Dead teen’s mom wants Rockstar’s Bully stopped

**StrikeMaster Ice** · 10-13-2005

It’s not enough that Bully has been delayed to April 2006. The mother of a teen who was bullied and who subsequently offed himself has started an online petition asking that the game never be released. The petition has collected just under 400 signatures so far.

This is bad news for Rockstar, but why should this have any bearing on the release of the title?

Yes, bullying is a serious problem. It’s not a laughing matter, but are critics of the game directing their energy at the right targets? But let’s take a moment to ask if this is the right tactic to address the issue of bullying. If we were to ban all movies about drugs, would drug abuse stop or be significantly retarded? Will banning books or games or movies about bullying help decrease the frequency of the crime? Why should difficult subjects be removed from popular media?

http://www.joystiq.com/
Is it me or everytime something happen related to videogames, Rockstar is alway get blame for it.

**Tonic785** · 10-13-2005

That's cause they make all these "sick" games

I can understand it from her point of view (sort of), but the petition signers (especially JT) havent even played/seen "Bully"

Let it get released first, play it.. and then judge it.

Edited: Actually, given Rockstar games reputation,
i know it's gonna upset some people... But it seems fun

**PeanutButterMunky** · 10-13-2005

400 signatures = nothing.

Yes, bullying is a serious problem. It’s not a laughing matter, but are critics of the game directing their energy at the right targets? But let’s take a moment to ask if this is the right tactic to address the issue of bullying. If we were to ban all movies about drugs, would drug abuse stop or be significantly retarded? Will banning books or games or movies about bullying help decrease the frequency of the crime? Why should difficult subjects be removed from popular media?

Like the article says, keeping the game from being released isn't going to stop "bullying". This isn't going to bring her teen back by taking her anger out on Rockstar.

**Aza** · 10-13-2005

Personally I sypathise with the mother.
Bullying is bad, making a game about glorifying it is just plain wrong.
WTF is Rockstars problem? First hot coffee, now bullying, next they'll be making games about becoming a terrorist or a pedophile or some other messed up BS.
Now i'm all for mature games with bad content but they just don't seem to know where to draw the line.

**Tonic785** · 10-13-2005

I can understand why people would want to ban this..

Look at the man on the right, his spurring him on..

It's sick but yet it seems fun

ATTENTION: And by the way i wasnt a bully, nor am

**Lefein** · 10-13-2005

Perhaps she should be mad at herself for breeding such a pathetic crap offspring that he felt that flicking himself off the mortal coil was better than being her son.

**hoverbike** · 10-13-2005

Well mothers keep doing this for something. 400 sigs is not going to do anything, in fact 4,000,000 won't even do it

.

**coolguy** · 10-13-2005

i also can understand her pain.
but she cant really have them stop the game.
thats like trying to shot them from makeing
bullets for guns

**The Chocobo Kid** · 10-13-2005

rockstars make game for growups here. there not for kids so anyone playing it that's not 17 or older should not have it. and parent should know what there child is playing. by the time your 17 you should be doing your last year of high school and have no time for bullying anyone.

I was never bully because I just fight people if they get me mad. ya people might make fun of you but don't act like you don't do it to others. alot of these kids need to step up to these bullys. most of them are not that hard. they just act big.

**DINAMO788** · 10-13-2005

well i think this mom has a point. ever since DMC i've been carrying swords and guns with me going to puppet shows slaying marionettes.

same thing as other articals. adults liek movies/music so they dont target them. they dont like games so they blame all problems on game.

and as PBM said 400 is nothing. i saw a VERY old legend of the dragoon sequel petition that had almost 7k so unless they get liek 20k signatures no one cares.

**hoverbike** · 10-14-2005

rockstars make game for growups here. there not for kids so anyone playing it that's not 17 or older should not have it. and parent should know what there child is playing. by the time your 17 you should be doing your last year of high school and have no time for bullying anyone.

Bullying can happen at any age at any time. Adults bully people all the time like at work,bars,clubs,and hang-outs. So it doesn't matter.

**Bob Loblaw** · 10-14-2005

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought in the game "Bully" that your character is the one being picked on by other students, teachers, etc, and he fights back. Wouldn't this be empowering the character? Okay, it has violence in it because it is R* afterall, but you're not going out and bullying other people. Well, that's what I've heard but since the details are pretty slim things could change.

It's like politicians saying how evil the GTA series is because you deal drugs and kill hookers. In SA, for instance, you don't deal drugs at all (in fact you kill drug dealers) and you only kill hookers if you choose to do so. The way they talk it's as if all you do are just go on killing sprees. Too bad their idea of gaming is stuck in 1983.

And of course it's always the fault of the video game companies.

Gimme a break.

**arfi-gorgona-O** · 10-14-2005

Its not a games fault if the parents don't know how to raise their childs,or how to "control" them.Its them to blame and not the games,i don't see something particulary evil in this game,there are alot of games worse that this one.

**Pink** · 10-14-2005

To be honest this game shouldn't be allowed. I can just picture kids imitating this stuff at school. Im all for banning this game

**arfi-gorgona-O** · 10-14-2005

Then picture this,a kid that plays halo and somehow find a gun and kill all the others,how about that?As i said its parents fault 100% or simply we must ban all the violent games.But you cant protect a foul from his foolishness.Thats why i say its parents fault because they don't raise their children properly.

**Pink** · 10-14-2005

Originally Posted by arfi-gorgona-O

Then picture this,a kid that plays halo and somehow find a gun and kill all the others,how about that?As i said its parents fault 100% or simply we must ban all the violent games.But you cant protect a foul from his foolishness.Thats why i say its parents fault because they don't raise their children properly.

Completely different, here there is a school environmet halo there isnt. Bullying is a huge problem in schools and this game could only add fuel to the fire.

**arfi-gorgona-O** · 10-14-2005

And the school environment is the problem?If he try to imitate something the char in halo or any other violent game does,thats not a problem for you?Except you are in people minds and know what they are going to do next,do you think that a fools mind care,if the game has a school env or no?,i remember that many kids so far kill others with guns even at school,do we have a game that the main char kills kids are school?I don't this so,Its parents fault thats it...

**gabcde86** · 10-14-2005

i think this game, like manhunt, will only cause problems for gamers and r*
i agree that many kids will not copy this game, but there will be some who do.
however, SA can be a good game, depending on how you play it... if you go around playing as ambulance driver, then you are doing the right thing, so R* left the option to be good

**Fenris** · 10-15-2005

Rockstars games tend to be over the top reflections on society and morality. I enjoy Playing GTA. Like many people I use the hookers in the game as a extra energy boost except I don't kill them to get my dough back, Hell they helped me out so it'd be wrong to off em like that in my eyes. I also don't run around capping the normals or the cops for no reason at all but if they get in my way when i'm on the run i'll light a candle for em later.

Bully is the same way, it's up to you and your own morality.

**udontneed2know** · 10-15-2005

What do these people think Bully's havent existed in the world since the 1800's? Please. Almost every kid growing up has to deal with a bully or two or three or a who gang of them. It helps you grow up.

I've read previews and this is one of those very unrealistic, can't be believed type games so if people want to go crazy over it they are just making fools of themselves.

**MaxVT103** · 10-15-2005

I agree, this is just another time where parents have gotten lazy and haven't raised their children right. The parents that generally petition things like this are the ones who leave their kids in front of the TV and use that as a babysitter before they even take the time to teach their kids that games are fantasy. I mean seriously, its about time parents got back some of the older values of taking responcibility for raising your child to know the difference between right and wrong, fantasy and reality.

**Wuzi** · 10-15-2005

You don't have to buy games! If parents really care about their kids they would not let them play games such as this. I wasn't allowed to play mature games at home ( I played them at other peoples houses) until I was 17 and I thank my parents for that. A 7-14 year old my want to bully after playing this game, but not mature teens. Older teens just see the game and not the content.

**Nikhil** · 10-15-2005

Exactly. The only M rated game I'm allowed to play is Halo, but that's a standard FPS. Parents can decide if a kid plays a game or not. If they don't like it, then don't let the kid play it, but don't try to stop others from buying a game they want (not that I want this game mind you. Looks kinda dull, not to mention horrible graphics).

**Sypherssj209** · 11-20-2005

Im no bully, but man am I ever looking foward to pushing some nerd into the mud and taking his lunch money, then maybe in old rockstar/gta fasion, stomp him a few times and then do a cheat to stop me getting detention

**The Chocobo Kid** · 11-21-2005

I could care less now. I never had any bully just people who take to me too much. I had alot of big shots and stuff but that's it. anyway I could care less now seeing I'm done with high school.