Bully draws protesters to Rockstar's front doors

  • By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
  • Posted Aug 3, 2005 5:59 pm PT

Washington, D.C.-based group marches on developer's Manhattan headquarters to protest marketing of violent games to children.

Although the Hot Coffee isn't quite as piping hot as it has been of late, the fallout over the hidden sex minigames in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is still simmering. Always a lightning rod for controversy, Rockstar might be growing weary of all the free publicity it has been getting, as games it hasn't even released yet are now becoming the target of public outcries.

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."

Though the Peaceoholics have accused Rockstar of marketing violent games for children in the past, Tuesday's event was specifically directed at convincing the developer to shelve the upcoming Bully, which Rockstar describes as a game where players take the role of 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."

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.

Attempts to reach Rockstar Games and Peaceoholics for comment Wednesday afternoon were not successful.

16 Comments

  • Cloud737

    Posted Jan 4, 2007 3:06 pm PT

    Oh please! People are so overreacting when they hear Rockstar making a new game.
    Bully turned out to be a T rated game, and with absolutely no controversial material in it.
    But even so, people have to get hysterical, eh? Things like saying "Put the cuffs on Rockstar, not youth" or "Prosecute Rockstar Games; they are felons" is like saying "yes, I killed 30 people and 10 police officers on my own free will, but it`s all Rockstar`s fault. They should be charged, not me". It`s amazing how infinite human stupidity can be.

  • datniccah187

    Posted Jan 4, 2007 1:50 pm PT

    People are crazy, you don't like violent videogames, why would you buy it for your kids. You don't like it, don't by it, end of story.

  • neoteny

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 11:31 am PT

    Like most of you said in this annoying forum, dont... let... minors... play... M rated... games. this whole violence in video games is gettin' old. please leave me alone. here's a thought, you know the new mortal kombat game that was just released a few weeks ago - why dont they have disputes about that particular in-game violence? no wait...thats right...school's involved in this new game "Bully", so that's definately going to draw some attention to parents who seemingly dont keep NOT EVEN ONE EYE on their child's hobby. again i ask myself the same question...who do "we" blame? i'll tell ya who we blame...it's either the ignorant parent, or the cashier who doesnt do his job askin for I.D.'s. better yet, sue the retail store for selling the game in the first place. does this make any sense? no it doesnt make any sense to me. it's like anarchy in my mind...

  • d_c_z

    Posted Sep 4, 2006 7:41 pm PT

    The peace keepers seems to be more activily violent than the peacefull game makers.

  • Owen_Waffle

    Posted Aug 12, 2006 4:52 am PT

    I cant see how these people can make a fuss. All the GTA games and pretty much any game with pointless vilolence have an 18 (M for the yanks) rating. surely that kills any argument. I cant quite get my head around it.

  • HazarSavo

    Posted Aug 10, 2006 11:31 pm PT

    Hey! were not idiots. I do think GTA is totally innapropriate (but the whole hot coffee thing was stupid because... sex isn't as bad as shooting people, and it would be better if everyone in the world was screwing instead of killing...) but I think that some folks need to calm down over this bully thing. It doesn't look to be anywhere near as bad as GTA, but I can see were there would be some concern, so calm down, but I would keep this game away from kids.. if possible (I don't think it is)

  • starcutter20000

    Posted Aug 10, 2006 11:27 am PT

    Lets not forget the parents of the victims of columbine whether they lost someone or not, sued Nintendo and square soft (out of all companies)along with a dozen others for a billion dollars in damages. No effort into how they got the guns or to investigate the behavior and general attitude of schools when it comes to bullying around the nation.
    The arts are always secondary while sports are always top priority next to how much money and "school spirit," you have.
    Zero tolerance is the worst thing to have. I'm sorry but expelling a student isn't going to help his emotional state or make the nation a safer place.

  • toxicmog

    Posted Aug 9, 2006 4:08 pm PT

    Indeed.
    Seeing as the games Rockstar makes are mostly 18 and up why would kids be playing them anycase.
    It has the 18 or M lable on it, that means it for adults. Not kids, Parnets its your job. Stop blaiming your mistakes on others.

  • 66550

    Posted Aug 9, 2006 2:23 pm PT

    Parents need to step up. You always here from your parents about not smoking or drinking too much and doing drugs, but then when their children play video games they think its so alien they just can't say no. Parents learn to say NO if you disagree with what your kids are doing.

  • Tilehero

    Posted Aug 7, 2006 12:00 am PT

    "hey hey, ho ho" hahaha bunch of losers! hahahaha! That remembers me of a certain skate game..

  • trevorj

    Posted Jun 29, 2006 11:13 am PT

    I think the hot coffee thing is so over-rated. O.K. I can become a drug-dealing murdering gangbanger but no, I can't have sex! It's so stupid! It's probably the only legal thing you can do in that game!

  • steff3121

    Posted Jun 28, 2006 4:31 am PT

    In my opinion, the parents make it seem like such a big deal that some sex is in the game, but it's not even a main part. Though I won't get Bully, that doesn't mean that a good company should be put out of business. Afterall, rockstar brings out great games, and it can't be helped if some people stumble onto cheat codes.

  • lghtsbr

    Posted Jun 14, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    I agree, I parents don't want they child playing the game, don't buy it. Adult gamers and teen gamers alike have been looking foward to this game, and just because parents don't want their kids to play it then they should buy it. And they should also teach their kids not to emulate what they see on TV and play on games. I grew up playing violent games like MK and FPS similar to Halo, and my father told me "As long as you aren't dumb, and try to do the things in these games then you can play them." I only couldn't play games with sex or sexual themes. But I could play Grand Theft Auto without the Hot Cofee.

  • HailTheIcon

    Posted Jun 4, 2006 4:44 pm PT

    Wasn't game ratings invented for that particular reason. Hey! I worked @ Gamecrazy for a year and I preached to parents that GTA:SA was not the right choice for their 10 year old, in vain, i may add. I think parental discretion and involvement in their children's media would and should definitely resolve these problems. Why should gamers be denied a great game because a few thousand parents refuse to take part in editing and researching what games they buy for their children.

    Here's a solution! If you don't want your kid playing it. Then don't buy it. If your children's associates have the game maybe your kids are in need of new friends. Hell when I was a rugrat, my parnets told me "Hey!" " You can't hang out with so and so."

  • jerico6

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 9:12 pm PT

    What a buch idiots, those peacaholics!

  • jerico6

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 9:11 pm PT

    What a buch idiots, those peacaholics!

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