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Mar 4, 2008

New Edition of Bully getting teachers up in arms


So apparently the teacher associations around the world are just waking up to the game, Bully and the stupid controversy that it caused the first time it came out. As usual the teacher associations and the 4 million teachers that they represent are claiming the game promotes bullying in schools, even though they actually haven't play the game to see what its really about. Most people see the name and a video or two and assume the game is all about bullying when its really about a former bully protecting the nerds from the bullies at his new school.

The CTF, which is spearheading the call for a ban on sales, says there is a link between violent video games and aggressive behaviour in children. (Some studies support this conclusion, while others do not.)

"What it does is it encourages kids to target other kids, to be a bully with other kids. This doesn't help us as teachers in the work that we're doing at school. It also targets teachers at the school as well," Ms. Noble said.


I'm probably the last person to defend violent videogames like GTA or Postal, but this isn't about stupid violent games, its about the first amendment. Whether there's a game promoting violence in schools or not, it doesn't matter, because Rockstar has the right to make that type of game. If you don't like a game fine, but don't tell other people not to play it or try to ban it, if you haven't even played the game yourself.

Monday, a spokesman noted that Bully won several awards and said critics are overreacting.

"As a matter of principle, we hope everyone starts off by saying, 'Okay, we know this is an entertainment experience,'" Rodney Walker said. "Video games are not just for children. This game happens to be about high school and it's a tough kid in a tough environment, but it's also one of the funniest games you will play. And if you don't have our sense of humour, we respect that, but we think that fans'… voice has to be at least as important as the detractors."
[Via Globe and Mail]

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