The first details are starting to seep out of Rockstar about their next major controversial game, Bully, which SPOnG is happy to report will be released on PS2 this October. The game is, by default, a PS2 exclusive, seeing as they dropped the Xbox version, simply because hardly anyone buys new Xbox games any more.
Anti-violence protesters are, predictably, already making noises about the 'abhorrent' nature of the game, before they've even seen or heard about what it actually is. It seems the magical combination of Rockstar Games plus an adult-themed video game concept is enough to send the Jack Thomson's of this world into an apoplectic rage.
So what of the game then? SPOnG is, of course, willing it to be better than good, as it's fair to say that Rockstar rarely let us down. We should get a first look in at it in the next week or so, when we'll bring you our detailed thoughts on the title. In the meantime here are a few more details.
The main character is a strapping young fellow called Jimmy Hopkins, who has to defend himself against the bullies at Bullworth Academy, a fictional American boarding school, whilst also dealing with the various school cliques - the jocks, the preppies, the nerds, the bossy prefects and so on.
You progress in the game by beating up bullies (who are easily identified by their white shirts) and achieving social status by cleverly negotiating you standing with the various cliques. So your character is NOT himself a bully, and indeed will be discouraged from hitting smaller kids, girls or teachers.
Hang on a second, this is beginning to sound a bit too much like a fun idea for a video game, not a mind-bending, thug-inspiring 'bad thing'! The games detractors will also be disappointed to hear that the game does not feature kids using drink or drugs, so in that respect Bullworth Academy is also very unrealistic, if compared with most American high schools.
"We think the school environment is a universal experience that so many people relate to," said company spokesman Rodney Walker, also pointing out that criticism of the game is unique in that the naysayers haven't even seen it yet!
Of course, following on from last year's Hot Coffee debacle, anything that Rockstar does is watched hawk-like by those looking for any excuse to demonise video games.
SPOnG hopes that this fun-sounding story of a cheeky scamp trying to get by at school will, firstly, be a great video game and, secondly, will put paid to all the cynics waiting for another anti-game bandwagon to jump on.
Part of us is tempted to call the Daily Mail's news desk though, purely to see how 'wrong' they get the story. There's really no need to make this call though, as it's only a matter of time. Guesses as to what the headline's are going to be in the forum please.
Anti-violence protesters are, predictably, already making noises about the 'abhorrent' nature of the game, before they've even seen or heard about what it actually is. It seems the magical combination of Rockstar Games plus an adult-themed video game concept is enough to send the Jack Thomson's of this world into an apoplectic rage.
So what of the game then? SPOnG is, of course, willing it to be better than good, as it's fair to say that Rockstar rarely let us down. We should get a first look in at it in the next week or so, when we'll bring you our detailed thoughts on the title. In the meantime here are a few more details.
The main character is a strapping young fellow called Jimmy Hopkins, who has to defend himself against the bullies at Bullworth Academy, a fictional American boarding school, whilst also dealing with the various school cliques - the jocks, the preppies, the nerds, the bossy prefects and so on.
You progress in the game by beating up bullies (who are easily identified by their white shirts) and achieving social status by cleverly negotiating you standing with the various cliques. So your character is NOT himself a bully, and indeed will be discouraged from hitting smaller kids, girls or teachers.
Hang on a second, this is beginning to sound a bit too much like a fun idea for a video game, not a mind-bending, thug-inspiring 'bad thing'! The games detractors will also be disappointed to hear that the game does not feature kids using drink or drugs, so in that respect Bullworth Academy is also very unrealistic, if compared with most American high schools.
"We think the school environment is a universal experience that so many people relate to," said company spokesman Rodney Walker, also pointing out that criticism of the game is unique in that the naysayers haven't even seen it yet!
Of course, following on from last year's Hot Coffee debacle, anything that Rockstar does is watched hawk-like by those looking for any excuse to demonise video games.
SPOnG hopes that this fun-sounding story of a cheeky scamp trying to get by at school will, firstly, be a great video game and, secondly, will put paid to all the cynics waiting for another anti-game bandwagon to jump on.
Part of us is tempted to call the Daily Mail's news desk though, purely to see how 'wrong' they get the story. There's really no need to make this call though, as it's only a matter of time. Guesses as to what the headline's are going to be in the forum please.
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Comments
YenRug 10 Aug 2006 13:20
1/13
"'Bully' Game Inspires Real-life Bullying!"
How about that, totally boring and predicatable enough, for you? As to the fact you're defending yourself against bullies, rather than being one, I'm sure the PC-brigade declared that as being wrong a long time ago. You have to report it to your school counsellor, nowadays, looking like a wimp in front of the whole school and result in bugger all being done about the actual bully, for fear of "infringing their human rights" by denying them education whilst they're expelled.
How about that, totally boring and predicatable enough, for you? As to the fact you're defending yourself against bullies, rather than being one, I'm sure the PC-brigade declared that as being wrong a long time ago. You have to report it to your school counsellor, nowadays, looking like a wimp in front of the whole school and result in bugger all being done about the actual bully, for fear of "infringing their human rights" by denying them education whilst they're expelled.
zoydwheeler 10 Aug 2006 13:27
2/13
have you considered anger management?
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YenRug 10 Aug 2006 14:02
3/13
No, because the sort of people that think "anger management" is the be all and end all are the people I tend to be angry with; in other words, it would be self-deafeating. Mind you, it probably would let me get close enough to inflict a lobotomy on them and stop them from spouting so much crap in the future.
dranann 10 Aug 2006 14:13
4/13
Maybe, just maybe, this will be a ground breaking extension of interactive story telling in a freeform environment. If so, it will "rock" with or without drugs and violence.
Or maybe, what Rockstar does well is to do huge violent epics that push the bounds of good taste, but in this case they've shrunk the environment and taken out the violence and entertainingly dubious taste. If so, it will be dull as ditch water.
One question: linear or freeform? If the latter, could be good. If the former, it'll be a case of ignoring the hype and rent-before-you-buy.
Or maybe, what Rockstar does well is to do huge violent epics that push the bounds of good taste, but in this case they've shrunk the environment and taken out the violence and entertainingly dubious taste. If so, it will be dull as ditch water.
One question: linear or freeform? If the latter, could be good. If the former, it'll be a case of ignoring the hype and rent-before-you-buy.
zoydwheeler 10 Aug 2006 14:24
5/13
freeform, so they tell us
dranann 10 Aug 2006 14:29
6/13
zoydwheeler wrote:
freeform, so they tell us
O-kayyyy....... cynicism toned down....
D
Joji 10 Aug 2006 14:43
7/13
This reminds me of Speccy game Skool Daze, so I'll be keeping an eye on it. Hopefully it'll be really cool.
config 10 Aug 2006 15:47
8/13
"Please Sir, I cannot tell a lie..."
RiseFromYourGrave 10 Aug 2006 16:23
9/13
it sounds like fun. but so does killing hookers and gatecrashing drug deals :D
tg0006 10 Aug 2006 23:57
10/13
one, all thats seen of the game is a minute long trailer and a small group of screens. 2, the game sounds fun. 3, it doesnt even look that violent (especially compaired to gta).
People need to realize that Rockstar Games is a big company with many diffrent development studios. Rockstar North made grand theft auto and manhunt (both very violent and contraversial), Rockstar Toronto who made The warriors (prity violent), Rockstar Leeds who made GTA: LCS (violence in the palm of your hand), Rockstar Sandiego who made Midnight club, Red Dead revolver, and Smugglers run (none of them are all that violent, not even red), And Rockstar Vancouver who are makeing bully, and are farily new, so noone knows what to expect. Their are all these studios developing under the name of rockstar and all the other studios recieve a instant dislike from rockstar north. I even question if bully would be a controversial game if it wasnt being developed by a rockstar studio.
People need to realize that Rockstar Games is a big company with many diffrent development studios. Rockstar North made grand theft auto and manhunt (both very violent and contraversial), Rockstar Toronto who made The warriors (prity violent), Rockstar Leeds who made GTA: LCS (violence in the palm of your hand), Rockstar Sandiego who made Midnight club, Red Dead revolver, and Smugglers run (none of them are all that violent, not even red), And Rockstar Vancouver who are makeing bully, and are farily new, so noone knows what to expect. Their are all these studios developing under the name of rockstar and all the other studios recieve a instant dislike from rockstar north. I even question if bully would be a controversial game if it wasnt being developed by a rockstar studio.
TigerUppercut 11 Aug 2006 03:25
11/13
G4 Jack Thompson debate on Bully.
Too much heat, completely disorganised.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DmJ7IXeqG7k
Shame it didn't get the time it deserved.
Too much heat, completely disorganised.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DmJ7IXeqG7k
Shame it didn't get the time it deserved.
PreciousRoi 13 Aug 2006 09:04
12/13
I like how he brought up a British First Amendment equvalent and Adam called him on it...
Question, was Hot Coffee a big deal in the UK...considering the more relaxed attituides towards sexuality I would tend to think not.
Question, was Hot Coffee a big deal in the UK...considering the more relaxed attituides towards sexuality I would tend to think not.
thane_jaw 14 Aug 2006 08:07
13/13
PreciousRoi wrote:
Question, was Hot Coffee a big deal in the UK...considering the more relaxed attituides towards sexuality I would tend to think not.
No it wasn't. It was already rated as 18, the highest rating. After a while the BBFC came out and said that the Hot Coffee saga didn't change their decision. The only game that has come close to banning is Manhunt in my mind and that was down to a lovely bit of misrepresentation by the british tabloids in a murder case.