[IPAndrews]

Ok, ok. It was only banned from a couple of chains of stores. Can't say I was surprised though. Not sure what I think of this game. There's no doubt it's probably a lot of sick fun but at the same time I think it's less tasteful even than San Andreas because it's obviously aimed at kids. Jesus christ I hope it doesn't have Hot Coffee in it.

[Flipside]

What's ironic is that PCWorld, one of the stores that banned it, actually sells scarface and has pre-orders on reservoir dogs...

[Prophet]

I started thinking (scary, isn't it?), a game (any game) with violence and/or content of questionable morality gets banned. Right.
What about a game about surgery? Where you're supposed to cut people up and fiddle with their insides? Or a psychiatric game in wich you play with peoples minds and listen how child molesters talk about their childhood? I don't think those would be banned even if the content would be similar with the banned game.

What about a game about a lawyer who is a qualified surgen and moonlights as a psychiatric. No trace of morality, blood and guts, and some deeply disturbing content...

[aldo_14]

I had a minor go at a Dixons manager on the eurogamer forums over this.  Because I'm lazy, I shall quote;

(he's in italics)

You're all welcome to come in and visit me in PC World in Bedford and I'll explain personally why Head Office have taken this stance.

Since the move has been made I've been inundated with telephone calls from grateful parents, eager that their children won't get their hands on this 'game'. I think that alone shows that the Dixon's group is leading the way for the future of gaming.

'The future of gaming'? What, censorship based on PR?

This is a 15-rated game. Are you saying the Dixons group sells 15-rated games to under-15s, then, if parents are glad their children can't get it thanks to this ban?

Or are you saying the BBFC is wrong, and Dixons has decided to take over a role of arbitration and censorship from now on, deciding what media to 'expose' 15+ year olds to? Why ban this 15 rated game, and not others? Why are you stocking any 15 or above rated games, then? And why not 15 and above rated movies while you're at it?

Don't give me this 'for parents and family' rubbish. Anyone with half-a-brain knows this is a simple cash-in on tabloid furore, and a furore which is itself manufactured from a (now changed!) title and 2 early screenshots. I'm just glad my experience with Dixons (group) over the years has been so resoundingly negative (poor service, poor advice, poor prices) that I don't need to go to any effort of boycotting it.

EDIt; and, y'know, it's fine if Dixons don't stock it. Bottom line, profit, business, etc.... Just don't give this patronising pish out about 'protecting families' as an excuse for the PR-harvesting purposes of this decision.

EDIT2; and while I'm on my high horse, please tell me you don't actually think anyone with an ounce of common sense and consumer savvy believes Dixons is 'leading the way for the future of gaming'. I mean, what does that statement even mean? How can Dixons' bottom line 'lead the way'? Isn't the future of gaming about, y'know, the games and players (consumers, if you will), rather than the marketing decisions of a rather overpriced chain of stores in a relatively small national market?

[IPAndrews]

Although I'm undecided what my views are on this particular topic I'd still like to thank you for having a go at a Dixons' manager. 

[aldo_14]

Ok, ok. It was only banned from a couple of chains of stores. Can't say I was surprised though. Not sure what I think of this game. There's no doubt it's probably a lot of sick fun but at the same time I think it's less tasteful even than San Andreas because it's obviously aimed at kids. Jesus christ I hope it doesn't have Hot Coffee in it.

This gives a pretty good overview of the actual game and how sick it is or is not.

Except -- whoops -- here's the thing: It turns out the game doesn't glorify bullying at all.

Indeed, it's almost precisely the opposite. In Bully, you play as a young tough whose parents dump you in a decrepit reform school out in the countryside. Bullworth is filled with all the usual cliques: Preppies with coiffed hair and poncy accents, geeks in thick-framed glasses, greasers hanging out in the scrap yard -- and, of course, blindingly dumb jocks. This is the social morass in which you must defend yourself.

But you are not, in fact, intended to be a bully. Instead, most of your early missions involve you defending the helpless: Escorting weak-bladdered nerds past phalanxes of threatening athletes, or sneaking into the girls' locker room to retrieve an essay that popular cheerleader stole from a helpless she-geek.

There's one moment when things look pretty ugly -- you accompany a gang of toughs who want to beat up a homeless guy. Except they wind up running scared, and you befriend the hobo.

[BlackDove]

Bully is no more a Columbine simulator than robotic crabs are a part of Japanese history.

[Ulala]

 

[Mongoose]

Jeez, and I thought that Americans were supposed to be the morally uptight ones about things like this. (Though, seeing as how I have no desire whatsoever to play the game, I wouldn't mind trading with you at all.)

[Flipside]

Ironic part is that I was in the Enfield Town PC World recently, and they have the latest Leisure Suit Larry on the shelves, so Bully is bad, but a softcore porn game is stored in the middle shelves between Battle for Middle Earth and Halo....

[Turnsky]

*sigh*

and the stupidity of parents continue to astound me, and it also continues to not be shown to be evident, it's always "some-one else's fault" whenever their little horror spawn gets their hands on a game that said parent should otherwise not let their kid have.

[IPAndrews]

No matter how Rockstar try to dress it up this is still a game about kids beating up kids and I just can't decide if that's any worse than kids playing a game where adults beat up other adults. Past that I echo what's been said here. If a shop is going to take a moral stance it should do it across the board, not just in the case of one game that happened to make the news. Cynical PR exercise.

[aldo_14]

Wasn't Dennis the Menace a cartoon about kids beating up kids?

[IPAndrews]

Wasn't Dennis the Menace a cartoon about kids beating up kids?

No idea. Never saw the cartoon version.

[Prophet]

Wasn't Dennis the Menace a cartoon about kids beating up kids?

And sometimes adults...

[IPAndrews]

Also encouraged kids to own dangerous dogs.

[starbug]

Since this game is banned shouldn't they ban half the tv programs that are on i have seen more violent stuff on tv that i know kids will watch ie Tom and Jerry is now edited and i believe is going to be now shown after the watershed cos it to violent!  I really am starting to get sick of this nanny state the uk has gotten in. If the game is violent rate it according and the shops and parents shouldn't let anyone under that age have it, simple response-ability(sp) . cos banning it will prob make kids want it more cos its been banned, reminds me of when they banned manhunt, my nephew was telling me that since it got banned everyone at his school wanted it.

[Davros]

it will probably suck like their last "contraversial" game manhunt

[Flipside]

Manhunt was Running With Scissors, though, I'll agree it was a pretty poor game in my opinion

[Davros]

no running with scissors made postal

official manhunt webpage:
http://www.rockstargames.com/manhunt/