Analyst: Don't expect Bully 2

Critically acclaimed game didn't sell enough to warrant a sequel, says Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter.

One of the frontrunners for PlayStation 2 game of the year was the well-received (and in some minds, controversial) Bully from Rockstar Games. The publisher fended off critics of its prep-school survival story to release a finalist in many critics' "Best of" lists for 2006, including GameSpot's Game of the Year.

Gamers looking forward to steering the destiny of Bully protagonist Jimmy Hopkins through another year at Bulworth Academy may not want to scope out back-to-school sales just yet. According to Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities, Bully fans should not expect a sequel.

Citing sales performance for the game, Pachter flat-out told GamePolitics.com, "I would NOT expect a sequel [to Bully]." (emphasis in original.)

Pachter estimates that the game will create revenue of about $24 million before it's off store shelves, and that the three-year development time cost about $15 million. Including other expenses, the analyst predicts that Rockstar will do no better than break even with the game.

When asked for comment, a representative from Rockstar Games told GameSpot, "Rockstar does not comment on rumors or speculation."

306 Comments

  • SANE-MADMAN

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 1:06 pm PT

    They better make a sequel. The sales will definately be better cos the news of its greatness will have spread

  • yichun4

    Posted Apr 12, 2009 1:24 pm PT

    Ahh crap if there isnt a sequal I am gonna go mad

  • welshy023

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 3:02 pm PT

    It's only because they changed the name to canis canem edit. Who would buy a game with a name like that?

  • JWRask

    Posted Nov 5, 2008 7:53 am PT

    Just saw this. Too bad. I just beat the story mode and am working on all the extras. It would be a great new IP for Rockstar. I think they did a poor job porting it to the PC, which is going to hurt further potential sales.

    It was a great game though.

  • lol-patrol

    Posted Aug 28, 2008 3:56 pm PT

    they doubt the sales, yet they think this year it can survive on 3 more consoles?? they must have some hope in ths game if they can do that. perhaps if sales go up with the game on the other 3 platforms it would justify a sequel? it has been recently said by analysts that they didnt excpet the game to sell this well and that now a sequel is unlikely but not impossible. everyone who bought it loved it. Bully 2 a year on would be fantastic, a little bit harder, with a bigger world, all the characters in it were amazing. Let Gary have revenge!

  • bigd575

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 5:34 pm PT

    I hope there will be a bully 2 rockstar shouldn't give up on it they didn't on the gta series.

  • DarkShadow2500

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 10:23 am PT

    It would be cool if they do something similar to GTA. Like let you play with a very different character, with a different personality, more cliques, and most importantly a whole new school! It would be amazing.

  • PSX-man

    Posted Jun 4, 2008 11:43 pm PT

    If Rockstar could make tons of GTA sequel, why can't they make one single Bully sequel?! (or maybe more than one)

  • Mutantfrog16

    Posted May 24, 2008 8:29 pm PT

    NO!!! there HAS to be a sequel!!! I just bought the game two days ago and I played it like mad and I beat it today! It's AMAZING! I just couldn't stop playing it!! give some nerds some wedgies or hide out in a tree and snipe some jocks with your sling-shot! It's SWEEET! COME ON! BULLY 2!!
    JIMMY HOPKINS, YOU'RE OUR ONLY HOPE!!!

  • djones5

    Posted Apr 2, 2008 1:08 pm PT

    i refuse to believe this.

  • A_Keenan

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 3:28 pm PT

    We want Bully 2!!!

  • slasher564

    Posted Dec 30, 2007 4:13 am PT

    No more jimmy hopkins?

  • Parker82

    Posted Dec 18, 2007 4:02 pm PT

    Bring back bully

  • JNU13

    Posted Nov 3, 2007 9:43 am PT

    guys this A hole is always wrong!! He said my beloved Manhunt sold bad but yet it is a greatest hit and has a sequel!

  • Drakboy90

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 5:14 pm PT

    Oh this is bull(y) $#@! man!They gotta roll out a bully 2. i meen,everyone who got bully,loved it!So they would have to sell well with another big fight of the best school hero,Jimmy hopkins.They need to release another bully game!And if not,im gonna put my foot up rockstar vancourvers totally awesome @$$!

  • VGLeo34

    Posted Aug 31, 2007 6:17 pm PT

    BUT IT WILL SELL GREAT WITH THE GREAT PORTS.
    BULLY 2 WOULD COME SOME TIME BETWEEN 08 OR 09

  • gangsterjc

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 4:51 pm PT

    yet there having one made 4 the 360

  • Desgardios

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 7:28 am PT

    The game is very good and it would have made the expected sales if Rockstar had chosen a better release date. They tried to sell bully at the release date of other next gen consoles, Wii and Play station 3. Think about it; would you buy this game for your old console or would you just save your money for a brand new next gen-console like the Wii or PS 3.Tsk ,Tsk, Rockstar should 've known better.

  • aman_garg2004

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 10:40 pm PT

    bully 2 should come out on ps2. and it would be even better if it comes out on all gaming console

  • Rockadagreat

    Posted May 6, 2007 8:40 pm PT

    Instead of a sequel why not a Prequel for the PSP? In the game he states he's been kicked out of other schools before Bullworth, why not tell a story about that?
    I can see it now! "Bully: Bullworth Chronicles" or something.

  • mobius5010 posted Apr 20, 2007 10:21 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    mobius5010

    Posted Apr 20, 2007 10:21 am PT (hide)

    Bully was great but I don't think its worth enough for a sequel.

  • gtaIVgta

    Posted Apr 18, 2007 10:57 pm PT

    Why they only make for PS 2 why the didnt make on PC Xbox

  • BayookaBomb

    Posted Apr 2, 2007 11:25 am PT

    Aww...
    Bully such a great game.
    Imagine that on Next Gen Console baby Hi Def Time
    Cmon make a Bully 2 either a new student or to continue the life of jimmy either
    way i would get this game no matter what Bully =

  • coolguy681

    Posted Mar 25, 2007 1:27 pm PT

    This game only sold 1 mil but thats because the PS3 was coming out less than a month later.

  • RE4_Tipsters

    Posted Mar 4, 2007 10:50 am PT

    i was hoping, they just crushed my dreams! i was hoping you would play as a new student in Bullworth!

  • GunzaBlazing

    Posted Feb 18, 2007 5:31 am PT

    Bully was such an awesome game. There Should be a sequel. I really enjoyed playing it!

  • Fuzzy_Kittyn

    Posted Feb 15, 2007 9:49 pm PT

    To quote ChancreScolex, "I just want them to set it in a different area, maybe a Japanese school because I could come up with like dozens of ideas from that..." That would be awesome! And it wouldn't have to be a "direct" sequal, so to speak. It could have a completely different cast of characters and everything. Now I have one more thing to pester my Bully-hating friend about (who's also not a fan of Japanese culture, either).

  • nghtcrwlr821

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 8:55 pm PT

    Man that really sucks. This is one of my favorite games and I wish they would make a sequel. Too bad it didn't sell that well, it really is an awesome game.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Jan 21, 2007 1:53 pm PT

    I thought the controversy alone would make a lot of people want it

  • sugreev2005-06

    Posted Jan 19, 2007 3:41 pm PT

    ...He then clarified that it did close to near a million in sales and made a handsome profit for the publishers.Check this site for news :-
    http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Analyst+expecting+Bully+2&id=6435&sid=b04757c3a5bd2495d0da790eab64c76c

  • aygol

    Posted Jan 17, 2007 9:57 pm PT

    They should make a PC version of Bully.

  • gokunj2

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:00 pm PT

    hah you were wrong BIATCh!!!

  • flipwits

    Posted Jan 11, 2007 6:28 pm PT

    that is very sad. any body know if they're at leas making a pc or xbox version (most likely takes less money to make than a sequal)? my friends would like to play this but don't have PS2s.

  • jorgeivan2k7

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 6:07 pm PT

    They just need more publicity for this game, I loved this game

  • Ryking

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 5:10 pm PT

    I, for one, loved this game. It even got my wife to take up a controller and play. A couple reasons why maybe it didn't sell so well though:
    1) It seems like it got delayed alot, so people were probably tired of waiting for it
    2) Before it came out, it got alot of flack from Jack Thompson, so parents were probably put off by this
    3) Hot Coffee backlash. Once parents found out that this game was made by the same people that did San Andreas.... they probably passed it up.

  • lightwarrior179

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 2:33 am PT

    It's foolish to compare GTA with Bully. Both are different games with their own good things. Both of them are great games in their own right. Bully 2 SHOULD COME OUT JUST LIKE GTA San Andreas Stories for PSP.

  • nfsmw_master

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 7:09 pm PT

    bully needs a sequel otherwise we don't know what happens with jimmy's mum!

  • hikari33

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 3:44 pm PT

    WOW for those ppl who thought this game was a GTA Clone obviously never played the game "NoLimitJay1" just becuase it has the roam free style doesnt mean its a GTA clone thats like saying any RPG game is a Final Fantasy clone or any Stealth game is a Splinter cell Clone..As for Bully not selling that much..well im not that supriised.. after all Gears of War and the Wii are taking all its attention away..same with Okami

  • 2deluxe

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 3:13 pm PT

    I love Bully but one game is enough. I'd like to keep this game as one of the freshest games made and sequels would easily rot it.

  • GrimBee

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 6:37 am PT

    Personally I think Rockstar will put this on the wii, with some extra graphical polish, and some interactive actions via the wii remote.

    The wii is supposed to be relatively easy to develop for, and the much more "popular" audience (i.e, people who just want wii games, and NEW games) will inevitably snap this game up, because there will not be anything like it on the wii. Infact, it will be the first sort of MATURE title for the wii.
    I think it will sell LOADS, especially if it can get some nifty wii remote action going, maybe swinging a bat at someone, or punching left and right. Riding a bike by holding the wii remote and nunchaku like handlebars.. etc.
    Also instead of randomly pressing X and O (etc) for little classroom tasks, they could have a whole load of pointy action instead!

    I think this would be a great form of action to take, because the graphics are fine as they are, it would be terrible to release it on the 360 because the graphics, next to titles like gears etc wont be a good thing, it will only be a £10, smoother version of a ps2 game. It wont sell well.

    But a wii version, wow it would be fantastic. Pointless for a ps3 version, and far too costly aswell because it will already be out for the ps2. And it will only be a graphically updated game, and it looks fine just as it is.
    Anything else will be too costly, and pointless for the end user paying full whack for a next gen game, already out on the ps2 in great shape.

    Wii version, simply fantastic stuff. Could be just what charges this game into the right kind of audience. At the moment its in the midst of the complicated ps2 market. So many ps2 games, so many next gen titles to get instead... If people are buying the wii out left right and centre.. then basically why would Rockstar pass up this option to release their first wii title, the game is already great. With a bit of graphical polish (just a bit, like nifty lighting and reflections or something) and some special wii remote actions, that could JUST be enough for people to want to buy this game on another system, the wii remote and nunchaku could make it a very different game to play. Making it a worthwhile extra purchase of a game already on ps2.

  • oracle128

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 4:40 am PT

    Oops! I guess they should have ported it to PC. That's the price you pay for selling your soul to Sony...

  • Nike_Air

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 3:15 am PT

    That is a shame it didn't sell more. It is a very charming game. Maybe it will have good word of mouth and have some "legs" like gta games.

  • maumauz

    Posted Jan 8, 2007 1:10 am PT

    NoLimitJay1, you're so wrong it hurts. Bully has much more in it than the GTA clones you mentioned. Sure it has a little of GTA, but who other than Rockstar has more right to use the formula? And even so they improved the playability and everything else in Bully so much when compared to, say, GTA San Andreas. I don't think the PS2-only thingie was the problem btw... GTAs weren't affected by this, and everubody and their mother owns a PS2, even those with Wiis and Xbox360s... I mean, there are some games for the PS2 that are worth it even if you're caught up in the next gen hype.

    I just cannot explain why it did not sell well.

  • racerx737

    Posted Jan 7, 2007 9:28 pm PT

    I find it hard to believe that it didn't sell well. It seemed so popular. I guess all the people badmouthing it before they even knew what the game was, just judging it by its name and setting, had a significant negative imnpact on it after all. I mean I don't own a PS2 and I was disappointed when it was canceled for the 360, so unless it crosses platforms it really doesnt affect me anyway.

  • Doolum

    Posted Jan 7, 2007 9:25 pm PT

    time will tell if that analyst spoke true or if it was common beginning of the year BS

  • NoLimitJay1

    Posted Jan 7, 2007 5:08 pm PT

    Why didnt it sell well? Because it was a gta clone without guns, cars, or killing people. Basically...it was original. Unfortunately too many people like recycled sequel crap...like gta under a different name (godfather, scarface, saints row).

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Jan 7, 2007 5:03 pm PT

    Yeah that is a bad idea now that Democrats control congress...

  • rpgisforme

    Posted Jan 7, 2007 11:21 am PT

    THAT SUCKS! I loved the game and was looking forward to the possibility of a sequel. Oh well I can still look forward to maybe The Continueing Saga of Tony Montana

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