ive played the game and it was really very good. as mentioned before any bullying in the game is directed at the bullies themselves or in self defence or in the protection of others. any other bullying besides that does in fact get you in trouble. there is no blood and no sex(although there is some fat sloppy kisses). there is nothing controversial about this game BUT THESE DICKHEADS HAVE TO "FIGHT AGAINST" SOMETHING THAT THEY HEARD FROM SOME GUYS SECOND COUSINS AUNTS BROTHERS DAUGHTERS FRIEND THAT IT IS NOT "FAMILY FRIENDLY". THEY ARE SO GODDAMN STUPID I CANT BELIEVE THAT IT UGH I JUST GOD UGHGUDASDHGDIAOSDLKGHLASKHG(blood vessel bursts inside neck)

Admirable effort for an online petition, but i doubt that it doesn't have any legal considerations, if you checked the people who signed. They're teenagers, but they haven't learned how to make a good argument.

@FreedomGamer: Huzzah!

Anyway, I'm with everyone else on this: if they didn't play the game, then they don't know what they're taking about and shouldn't be arguing.

No experence = no argument, it's that simple.

*takes a second look* oh, it's being done by petitiononline. automatic fail.

also, just look at the signatures in their petition. 6 consecutive people with the same surname? yeah sure.

with comments like
" This game is proof that we are setting up our furture generations to be more violent and less compassionate. We created what our world is, we create the media. Not the other way around. Is life not violent enough already? Don't buy this game."

"People think that bullying is just a childhood phase that will pass; however, the harm bullying can do is lasting. That's why I don't think this game should be sold. It undermines everything that parents and teachers are trying to do"

"I am an educator and know the effects!"

" As a guidance counsellor I deal with the victims of bullying on a daily basis. This game will do nothing except create more."


and my personal favourite

"After so many studies conclusively proving that video games, movies and tv have a profound effect on children's emotional and social development, you would think the Canadian people would rise up and insist that the lawmakers of this country ban this type of media."


I mean these people are obviously not looking at the facts nor the actual game.

As a canadian I'm equally proud and ashamed at this story.

Proud that two youths, I hope are doing this without unseen adult influence are standing up for something they believe in, thats respectable.

I'm also ashamed at their lack of knowledge on what they are protesting, any credibility is lost when you are uninformed.

Why are stupid people allowed to be born? If you don't like the game, then don't buy it, it's as simple as that. Don't try and have the game pulled from shelves. Also, PLAY IT before you bash it, otherwise you'll look stupid.

Any political types out to hire interns or staffers? Own blinkers provided.

On the topic of Bully I went into my local GAME shop today, to see they have a new section entitled "Family Fun"...can you guess which oh so unheard of game was at the top of the list?

The rating amuses me, it has a new line in it I've never heard before "Contains violence, mild sexual themes and imitable behaviour" Thats a new one for me!

"Neu admitted that she hadn’t played Bully"

Wow, I hear that a lot about this game! It seems like almost every person who has a problem with this game has also never played it.

"If you don't like it, then don't play it" It looks like that isn't good enough for some people. Every thing I've heard about this game tells me that it's fairly innocent. All of the "controversy" over this game has come from sensational news stories and PEOPLE WHO HAVE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAVE NEVER PLAYED THE GAME. I hate to say this, but some people are just sheep. Their opinion is not based on what's in the game, but what other uninformed people have told them.

Its no surprise that a majority of the signatures on the patition are female... Probably a bunch of soccer mom's who all put together don't have an ounce of a clue.

What I really don't get is the backwards logic these kids are using here. Wouldn't banning a fun game that probably several kids in their school play and love just lead to increased bullying against them?

These are the stupid little douchebags you see in high school that will grow up to be those jerks who give out dental floss or apples on Halloween. Although there's also a good chance that their equally moronic parents are in the background somewhere pulling the strings...

It is amazing the irony of these people who most commonly attack the media, are not a counter force of the media they believe themselves to be, they are a product of it. People are make not only an opinion, not only a controversy, but are considering taking legal action (of an often unprecedented nature) not because of in-depth analysis and discussion but of short video clips and sound bites, this is precisely the influence modern media has on society. Real analysis of an issue is too time consuming for the instant message, online e-petition, 24 hour a day non-stop service society; all views must be formed within in the time span of commercial message and never questioned.

Consider this: We all want our children to be smart and well educated and we all known that in the professional world, college, high school and even as far down middle school the importance of doing in-depth research is vital. Now imagine you were a teacher and a student handed you a paper that was only based off a few sound bites and stuff they heard on the internet you would rightful fail them for doing a poor job of researching the issue and yet that very same lack of rigor that we find unacceptable in an academic setting is suddenly not just acceptable but praised and even enough to be consider enough information to make a decisions on what our laws should be. (and even enough to draft those laws).

Forget about Bully what message does it send to our children when, educators, consolers and all those other authority figures we tell them to respect and emulate are make laws off a video they saw on the internet?

This is just typical. The only difference between this and the normal politicians begging for voters through game legislation is the age of the people who want to "GET TEH G4ME BANED!1!!1." These kids are without a doubt going to be ostrasized (sp?) by their peers if/when word get out around the school. Perhaps they are the typical High-school teachers pets?

They are tools, enough said

To: Canadian Review Board

Would you like to keep your kids safer? A game called 'bully' will be going out on Oct. 27. To help get it removed from shelves please sign this Petition.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

There is no such thing as the "Canadian Review Board". There's a regional one in Ontario, but each province has it's own review board, or uses the decisions of a neighboring board. Ontario's adopted the ESRB rating symbols in 2005.

http://www.ofrb.gov.on.ca/english/default.htm

This just shows you that ingorance about video games comes at any age.

Violence, even with point-blank slingshots to the face, is rewarded,

Uh, no it's not. You're pretty heavily penalized for violent acts. And even the missions that require you to be violent, it's usually either self-defence or to protect someone.

*cough* *cough* (whispering) Um, i need a copy of Bully. :)

"This is terrible. When will these big companies in Japan realise we don't want their filth infecting our shores. I haven't played the game but I understand it's terrible."

This quote just shows how dumb people banning this game really are.

1. this game was not made in japan.
2. you have not played the game, and have no evidence to back up your statement that it is terrible.

petitiononline=auto fail [face_plain]

seriously play the game before you judge. Bullying existed before this game was even dreamt of.

I say the Canadien government paid them to do it. Who was taking that $10 bet, i'm game

@Jythie

I saw that. Hopefully his email doesn't get clogged by hundreds of irate people from both sides. ;)

I still can't believe that JT is offering his "help" in getting it banned. He can't even figure out Florida obscenity laws, let alone Canadian ones...

WHAT I WROTE:

Wow. You people really have no idea what you're doing. First, YOU HAVENT PLAYED THE GAME YOU'RE TRYING TO GET BANNED. That sent up plenty of Red Flags. If you were doing a research paper the same way you did this, all of your sources would basically be quoted as "I heard from someone it was in the book, but I didn't read it" and you'd get an "F". Second, if you were/are being bullied in school, DO SOMETHING ABOUT. I got picked on a lot in Elementary and Junior High, but the way I dealt with it was to make myself heard. I'd tell an administraitor. If that didn't work, I'd stand up them and basically say "Dude, what the hell is your problem? Why are you doing this to me?". 99 times out of 100, it's never something good, and they'll most likely mimic you. However, you can walk away with the satisfaction that they're stupid. Along with that, do what I did: start lifting weights and taking Tae Kwon Do. I'm more confident, and whether my High School was very task-oriented or whatever reason; I never got picked on.

Also, this is part of natural selection/karma. If a child can't distinguish between fantasy and reality (the JOB OF THE PARENTS), then he deserves to get in all the trouble he wants, and lead a lower quality life for it. Think of it like your brain's fact-checker. Even if a child manages to play this or GTA (that latter of which shouoldn't happen because THE PARENTS SHOULD WATCH OVER AN DISCIPLINE THEIR CHILD), if a parent did their job, their average thought process will be "The game makes this fun, but if I do any of this stuff in real life, I'll get arrested, or maybe even killed!". However, without this "fact-checker": "This game make this look fun", and then goes out and does it, and gets into trouble, all because he couldn't control his damn impulses. But of course the second child will blame it on the games, and avoid any and all personal responsibility while the parents who are partially to blame (even if they did their job) cry and sob for the camera so Jack Thompson can sue the companies for $$$.

Oh, and Mr. Thompson, on the matter of "gay sex": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXSg958wRIE Oh yeah, that's REALLY offensive; a totally optional activity that most people wouldn't even try to do on purpose prior to this discovery. Someone alert the media! Oh wait, you already did and equated anal sex to two poorly rendered characters putting their faces in front of each other and going "MMMM"

@Jabrwock

I am guessing the person's inbox is quite full by now, and likly quite on fire. Which is actually a pitty. While an intellegent discourse here might be useful, I am guessing that the flames will make the pro-bully people look bad.

As for JT. What does he ever do that requires actual knowledge of the law? All he needs is a paid appearance on some show or to associate himself with something that looks 'good' to the media and his job is done.

They are more likely to be bullied from trying to get this game banned because their peers won't respect them for what they are doing, rather than Bullies picking on them as a result of this game anyway.

(from the article)"There's punching, name calling and weapons such as baseball bats and a slingshot."

Oh, no! Not name calling! Unkind words, they huuuurrrttt!!!!!

@Robert

I am writting in regards to the game called ‘bully’ as a victim of bullying - I hope I get this game removed.

Is it just the subject matter that makes you uncomfortable, or the fact that it's in a video game? Why not go after TV shows or movies that portray the exact same thing?

@Neimbre

Heh more than likely that was the plan, for them to get bullied over bully to get it banned

maybe these kids should have watched the benchwarmers.

Ugh, "I want this game banned even though I publically admitted to never having truly played it myself and therefor am basing my entire arguements on rumor and hearsay." It has been said already, but doesn't that whole never played the game thing effectively nullify the claim?

It has been said before and I'm going to say it again, this is just the latest political scapegoat based partly out of fear for the unknown and partly out of cashing in on said fear for votes. Now that Elvis, comics, rock music, cartoon violence, rap music, and Marlyn Manson(sp?) aren't in the political crosshairs anymore, we turn to video games. I am honestly suprised that JT hasn't used the "seduction of the innocent" line that they used against comics in the 50's word for word (a man who compares himself to batman nonetheless).

[...] Area teen fights for ban on Bully video game [The Record, via GamePolitics] [...]