Posted on by Helen Boyd

Playing Bully

The folks who brought us Grand Theft Auto are at it again, bringing kids (& one has to assume, some adults) a game called Bully – where the point is to bully or be bullied.

There are those who think that a game that makes “play” out of bullying is despicable. But in fairness it should be pointed out that this is not a shoot ‘em up game, and there are no guns or blood. Some experts believe it can be a healthy outlet for kids to get these sorts of fantasies out of their systems on the screen and not in the real world. On the other hand, the game shows that to survive the bully culture you need to become one.

I’m going to guess there is no way to bring about a peaceful solution to being bullied.

4 Replies to “Playing Bully”

  1. I am seriously considering renting this game, to see what the fuss is all about, and to see if my complete ambivalence about the whole thing is warranted. Then again, it can be too ultraviolent for my taste…or just plain awful.

  2. “bringing kids (& one has to assume, some adults)” It’s worth noting most recent ESA statistics, nearly 70% of game players are over 18 and the average age of a player is now 33. This, of course, doesn’t tell us anything about the demographics of Bully, but it still bears keeping in mind, I think.

  3. There’s a pretty thoughtful review up over on Ars Technica that I think is worth reading. I’m actually a little surprised you didn’t do a bit more research before buying into the hype. I wouldn’t exactly call it non-violent, but it’s certainly not another Grand Theft Auto.
    It’s not even like Rockstar Games (The people who brought us Grand Theft Auto) only make ultra-violent games anyway. Their Ping-Pong game is really excellent with nary a baseball bat in sight.
    While you’re talking about a game that you don’t actually know much about yet, you can also throw in a discussion about whether or not it’s a horrible game because it allows same-sex kissing.

  4. Which is why I want to rent it before passing judgement. Cavorter: please keep in mind that I tend to screen (rent/download the demo) any game I would consider owning, PC or console. Thanks for the tip. I’ll check out Ars Technica. It’s on my RSS list anyway. 🙂

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