British to ban the game?  Some former minister and Labour MP has asked the British government to ban the game.  I have to say, I'm torn on this.  While I don't like Rockstar, I think it's up to them what they put in their games, and as long as it's appropriately rated, it's up to the end-user (ie parent or gamer) as to whether or not it's appropriate.  To depict violence against kids though...that seems like it's going too far.

While that game sounds hilarious, I think it's a little different to GTA. It's a much more close-to-home thing with schoolkids. It's about bullying kids at school, and schoolkids are less likely to... draw the line between a game and reality with something like that.

That said, the people who will do that are probably already just as likely to do it without playing the game.

My question isn't so much "will this cause kids to bully others" as "whatever happened to good taste"?  I mean, the GTA games are all about violence and mayhem in general.  Shoot what you want, steal what you want, etc.  It encourages you to commit crimes in-game.  But this Bully game encourages you to beat up kids in-game.  Am I the only one that thinks that's just wrong?  I mean, if this were a movie, it wouldn't be made.  So why does being a video game make it ok?

Oh no beating up virtual kids, those poor pixels can't take care of themselves, the little buggers.

Well, I find this new one a bit messed up, and I can certainly see why people would want to ban it...but, I don't know, shoot cops=ok, hit kids=not ok just seems a bit hypocritical to me.

Well it's never going to be banned in the US, atleast until Congress actually passes legislation banning the use of corporal punishment.

Quote (FaTaL eRrOr @ Oct. 28 2005, 8:19 pm)

My question isn't so much "will this cause kids to bully others" as "whatever happened to good taste"?  I mean, the GTA games are all about violence and mayhem in general.  Shoot what you want, steal what you want, etc.  It encourages you to commit crimes in-game.  But this Bully game encourages you to beat up kids in-game.  Am I the only one that thinks that's just wrong?  I mean, if this were a movie, it wouldn't be made.  So why does being a video game make it ok?

I'm with you 100%

Im not a huge beleiver in video games being responsible for violent acts, but I did see the GTA as being a bit over the edge.  I also agree completely with Wheezle's comment.

But really...c-mon Rockstar, a game where you go around beating up little kids?!  Who the H3|| thought that BS up?  Well...I hope it don't sell well...

Reminds me somewhat of the spectrum - skool dayz game, but I don't really think it's a good idea with how children behave as it is to have this game come out with this gameplay  as there are numerous stupid parents who will buy their kids anything they want no matter the content.
I.E. a stupid COWorker brought their kid GTA:VC (he's 11) and she's not once even watched him playing it and doesn't think there's a problem with him playing age restricted games, she didn't even looked at the back of the box.

Quote (SteMot @ Oct. 29 2005, 7:12 am)

when it`s very easy in this country for kids to get 18 rated games (the stores actually sell them to the kids, I know, I`ve seen it)

I think they should increase the UK fines as obviously some don't take the £5,000 fine and up to 18 months for underage sales is not enough a threat. (I now see one minor use of the stupid ID cards (Bugger))
I used to love refusing kids games because of their age and had even more fun explaining why to their parents if the little brats sent them in to complain about me

Doesn't anyone realize that any sane, mentally-stable kid above the age of 10 would realize that this is, infact, just a game?

And how come our society rates violence against kids (teenagers, more accurately) above murdering police, hospital workers, prostitutes, little old women and firemen?
It just seems to me, if your gonna get all up in arms about one of them, you should be up in arms against all of them.

Because kids (how do you figure teenagers?) can't defend themselves, whereas any one of those persons you mentioned has a much greater capacity to do so.  And like I said, I don't buy into the idea that it's going to cause kids to bully other kids.  But the fact that it glamorizes it and gets away with it because they labal it "art" disgusts me.  I am against the GTA games precisely because of the things you mention, but violence against kids, no matter whether it's fictional or not, is beyond the tasteless filth of even those games.