. To enhance your own career, you effectively desecrated the graves of everyone who died at Columbine.

I do not deny that some video games are inappropriate for children, and that parents should use discretion in which video games they purchase. But it is not your place to play the role of Mommy for every child in America by abusing the legal system to prevent the release of a "T" (PG-13) rated video game. When you brazenly lie about the content of the game and disrespect the victims of a tragedy, your behavior becomes even more inexcusable. You have been described as a "conservative", but as a conservative myself I fail to see how content-based censorship can in any way be described as "conservative".

I could say a lot more, Mr. Thompson, especially as it relates to the level of violence and sexual content in video games as compared to other forms of entertainment such as movies. But I will instead close with a challenge. If you have any integrity at all, Mr. Thompson, you will do the following three things. First, you will apologize to the victims of Columbine for cynically exploiting them. Second, you will apologize to Rockstar Games for the campaign of character assassination you waged against the developers of the game. Finally, you will promise to tell the truth in any future criticism of the video game industry. Are you man enough to admit your lie and apologize for it?

I played the game, it's a pretty good game, it doesn't have firearms and we all wanted to beeat up a school official before, here you can. There is a PC game that is a recreation of the tragety. I haven't played it, but if he wants to go after a game, that is the game to go after, not this.

[JackFetch]

I played the game, it's a pretty good game, it doesn't have firearms and we all wanted to beeat up a school official before, here you can. There is a PC game that is a recreation of the tragety. I haven't played it, but if he wants to go after a game, that is the game to go after, not this.

The pc game about Columbine is more like a documentary than a recreation. I just remember it telling me a lot about what they were doing at different times throughout the morning. I never played it long enough to get to the shooting though so it might be different at that point.

[annericelover]

I played the game, it's a pretty good game, it doesn't have firearms and we all wanted to beeat up a school official before, here you can. There is a PC game that is a recreation of the tragety. I haven't played it, but if he wants to go after a game, that is the game to go after, not this.

The pc game about Columbine is more like a documentary than a recreation. I just remember it telling me a lot about what they were doing at different times throughout the morning. I never played it long enough to get to the shooting though so it might be different at that point.

Yea, but don't you play as one of the two kids?

[JackFetch]

I played the game, it's a pretty good game, it doesn't have firearms and we all wanted to beeat up a school official before, here you can. There is a PC game that is a recreation of the tragety. I haven't played it, but if he wants to go after a game, that is the game to go after, not this.

The pc game about Columbine is more like a documentary than a recreation. I just remember it telling me a lot about what they were doing at different times throughout the morning. I never played it long enough to get to the shooting though so it might be different at that point.

Yea, but don't you play as one of the two kids?

Not really in the traditional sense. It's mostly watching scenes play out like a tv show. Like I said, I never got to the school part so that might be different.

[annericelover]

I played the game, it's a pretty good game, it doesn't have firearms and we all wanted to beeat up a school official before, here you can. There is a PC game that is a recreation of the tragety. I haven't played it, but if he wants to go after a game, that is the game to go after, not this.

The pc game about Columbine is more like a documentary than a recreation. I just remember it telling me a lot about what they were doing at different times throughout the morning. I never played it long enough to get to the shooting though so it might be different at that point.

Yea, but don't you play as one of the two kids?

Not really in the traditional sense. It's mostly watching scenes play out like a tv show. Like I said, I never got to the school part so that might be different.

O ok, I read about it on wikipedia....here's the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Columbine_Massacre_RPG%21

[JackFetch]

The reason Jack Thompson isn't saying anything about that Columbine game is because it's not put out by a company. It was made by some guy in his bedroom, so there is no money in it for him.

[S-T]

The reason Jack Thompson isn't saying anything about that Columbine game is because it's not put out by a company. It was made by some guy in his bedroom, so there is no money in it for him.

Yep.

If tort reform is ever passed at the federal level, you will be able to point to this idiot's perversion of a legal system as one of the main reasons why. It is people like Jack Thompson that give all lawyers a bad name.

[annericelover]

The reason Jack Thompson isn't saying anything about that Columbine game is because it's not put out by a company. It was made by some guy in his bedroom, so there is no money in it for him.

He probably couldn't beat the game Bully and decided to say bad things about it. What was the name of the guy who began the Comics Code thing and ended EC Comics run? He tried to hurt what kids love too.

[S-T]

One thing I found hilarious is that the game is kind of a nanny state utopia. If you're riding a moped without a helmet, a police officer will grab you, pull you off the bike and slam you to the ground in one motion. I just hope that certain politicians never see that scene. It might give them ideas, and that scares me.

[JackFetch]

What it all comes down to is this:

Parents are responsible for knowing the ESRB ratings, and looking at them before they buy for their kids. Some parents really don't give a shit if their kid plays a violent game or a game with cussing. I know that's really hard for some people to understand that parents do have rights when it comes to how to raise their kids.

People like Dipshit Magoo like to think they can raise everyone else's kids along with their own the same way they raise their own. Have you ever tried to discipline someone else's kid? I have. A lot of them don't like it, and I learned a valuable lesson. What you call kids acting inappropriately, some parents call normal. What everyone needs to do is just worry about themselves, and their kids, and quit worrying about everyone else's. By the time your little pussy goes out into the big bad world they are the weird one, not everyone else. Being sheltered leads to people being social retards. Most people that weren't allowed to play cowboys and indians, or cops and robbers because it's "violent" can't look people in the eye because they think they are going to get robbed. Those are the kind of people that either join cults or start them.

Parents, raise your damn kids.

Everyone else, mind your own damn business.

[S-T]

I just want it to be illegal for any politician to play the game, for reasons stated above.

They might be influenced in a negative way.

[JackFetch]

The 360 version has an achievement called "over the rainbow" in which you have to kiss a boy 20 times to get. That is going to get people's panties in a bunch.

That does lead to the question:

Will you go for the achievement or not?

[drqshadow]

Ha, that's awesome. I don't think it's going to lead me to buy it again, since I already own (and have finished) the PS2 version, but hey...

[JackFetch]

Canis canum edit? More like caveat emptor, kids. We're hearing the Xbox 360 version of Rockstar Games' Bully: Scholarship Edition could stand a few more weeks in the lab, according to reports of bugginess from unsatisfied owners of the game. Reports of game killing lock-ups and audio glitches abound at message boards across the internet, with a handful of readers writing in to vent about their own issues.

Word from the official Xbox forums indicate frequent freezing, resulting in lost gameplay time, amid bouts of skipping audio. Add to that a choppy framerate for the PlayStation 2 port and you have a bunch of unhappy customers. Kotaku reader Matt was plenty pissed to have lost a good portion of his own progress when the game locked up, forcing a reset.

We've contacted Rockstar reps for clarification, but haven't heard back as of publish time.

http://kotaku.com/364286/bully-scholarship...-been-held-back

Somewhere Jack Thompson is in a dark room under a volcano laughing while petting a cat.