Bully draws protesters to Rockstar's front doors

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.