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Bully (video game)
Encyclopedia
Bully, also known as Canis Canem Edit for the PAL
PlayStation 2
version, is an open world
video game released by Rockstar Vancouver
for the PlayStation 2 on 17 October 2006 in North America
, and 25 October 2006 in the United Kingdom
. An Xbox
version was planned but cancelled for undisclosed reasons.
The game was re-released as Bully: Scholarship Edition on 4 March 2008 for the Wii
and Xbox 360
and 24 October 2008 on PC (this name is retained in the PAL releases). The PlayStation 2 version of the game is also available in the United States as a special edition that includes a limited edition comic book
and a dodgeball
of the same style as the ones used in the game, with the word "Bully" embossed on it.
One by one, Jimmy beats the leaders of each school clique (Preppies, Greasers, Jocks, Nerds and Bullies) while Gary hides in the shadows plotting his next attack to make Jimmy's life more of a living hell. When Jimmy finally gets on everybodies good side, they all turn on him when Gary manipulates the Townies, a group of dropouts who used to or could not afford to go to Bullworth, and now are stuck in a trailer park. Believing the chaos that has recently erupted to be the work of Jimmy, the headmaster, Dr Crabblesnitch, expels him.
Jimmy makes peace with the Townies and falls in love with a townie named Zoe, who was expelled from Bullworth after complaining about Mr Burton, the gym teacher, hitting on her.
At the end of the game, Gary and Jimmy have a fight on the top of the school roof and Jimmy emerges the victor. Dr Crabblesnitch hears of Gary's plan (which was shouted by Gary at the top of the roof) and expels him. Dr Crabblesnitch then begins to see Jimmy as a good person. Using his newfound image to Dr Crabblesnitch wisely, he re-enrolls Zoe back into Bullworth and makes Pete the head student. It ends with Zoey and Jimmy kissing at the front of the school with everyone cheering them on.
boarding school. The player is free to explore the school campus in the beginning and, later on in the game, the town, or to complete the main missions. The game makes extensive use of minigames. Some are used to earn money, others to improve Jimmy's abilities or get new items.
School classes themselves are done in the form of minigames, broken into five levels of increasing difficulty. Each completed class brings a benefit to gameplay. English
, as an example, is a word scramble minigame, and as Jimmy does well in this minigame, he learns various language-skills, such as the ability to apologize to police for small crimes. Chemistry
also an example, is a button pushing minigame, and if Jimmy does well, he gains the ability to create firecrackers, stink bombs, and other items at his chemistry set in his room at the dorm.
Jimmy has a multitude of weapons available, although they tend to run along the lines of things a school boy might actually attain, such as a slingshot, bags of marbles, itching powder, fire crackers, stink bombs, and, later in the game, a bottle rocket launcher and the spud cannon. He can also pick up and use various improvised weapons like bats, sticks, or flowerpots. Fighting is an integral part of the game; each of the game's five chapters culminate in a battle against the leader or leaders of a given clique. However, violence against girls, smaller kids, or adults generally has swift and severe consequences. Jimmy can get busted by the prefects, teachers, police and even some townspeople. If this happens, the mission he is doing automatically fails, and most of Jimmy's weapons are confiscated.
Jimmy also has an assortment of vehicles to operate — mainly a skateboard
, but also a scooter, a go-kart
, a lawn mower
(for money, and also to complete a detention and, towards the end of the game, some missions), and various bicycle
s. By passing shop classes, Jimmy can build increasingly high-performance BMX bikes, and use them in either races or a bike park. The player can also alter Jimmy's physical appearance to their liking by purchasing new clothes, haircuts, masks, or even tattoos.
boarding school in the New England
rhode island area of the United States. The school is located in the fictional town
of Bullworth which is in the same fictional universe
as the Grand Theft Auto
and Manhunt
series (The main building of Bullworth Academy was shown briefly on the fictional show I'm Rich in Grand Theft Auto IV
). The town is split into four separate boroughs plus the school, which are unlocked individually as the player progresses through the game. The town has different shops and has medical centres as well as police stations in the different boroughs of the town. There are some factories in the town like a tool factory, a meat packing plant and a chemical plant
as well as a retirement home
and an asylum. There are gang
s all over the town, but they no longer become dangerous after the player wins their respect collectively. The town also sits right next to an ocean inlet and an amusement park.
showed the player-controlled antagonist
administering a "swirlie" and throwing a punch at another student. However, the tone of the final game was different, with the player in the role of a problem student who stood up to and fought back against bullies, in effect, bullying on behalf of the victims, or in self-defense.
The PlayStation 2
version of the game uses an advanced Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
engine through Renderware
. Rockstar Vancouver also decided to make every student in the school have a unique appearance and, within programming limitations, personality.
, 9.0/10 from Games Radar, a perfect 10/10 from 1UP.com
, 8.7/10 from GameSpot
, 5/5 from JIVE Magazine, 8.75/10 from VGRC.net, a 5/5 from X-Play
, and made the Top 10 Games of '06 in PlayStation Magazine. Canis Canem Edit also got 9/10 from OPS2 Magazine. Critics generally praised the game's storyline, while they complained about particular stealth missions, as well as the camera.
As of 12 March 2008, the PlayStation 2 version of Bully has sold 1.5 million copies according to Take-Two Interactive
. Hyper
s Daniel Wilks commends the game for its "clever script, some novel missions [and] well constructed characters". However, he criticises it for "time dilation, dodgy camera [and] generic mini-games".
In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
.
Hot Coffee minigame controversy and certain aspects of the game including its title. Groups such as Bullying Online
and Peaceaholics have criticized the game for glorifying or trivializing school bullying. Most of these criticisms were voiced before the content of the game was available to the public. In 2006, the United States-based Entertainment Software Rating Board
officially gave Bully a rating of "T" (suitable for ages 13 and up), the BBFC gave Canis Canem Edit a 15 rating and the New Zealand OFLC
restricted it to persons 13 years of age and over. In 2007, Yahoo! Games
listed it as one of the top ten controversial games of all time. The OFLC of Australia gave Bully an M rating (recommended for mature audiences) for moderate themes, violence and sexual references.
. Thompson declared the game a "nuisance
" and "Columbine
simulator". He also argued this point on Attack of the Show!
with Kevin Pereira
on the opposite end on the show's segment "The Loop." Thompson's petition, filed with the 11th Judicial Circuit Court, asked for Wal-Mart
and Take-Two
to furnish him with an advance copy of Bully so he could have "an independent third party" play the game and determine if it would constitute a public nuisance in the state of Florida, in which case it could be banned. On 11 October 2006, Judge Ronald Friedman ordered Take-Two and Rockstar to provide the court with a copy of the game within 24 hours. On 13 October 2006, Friedman subsequently ruled in favor of shipping the game, noting that there was no content in the game that was not already on late night television. Thompson responded to the ruling with fiery speech directed at the judge, which began the road to disbarment for Thompson.
When given a preview build, the mainstream American media took a generally positive view of the game. Press coverage has described the game as free-form, focusing on building a social network and learning new skills from classes, with strictly enforced punishments for serious misbehaviour.
argued that Bully be banned or reclassified as rated 18 in the UK before its publication and before the content had been finalized, the game was released rated 15. Currys
and PC World
, both owned by DSG International
, said that they did not wish to sell the game in the UK because it is "not appropriate for Currys' family-friendly image". The official statement lists what Currys believes is "the explicit link between violence and children" as the reason behind the ban, and continues: "We haven't taken this decision lightly, particularly considering the excellent relationship we have with Rockstar." However despite this decision other high street retailers including Game
, HMV
and Virgin Megastores announced intentions to stock the game. DSG stores still stock other Rockstar games including the GTA
series, and other violent games like Manhunt
, which both have BBFC 18 ratings, whereas Bully has a BBFC 15 rating.
. In April 2008, Brazilian justice prohibited the commerce, import and availability of the game in Brazilian houses. The decision was taken by judge Flávio Mendes Rabelo from the state of Rio Grande do Sul
based on psychological findings by the state psychology society which claims that the game would be potentially harmful to teenagers and adults. Anyone caught selling or even owning the game would face a daily fine of R$1,000.00. Such a decision, which is not a conclusive one, generated many controversies though, as in Brazil, such a decision could be qualified as censorship, which is prohibited by the Constitution of 1988.
and Xbox 360
on 3 March 2008. The game features exclusive content which is unavailable in the PlayStation 2 version, including 8 new missions, 4 new characters, 4 new school classes (Biology, Music, Math and Geography) and new unlockable items and clothing. Some small script changes have been made. The random NPCs also have more lines. In addition, single system 2-player competitive multiplayer minigames have also been added, along with Achievements for the Xbox 360 version and Wii Remote and Nunchuk
motion and pointer controls for the Wii version. All ports of the Scholarship Edition use the game engine Gamebryo
, rather than Renderware
which was used for the PS2 version.
Rockstar Games
first announced the game on 19 July 2007. On 6 August 2007, RockstarWatch.net reported on the release of the Australian Bully: Scholarship Edition box art which included artwork of the protagonist, Jimmy Hopkins, and the school principal, Dr. Crabblesnitch. On 3 February 2008, Rockstar announced the game's upcoming release on 4 March 2008 and posted the Scholarship Edition launch trailer at the Bully homepage.
Bully: Scholarship Edition was released in the PAL region under the original Bully title, and not Canis Canem Edit (Latin
for Dog Eat Dog), as the original game was renamed. The Xbox 360
version to be released in Japan will also exclude Scholarship Edition from its title. Some retail outlets in Australia have since received recall notices for the game on both Wii and Xbox 360. No reason for the recall has been given, but stores have been asked to remove stock from shelves and return it to the distributor.
) for Bully which was released on CD in 2006. The port was released on 21 October 2008 in the US and 24 October 2008 in the UK. On 28 April 2009, a patch was released to address issues with the game not running properly on PCs with more than 2 GB of memory.
gave the Wii version an A- grade and the Xbox 360 version a B- grade. Gameplasma gave the Wii version a 9/10. The PC version, however, received mixed reviews ranging from a "Good" rating of 7.8 from IGN to a C- from 1UP.com who called it "[a] shoddy, untimely port that, inexplicably -- considering its ridiculously long port time -- feels like a rush job." GameSpot later rated it with a "fair" rating of 6.0, calling it "[a] lazy porting job [which] hinders Bully's classic classroom hijinks".
The Xbox 360 version of Bully: Scholarship Edition was found to be unstable on some players' consoles, resulting in glitches, crashes and performance issues. Rockstar promised to have a patch addressing these issues by the week of March 10, 2008, however the patch was delayed due to Microsoft
Certification. On March 20, a patch was released via Xbox Live
(v1.03), but there are reports which claim the problems have continued or worsened after patching. The problems included audio issues, animation issues, and inability to complete Music classes due to differences between the Wii and Xbox 360 controllers. The most prevalent and common problem with the game is the unexplained freezing of the console, but not music being played on a connected MP3 player or hard drive. GameSpot
, a game review website which bases its reviews on the initial public release, took the glitches into account and marked the 360 version of the Scholarship Edition down to a 7/10, a full point lower than the Wii version, which received an 8. The UK magazine NGamer
gave the game 90%.
The PC version of Bully: Scholarship Edition was criticized by many, being found by end users to contain problems including textures which were either disappearing or were slow to load, memory leaks, and an endless loop after the initial cut scene in which player speaks with the headmaster when the player had more than 2 GB of memory. However, these issues were addressed in a later patch.
, who scored Bully, and was asked if he was scoring any more games in the near future; he responded, "Yes. It looks like I will be doing the soundtrack for Bully 2 in the not so distant future...".
In November 2011, in an interview with Gamasutra, Rockstar executive Dan Houser revealed it may return to it for a sequel once Max Payne 3
is released. "Contrary to a lot of people, we like to take a little bit of time at the end of a game before starting a sequel, so we can wait for the excitement or disappointment and everything else of the experience to shake down and really see what we should do in the next game," he said. "So we knew that we didn't want to start doing the Bully sequel instantly at that second with those guys
-- even though it is a property that, like Max
, we adore and might come back to in the future. There was just no impetus to do that then. So we said, 'You can do Max, and then we will see what we can do with Bully."
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version, is an open world
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
video game released by Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver is a video game studio located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Rockstar Vancouver released Bully, a controversial title exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006...
for the PlayStation 2 on 17 October 2006 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and 25 October 2006 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. An Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
version was planned but cancelled for undisclosed reasons.
The game was re-released as Bully: Scholarship Edition on 4 March 2008 for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and 24 October 2008 on PC (this name is retained in the PAL releases). The PlayStation 2 version of the game is also available in the United States as a special edition that includes a limited edition comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
and a dodgeball
Dodgeball
Dodgeball is any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with balls while avoiding being hit themselves. This article is about a well-known form of team sport with modified rules that is often played in physical education classes and has been featured...
of the same style as the ones used in the game, with the word "Bully" embossed on it.
Plot
Jimmy Hopkins is dropped off at Bullworth Academy, a boarding school in the fictional town of Bullworth, by his mother and new stepfather. A boy named Gary and another named Pete become friends with Jimmy and agree to show him around. Jimmy, near the end of the first Chapter, is betrayed by Gary because Gary views Jimmy as an asset in his quest to control the school.One by one, Jimmy beats the leaders of each school clique (Preppies, Greasers, Jocks, Nerds and Bullies) while Gary hides in the shadows plotting his next attack to make Jimmy's life more of a living hell. When Jimmy finally gets on everybodies good side, they all turn on him when Gary manipulates the Townies, a group of dropouts who used to or could not afford to go to Bullworth, and now are stuck in a trailer park. Believing the chaos that has recently erupted to be the work of Jimmy, the headmaster, Dr Crabblesnitch, expels him.
Jimmy makes peace with the Townies and falls in love with a townie named Zoe, who was expelled from Bullworth after complaining about Mr Burton, the gym teacher, hitting on her.
At the end of the game, Gary and Jimmy have a fight on the top of the school roof and Jimmy emerges the victor. Dr Crabblesnitch hears of Gary's plan (which was shouted by Gary at the top of the roof) and expels him. Dr Crabblesnitch then begins to see Jimmy as a good person. Using his newfound image to Dr Crabblesnitch wisely, he re-enrolls Zoe back into Bullworth and makes Pete the head student. It ends with Zoey and Jimmy kissing at the front of the school with everyone cheering them on.
Gameplay
Bully is a subtle sandbox game set in a school environment. The player takes control of teenage rebel James "Jimmy" Hopkins, who from the opening cutscene is revealed to be a difficult student with a disruptive background. The game concerns the events that follow Jimmy being dropped off at Bullworth Academy, a fictional New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
boarding school. The player is free to explore the school campus in the beginning and, later on in the game, the town, or to complete the main missions. The game makes extensive use of minigames. Some are used to earn money, others to improve Jimmy's abilities or get new items.
School classes themselves are done in the form of minigames, broken into five levels of increasing difficulty. Each completed class brings a benefit to gameplay. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, as an example, is a word scramble minigame, and as Jimmy does well in this minigame, he learns various language-skills, such as the ability to apologize to police for small crimes. Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
also an example, is a button pushing minigame, and if Jimmy does well, he gains the ability to create firecrackers, stink bombs, and other items at his chemistry set in his room at the dorm.
Jimmy has a multitude of weapons available, although they tend to run along the lines of things a school boy might actually attain, such as a slingshot, bags of marbles, itching powder, fire crackers, stink bombs, and, later in the game, a bottle rocket launcher and the spud cannon. He can also pick up and use various improvised weapons like bats, sticks, or flowerpots. Fighting is an integral part of the game; each of the game's five chapters culminate in a battle against the leader or leaders of a given clique. However, violence against girls, smaller kids, or adults generally has swift and severe consequences. Jimmy can get busted by the prefects, teachers, police and even some townspeople. If this happens, the mission he is doing automatically fails, and most of Jimmy's weapons are confiscated.
Jimmy also has an assortment of vehicles to operate — mainly a skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
, but also a scooter, a go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
, a lawn mower
Lawn mower
A lawn mower is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel...
(for money, and also to complete a detention and, towards the end of the game, some missions), and various bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s. By passing shop classes, Jimmy can build increasingly high-performance BMX bikes, and use them in either races or a bike park. The player can also alter Jimmy's physical appearance to their liking by purchasing new clothes, haircuts, masks, or even tattoos.
Setting
The game takes place at Bullworth Academy, a fictional independentIndependent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
boarding school in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
rhode island area of the United States. The school is located in the fictional town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Bullworth which is in the same fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
as the Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
and Manhunt
Manhunt (series)
Manhunt is a stealth style video game series primarily developed by Scottish company Rockstar North, as well as several other Rockstar studios, and published by Rockstar Games....
series (The main building of Bullworth Academy was shown briefly on the fictional show I'm Rich in Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
). The town is split into four separate boroughs plus the school, which are unlocked individually as the player progresses through the game. The town has different shops and has medical centres as well as police stations in the different boroughs of the town. There are some factories in the town like a tool factory, a meat packing plant and a chemical plant
Chemical plant
A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment,...
as well as a retirement home
Retirement home
A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. Typically each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building, including facilities for meals, gathering, recreation, and some...
and an asylum. There are gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
s all over the town, but they no longer become dangerous after the player wins their respect collectively. The town also sits right next to an ocean inlet and an amusement park.
Characters
- James Jimmy Hopkins born may 22 1991 voiced by (Gerry Rosenthal) Jimmy comes from a troubled background, having been expelled from every school he ever attended, for a wide variety of offences. His mother has just started her sixth marriage, this one with a man old enough to be Jimmy's grandfather. Unwilling to deal with Jimmy, they dump him on the steps of Bullworth Academy before leaving for a year-long honeymoon cruise. Stuck in a school where everyone wants to beat him up, Jimmy has no choice but to fight his way through all the cliques. Jimmy was designed to be an 'everykid'. Lead Producer of Bully, Jeronimo Barerra, claimed that what he wanted to do with Bully was to recreate the state of being a kid, and to make it fun. Parallels were also made between Jimmy and Holden CaulfieldHolden CaulfieldHolden Caulfield is the 16-to-17 years old protagonist of author J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. He is universally recognized for his resistance to growing older and desire to protect childhood innocence...
, the main character of Catcher in the Rye. Jimmy and Holden share a background of a difficult homelife and being thrown out of multiple private schools. Jimmy even uses Holden's favorite derogatory term, "phony", to describe his new stepfather.
- Gary Smith born jan 13 1991 (voiced by Peter VackPeter VackPeter Vack is an American actor and voice actor known for portraying the voice of Gary Smith in the video game Bully and playing Casey Hughes in As The World Turns. He was born to parents Jane Brown and Ron Brown, a movie producer and writer. Vack grew up in New York City and attended Riverdale...
): The main antagonist of the game, Gary is described by other characters as a sociopathPsychopathyPsychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
. He considers himself smarter and better than everyone, and wants to run the school. He also admittedly suffers from ADD. However he is shown to be a master manipulator and one of the smartest characters in the game, successfully using the other cliques in the school to fight Jimmy for him after he turns on him. Initially friends with Jimmy, Gary soon turns on him and comes close to realizing his goal of dominating Bullworth. Eventually confronted by Jimmy, Gary gleefully boasts of how he tricked everyone in his climb to the top. Of particular amusement to Gary was the fact that even after being tied up and having his "dumb school" turned into a battleground, Dr. Crabblesnitch still liked him. After Jimmy beats Gary in a fight, the Headmaster, who heard everything Gary said, expels him. Gary also serves as the second player in the multiplayer mode of Scholarship Edition.
- Peter Kowalski:born sep 12 1993 (voiced by Matt BushMatt Bush (actor)Matt Bush is an American actor, best known for the film Adventureland and his AT&T Rollover Minutes commercials. He starred in the TBS comedy Glory Daze as Eli, a freshman who rushes the wildest fraternity on a 1980s college campus....
) Pete, usually called "Petey", is a shy, smaller than average student who has trouble fitting in with any group and making friends. Pete is the second student to introduce himself to Jimmy, and becomes the closest thing to a friend Jimmy has at Bullworth. The two of them and Gary form a friendship of sorts, although Gary picks on Pete constantly. When Gary turns on Jimmy, Pete stays loyal to Jimmy and continues to for the rest of the school year. Although he does not have physical capabilities matching Jimmy's, he has a good tactical mind, and his advice helps Jimmy throughout the course of the game, such as helping Jimmy make a fair fight in the Johnny Vincent boss level by using a crane to take away Johnny's bike. After Gary is expelled, he becomes the new head student.
- Derby Harrington:born dec 1990 (voiced by John LaVelle) The leader of the Preppies clique. Derby has blond hair and prominently black eyebrows. Like all the Preppies, he wears Aquaberry clothing, a sweater vest in the summer and a long sweater in the winter. He also wears gray slacks and a dark gray vintage hunter's cap in the wintertime. He's a medium-sized student, and is slightly shorter than his friend and bodyguard Bif Taylor. Derby, which is pronounced "Darby" like the English city, is the most 'blue blood' of the entire Preppies clique. His family is one of the main benefactors of the school already, and the Preppies fraternity house is even named "Harrington House". Although not much is known about his family life, it can be deduced that they are involved in the oil business. Billboards for "Harrington Oil" can be seen at the Carnival's go-kart track. The Harringtons may also own stock in Aquaberry; Aquaberry brand sweaters are acceptable by the Bullworth Academy dress code, and Derby can be seen on posters in the Aquaberry outlet store, modelling the clothes. He is apparently a Republican, as he insults Bif by calling him a "filthy Democrat". Derby is arrogant, snobbish and mean-spirited even by Preppy standards. He berates Bif after he loses a boxing match against Jimmy. He's also a master manipulator, however, unlike Gary he has no interest in running the school. Whereas the other clique leaders apparently come to like Jimmy, Derby never loses his contemptuous manner, nor does he ever treat Jimmy with respect unless threatened or forced to. Although betrothed to Pinky, he no-shows a date with her.
- Johnny Vincent:born 1991 dec 10 (voiced by Rocco Rosanio) The leader of the Greasers clique. Known for his anger management issues and extreme case of paranoia, Johnny is constantly bothered by Lola's infidelity. It can also be noted after the mission "Finding Johnny Vincent" that the Greasers clique returns to neutral status, rather than hostile like the others. Johnny gets in fights regularly, and is one of the tougher and better fighters in the school. It is stated that he has a direct rivalry with Bif Taylor, and small talk at Bullworth about the two of them having a fight is common. He is called to the office by Miss Danvers with regularity, both for fighting and inappropriate behavior with Lola. He has a reputation around school as being good with a bike, both with racing and tricks. On the Facebook, Johnny's parents were stated to be residents of the Town of Bullworth, and that they sent him to Bullworth because it was close by. According to the prep Chad, Johnny's parents are in jail.
- Ted Thompson: (voiced by Alex Cendese) The leader of the Jocks clique, & a captain of Bullworth football team. Ted is the only medium-sized Jock other than Bo. He has dark brown hair, blue eyes, and is referred to as "pretty-boy" by Jimmy. He is generally seen wearing school slacks and a Letterman's Jacket. In the wintertime, he simply buttons up his jacket. During one mission, he's seen wearing his football jersey and some gym pants. A mistake on the official Bully website states his name as Ted Sinclair. His name is a possible reference to Ted Thompson. Thompson has held various jobs in the NFL, most recently the General Manager of the Green Bay Packers. Ted is rarely seen without Damon, and he dates Mandy. He is of course the star quarterback of the football team. His team number is 0 (not to be confused with Bo's number of 00). Ted is very into "scoring" with girls, and he's quite misogynistic - his campaign for the School Presidential Elections consisted of banners saying "Don't be a nerd, be a man, vote for Ted" and pictures of Ted with Mandy and Christy. He is also football obsessed, with most of his dialogue consisting mainly of football references. His insults usually combine these football metaphors with "your mom" jokes. He is also indicated to be not particularly bright. His idea of a history making prank was for Jimmy to take a dump on the steps of town hall. Justin aspires to be his friend, despite the fact that they are in different cliques. Ted also mockingly calls Algie his "little buddy".
- Zoe Taylor: (voiced by Molly Fox) A townie girl who was expelled from Bullworth Academy by Dr. Crabblesnitch for complaining that Mr. Burton was hitting on her. She serves as Jimmy's main love interest during the later part of the game. After Gary is defeated, Zoe, along with Jimmy, is re-enrolled at Bullworth Academy.
- Mandy Wiles: (voiced by Elena Franklin) The Jocks female member. While known for being super-popular and attractive, she's a bully to the other girls at the Academy, and uses her good looks and popularity to manipulate others. After Jimmy agrees to help her take down the 'inappropriate' pictures of her around Bullworth Town, she becomes romantically interested in him.
- Dr. Crabblesnitch: (voiced by Ralph Gunderman) The pompous principal of Bullworth Academy and all-around killjoy, Crabblesnitch believes that "rehabilitating" problem children is his calling in life. Crabblesnitch was originally introduced as the main villain, a corrupt, authoritarian bully. The character was changed by the time the game was released, leaving Crabblesnitch more self-righteous and oblivious than malignant. Crabblesnitch refers to the bullying taking place as "school spirit" and refuses to hear ill of his staff. He does, however, take appropriate action when confronted with undeniable truth.
Bullies
- Russell Northrop: (voiced by Cody Melton) The leader of the Bullies cliqueCliqueA clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
. While rather unintelligent and often referring to himself in third-person, he makes up for it by being the largest student in school and capable of taking down full grown men. Russell indicates in dialog that his shoe size is seventeen. He has a tattoo on his bicep. In the winter, he is dressed nearly the same, only with the sleeves of his shirt rolled down and a black urban hat on his head. He resembles actor Richard Kiel, who is 7'1" and has gigantism. Russps as originally intended to be the leader of the Punks and later the Dropouts. The game datafiles still identify Russell as a Dropout rather than a Bully. A version of Russell with a somewhat different appearance and personality appeared in the comic as the Punks leader. He shares a last name with a type of flying wing model, the Northrop N-1M. Russell, due to his size, is the most feared student on campus. He can sometimes intimidate, and attack the Prefects and other authority. However, he can still be busted like any other student. It's possible that his immense strength is the reason why the Jocks, Preppies, and Greasers do not bother with the Bullies, as they are no match for him, and he is known to bully them. The Nerds are his arch enemies, and he is more volatile to them then any other student group. Fatty states he witnessed Russell smash a science project over Donald's head. However, he is an equal opportunity aggressor, and according to Troy, he has a grudge against the Greasers. According to Angie Ng, Russell told her he was getting good grades in Math. He also does not understand the concept of alcoholism, stating he saw Mr. Galloway drinking from a Flask under the bleachers.
- Davis White: (voiced by Geoffrey Wigdor) Davis takes great pride in bullying freshmen and brags that he made one student drop out from Bullworth, probably Duncan as he complains that him being bullied was the reason he dropped out. He blames his cousin for him becoming a bully, and some lines of his dialogue hint that he suffers from emotional problems. He is a good runner, as seen during the missions The Setup and Character Sheets. Davis' favourite weapon is a slingshot. Davis claims that he still thinks it's funny that he hit a kid with a pear. He also states in his dialogue that he has an unfinished plan involving bottle rockets and he needs one more rocket for it.
- Trent Northwick: (voiced by Jaime McAdams) Trent became a bully because, as he puts it, "it helps make men out of the new kids" and he even thinks of his bullying as "showing them the ropes". Trent is a yoyo enthusiast and an aspiring actor, with dialogue suggesting that he is part of Bullworth's drama club as well as a summer theater camp. He is also a member of the photography club and states that his favourite class is photography because he likes to take pictures of girls. A line of dialogue from a scrapped mission suggests that he enjoys reading manga.
- Wade Martin: (voiced by Matt Monroe) Wade's primary characteristic is that he's pent up with rage. In particular, he hates his home life in general and his father in particular, and he hates his lack of intelligence. His parents had a messy divorce some time in the past, and he appears to hold a severe grudge against his father for it. When he's losing his temper, sometimes remarks about his father slip out, and he has to cover it up by claiming he said something else.
- Ethan Robinson: Ethan is defined by his love of fighting and the martial arts. He has tried to get an extra curricular martial arts team started, and tried to get jujitsu added to the gym curriculum. He is also into kung fu, and claims to have kung fu based fighting styles such as The Crane, The Tiger, and The Frog. He also likes ninjas, and laments that people make fun of them and do not take them seriously. He appears to be into bullying for the fighting aspect rather than the tormenting of other students, although he is as sadistic as the other bullies.
- Troy Miller: (voiced by Evan Weinstein) Troy comes across as stupid, and seems to be easily confused. He is one of the most sadistic students on campus, and bullies because he finds it "incredibly amusing". One of his favourite derogatory remarks is "wimp". Troy enjoys watching mindless violence on television and is, according to Davis, very good at darts. He wants to join the army when he is older, and claims he takes steroids.
- Tom Gurney: (voiced by Connor Paolo) Despite being as much of a bully as the rest of the clique, Tom seems to be more mature than the others. Some of his dialogue indicates that does not enjoy being a bully as much as the rest of the Bullies and feels guilty about what he's done to others. It's also indicated that he cares about his friends quite a bit. He's paranoid and says that he cannot trust anyone, believing that everybody is out to get him and frequently claims that everyone picks on him, though he may be imagining it. He apparently steals panties for Mr. Burton, and hopes that he will get to keep a pair soon. Tom's hobby seems to be watching horror movies. A few of his comments indicate that he suffers from double vision, possibly a side-effect of whatever gave him his black eye. For some reason he really hates wearing shoes.
Nerds
- Earnest Jones: (voiced by Jesse Tendler) The leader of the Nerds cliques. Earnest wears the green astronomy club vest that the nerds wear. He wears half moon glasses like Donald, he also wears brown school slacks with brown ankle boots and brown leather watch on his left wrist. In the winter time he wears a green astronomy sweater and a short purple and white striped scarf. During Complete Mayhem, he wears a red headband and a military jacket over his outfit. Earnest is the leader of the Nerds and rules his clique with an iron fist. He is simultaneously intelligent and arrogant. He also has a dirty mind, with Jimmy catching him muttering fantasies to himself on one occasion. He's regularly in the possession of dirty magazines that, according to his dialogue, he sometimes lends out and has trouble getting back. His enjoyment of such materials tends to completely override his common sense.
- Algernon "Algie" Papadopoulos: (voiced by Brett Tabisel) Even by Nerd standards, Algie appears particularly nerdy and uncool. He is considered by fellow students and even the principal to be the least popular student in the entire school. He rarely uses his real name, although other students sometimes use it to make fun of him. He has a very weak bladder and is nicknamed "Pee Stain" because of it. He is also a mother's boy, always talking about things she's done for him and how he misses her. He claims she calls him "Prince Algie" and says that he's really special to her, and apparently spoils him terribly. His father is never mentioned which means he may be being raised by a single parent. Algie desperately wants to be more popular. He sometimes speaks in ebonics to try to make himself sound cool, saying things such as "Word up, coolio" when Jimmy greets him. His attempted insults are particularly weak, including such things as "loser head", "funny pants", "num-num" and "stinky-breath". Also, every time one of the "cool" students, such as Ted or Lola, pretends to be nice to him, he seems to fall for it. Like Beatrice, he wants to be a doctor stating that he has his "pre-pre-pre-pre med test next week". According to Earnest, Algie prefers blonde girls. He also has a strong dislike of food condiments, especially mayonnaise, which he dislikes to the point that he uses "mayo-stain" as an insult.
- Fatty Johnson: (voiced by Ryan Kotler) Fatty is notorious for his terrible personal hygiene. He has the worst body odor in the school, to the point that he is a manufacturer of stink bombs. He also has horrible eating habits, consuming large amounts of junkfood and frequently going around with food smeared over his face and stuck to his clothing, although according to rarely heard lines of dialogue, he is trying to improve his diet and exercise more. He has a nervous stomach and is worried about throwing up after he's been beaten up or if he's been made to laugh hard. He often speaks about taboo subjects, including flatulence, nose-picking and even personal zoophilia (stating he made out with a horse at fat camp). He can also be seen puking on the left wall of the stairwell during the Candidate. He claims that he can play the tuba. Little is known about his home life, but one of his lines of dialogue says his parents fight a lot. He suffers from self esteem issues, and both of these contribute to his eating. He is also a big fan of Grottos and Gremlins. He is seen playing it a few different times during the game, and frequently talks about it. He sees himself as a barbarian, and complains that the others always make him a dwarf. In one incident, he had an argument with Algie over whether he could use the Diplomacy skill to make the Elf Princess do something. He wears a G&G inspired wizard hat and tunic-like shirt for Halloween. Fatty is also a huge fan of a sci-fi TV show called Laser Vikings, of which he is the fan club president.
- Melvin O'Connor: (voiced by Charlie Saxon) Melvin was one of the seven original characters profiled in the Bullworth Facebook. On his profile he explained his enthusiasm to Roleplaying Games, and cited a wide array of interests - the theatre, chess and astronomy. He also mentioned that he was sent to Bullworth by his father to toughen him up, an idea he rejected as misguided. In the game, he retains his fanaticism for RPGs, claiming that they are the high point of human achievement. He admits that he spends so much time playing RPGs that he is beginning to lose touch with reality. He is the biggest fan of Grottos and Gremlins in the school, and often gets into trouble for playing it during class. He frequently speaks with an old English dialect, and regularly quotes from Lewis Carrol's poem The Jabberwocky.
- Cornelius Johnson: (voiced by Chaz Stevens) Cornelius is very academically oriented, even by Nerd standards, with Math being his favorite subject. He spends most of his time in the library reading, especially math textbooks, and wishes to be locked in an ivory tower filled with math books. He also has an interest in taxonomy. He has a 4.0 GPA. He complains about the abuse he gets from bullies, mentioning being pushed into a puddle by Russell and being given a wedgie by Ethan. One of the reasons he likes the library is that the Bullies do not go there. Outside of academia, Cornelius can be seen playing Grottos and Gremlins with the other Nerds. He also participates in the drama club, where he supposedly played an "amazing" Juliet in a school production of Romeo and Juliet. He is not athletically inclined at all, as Miss Danvers announces over the PA system that his physical aptitude test received the worst score in the history of the Academy.
- Bucky Pasteur: (voiced by Tim Wersan) Bucky has a loud nasal voice, and he occasionally uses odd inflection or outdated slang, such as pronouncing 'hello' as "Hel-LO" or calling people "pally". Despite being a nerd he struggles academically, notably in English, where he considered getting a C on his test to be good. Small talk among other students also suggest he's not particularly intelligent. He appears to at least be enthusiastic about science though, as Jimmy saw him gathering supplies for an experiment once. Bucky has a close relationship with his Grandmother, and speaks about her in some lines of his dialogue. He also has feelings for Beatrice, although it seems she has placed him in the friend zone. This can be seen in Beatrice's diary, where she writes that he did not like hearing about her infatuation with Jimmy. He has a pet rat named George who went missing around Halloween time.
- Donald Anderson: (voiced by Jimmy Walsh) Donald is something of a stereotypical rage-filled nerd. Although his temperament is outwardly mild, he keeps a meticulous list of people who he hates and plots to get revenge on them one day. He hopes to be something much better than he currently is, and plans to figure out a way to make girls like him, and to become the President. Donald is also arrogant about his level of intelligence. His favored insults are "moron" and "idiot". When trying to be confrontational he claims he's an "intellectual with muscles", although his fighting is the weakest of all the Nerds. He works as Dr. Watts lab assistant.
- Thad Carlson: (voiced by Kevin Cahoon) Thad is known around the school both for his lisp and for his fixation on yardsticks. Thad pronounces "s" as "th", and makes sounds that make it seem like he may spit when he talks (though strangely, in mission dialogue he never lisps). He can frequently be seen carrying a yardstick around, and likes to use it as a weapon when he fights. In an apparently infamous incident that occurred the year before Bully took place, Thad broke a yardstick over Peanut's head and got away with it without being beaten up. He is also confrontational and aggressive by nerd standards. In a few different missions during fights, rather than cower like most of the Nerds do, Thad joins in. Although most of the nerds hate the Bullies and Jocks, Thad's primary grudge is against the Greasers. Thad is also well known for his ability to make weapons, boasting to others about it and sometimes using threats regarding this. According to the bully Troy, Thad once made a grenade out of an eraser. It appears Thad has an interest in American history, this is shown in his dialogue when he quotes General Custer and the Tet offensive. Thad is the younger brother of the Jock Dan. Although they have different last names, their names were given on the Soundboard rather than in the game, and the Soundboard has several name-related errors on it.
- Beatrice Trudeau: (voiced by Caitlin Greer) Beatrice is verbally bullied constantly by some of the male and female students, in particular Mandy and Pinky. Mandy refuses to allow Beatrice onto the cheerleading team, and Beatrice retaliates by refusing to allow Mandy to get help with her class work from the study groups that the Nerds run. She considers Bucky a good friend. Troy remarks about a rumour that Beatrice is "a slut who pounds the Nerd boys". Beatrice spends almost every waking hour on pursuing her dream of being accepted into medical school. She wants to be either a neurologist or cardiovascular surgeon and also wishes to find the cure for cancer. She is able to recite the periodic table of the elements and displays a great deal of pride in this, sometimes reciting it to herself as she walks, and complaining that she's never been given a reward for being able to do it. She advocates for the removal of all non-academic classes from the school curriculum.
Development
Early information released by Take-Two Interactive seemed to indicate that the player would be taking the role of a bully, and screenshots printed in Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
showed the player-controlled antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
administering a "swirlie" and throwing a punch at another student. However, the tone of the final game was different, with the player in the role of a problem student who stood up to and fought back against bullies, in effect, bullying on behalf of the victims, or in self-defense.
The PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version of the game uses an advanced Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
engine through Renderware
RenderWare
RenderWare is a computer and video game middleware from British games developer Criterion Software.-Overview:RenderWare is a 3D API and graphics rendering engine used in video games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers...
. Rockstar Vancouver also decided to make every student in the school have a unique appearance and, within programming limitations, personality.
Reception
Bully has received generally positive reviews from critics. The game received ratings of 8.9/10 from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, 9.0/10 from Games Radar, a perfect 10/10 from 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
, 8.7/10 from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, 5/5 from JIVE Magazine, 8.75/10 from VGRC.net, a 5/5 from X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
, and made the Top 10 Games of '06 in PlayStation Magazine. Canis Canem Edit also got 9/10 from OPS2 Magazine. Critics generally praised the game's storyline, while they complained about particular stealth missions, as well as the camera.
As of 12 March 2008, the PlayStation 2 version of Bully has sold 1.5 million copies according to Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
. Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
s Daniel Wilks commends the game for its "clever script, some novel missions [and] well constructed characters". However, he criticises it for "time dilation, dodgy camera [and] generic mini-games".
Awards
- Won IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's award for Best PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
Action Game. - Won GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's award for Best Original Music. - Finalist for GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Game of the Year 2006 - Gaming TargetGaming TargetGaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
- 52 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2006 selection
In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
Quintessence Editions Ltd.
Quintessence Editions Ltd. is a publishing company based in London which is the originator of the "1001 Before You Die" series. Typically, the titles in this series are intended as reference books. They are illustrated books authored by multiple contributors...
.
Controversy
Bully has caused controversy among parents and educators. Criticisms are due to the adult nature of previous Rockstar games, in particular, the Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
Hot Coffee minigame controversy and certain aspects of the game including its title. Groups such as Bullying Online
Bullying Online
Bullying UK, formerly Bullying Online, is a UK charity founded in 1999 by journalist Liz Carnell and her son John. The charity's website was redesigned and relaunched in 2006 with a large amount of new information to help pupils, parents and schools deal with bullying.-Website:Pupils can find help...
and Peaceaholics have criticized the game for glorifying or trivializing school bullying. Most of these criticisms were voiced before the content of the game was available to the public. In 2006, the United States-based Entertainment Software Rating Board
Entertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...
officially gave Bully a rating of "T" (suitable for ages 13 and up), the BBFC gave Canis Canem Edit a 15 rating and the New Zealand OFLC
Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)
The Office of Film and Literature Classification is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand...
restricted it to persons 13 years of age and over. In 2007, Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download...
listed it as one of the top ten controversial games of all time. The OFLC of Australia gave Bully an M rating (recommended for mature audiences) for moderate themes, violence and sexual references.
Sexuality
Sexuality is a present theme throughout Bully. Jimmy can kiss girls or boys in the game. The ESRB stated that they were fully aware of the homosexual content when they gave it a T rating.United States
Prior to both the ESRB's rating and the release of Bully, Jack Thompson filed a lawsuit attempting to have the game blocked from store shelves in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Thompson declared the game a "nuisance
Nuisance
Nuisance is a common law tort. It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. A nuisance can be either public or private. A public nuisance was defined by English scholar Sir J. F...
" and "Columbine
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
simulator". He also argued this point on Attack of the Show!
Attack of the Show!
Attack of the Show! is an American live television program shown weeknights on G4, G4 Canada and Fuel TV in Australia. The program is hosted by Kevin Pereira and Candace Bailey...
with Kevin Pereira
Kevin Pereira
Kevin Pereira is co-host of G4's Attack of the Show! .-Biography:While in high school, Pereira hosted Pointless Audio under the pseudonym Captain Immy...
on the opposite end on the show's segment "The Loop." Thompson's petition, filed with the 11th Judicial Circuit Court, asked for Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and Take-Two
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
to furnish him with an advance copy of Bully so he could have "an independent third party" play the game and determine if it would constitute a public nuisance in the state of Florida, in which case it could be banned. On 11 October 2006, Judge Ronald Friedman ordered Take-Two and Rockstar to provide the court with a copy of the game within 24 hours. On 13 October 2006, Friedman subsequently ruled in favor of shipping the game, noting that there was no content in the game that was not already on late night television. Thompson responded to the ruling with fiery speech directed at the judge, which began the road to disbarment for Thompson.
When given a preview build, the mainstream American media took a generally positive view of the game. Press coverage has described the game as free-form, focusing on building a social network and learning new skills from classes, with strictly enforced punishments for serious misbehaviour.
United Kingdom
Whilst British Labour MP Keith VazKeith Vaz
Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz, was born 26 November 1956 in Aden, Yemen.Keith Vaz is a British Labour Party politician and a Member of Parliament for Leicester East, He is the longest serving Asian MP and has been the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July...
argued that Bully be banned or reclassified as rated 18 in the UK before its publication and before the content had been finalized, the game was released rated 15. Currys
Currys
Currys is an electrical retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is owned by Dixons Retail plc. It specialises in selling home electronics and household appliances, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores...
and PC World
PC World (retailer)
PC World is OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT one of the WHER MA MEMORY STICK ?!?!??! United Kingdom's largest chains of mass-market computer superstores. It is part of Dixons Retail plc. PC World operates under the brand name PC City in Spain, Italy and Sweden....
, both owned by DSG International
DSG International (retailer)
Dixons Retail plc is a British company and one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in Europe. The company operates Dixons.co.uk as well as Dixons Travel, Currys, Currys.digital, PC World and Electro World stores along with many other brands across Europe including: Pixmania, Equanet and...
, said that they did not wish to sell the game in the UK because it is "not appropriate for Currys' family-friendly image". The official statement lists what Currys believes is "the explicit link between violence and children" as the reason behind the ban, and continues: "We haven't taken this decision lightly, particularly considering the excellent relationship we have with Rockstar." However despite this decision other high street retailers including Game
GAME (retailer)
The Game Group plc is a British video games retail company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index....
, HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
and Virgin Megastores announced intentions to stock the game. DSG stores still stock other Rockstar games including the GTA
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
series, and other violent games like Manhunt
Manhunt (video game)
Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player...
, which both have BBFC 18 ratings, whereas Bully has a BBFC 15 rating.
Brazil
Bully was banned in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. In April 2008, Brazilian justice prohibited the commerce, import and availability of the game in Brazilian houses. The decision was taken by judge Flávio Mendes Rabelo from the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
based on psychological findings by the state psychology society which claims that the game would be potentially harmful to teenagers and adults. Anyone caught selling or even owning the game would face a daily fine of R$1,000.00. Such a decision, which is not a conclusive one, generated many controversies though, as in Brazil, such a decision could be qualified as censorship, which is prohibited by the Constitution of 1988.
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Bully: Scholarship Edition was released for the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on 3 March 2008. The game features exclusive content which is unavailable in the PlayStation 2 version, including 8 new missions, 4 new characters, 4 new school classes (Biology, Music, Math and Geography) and new unlockable items and clothing. Some small script changes have been made. The random NPCs also have more lines. In addition, single system 2-player competitive multiplayer minigames have also been added, along with Achievements for the Xbox 360 version and Wii Remote and Nunchuk
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
motion and pointer controls for the Wii version. All ports of the Scholarship Edition use the game engine Gamebryo
Gamebryo
Gamebryo is a game engine, originally from Numerical Design Limited , and the successor to NDL's NetImmerse engine.Since the creation of Gamebryo, NDL merged into Emergent Game Technologies...
, rather than Renderware
RenderWare
RenderWare is a computer and video game middleware from British games developer Criterion Software.-Overview:RenderWare is a 3D API and graphics rendering engine used in video games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers...
which was used for the PS2 version.
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver is a video game studio located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Rockstar Vancouver released Bully, a controversial title exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006...
first announced the game on 19 July 2007. On 6 August 2007, RockstarWatch.net reported on the release of the Australian Bully: Scholarship Edition box art which included artwork of the protagonist, Jimmy Hopkins, and the school principal, Dr. Crabblesnitch. On 3 February 2008, Rockstar announced the game's upcoming release on 4 March 2008 and posted the Scholarship Edition launch trailer at the Bully homepage.
Bully: Scholarship Edition was released in the PAL region under the original Bully title, and not Canis Canem Edit (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for Dog Eat Dog), as the original game was renamed. The Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version to be released in Japan will also exclude Scholarship Edition from its title. Some retail outlets in Australia have since received recall notices for the game on both Wii and Xbox 360. No reason for the recall has been given, but stores have been asked to remove stock from shelves and return it to the distributor.
Windows version
The Microsoft Windows port was developed by Rockstar New England, the same developers that ported the game to the 360. The port includes the original soundtrack (created by Shawn LeeShawn Lee (musician)
Shawn Lee is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist from Wichita, Kansas but now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new band project with AM with the first album coming out July 12, 2011.-Career:...
) for Bully which was released on CD in 2006. The port was released on 21 October 2008 in the US and 24 October 2008 in the UK. On 28 April 2009, a patch was released to address issues with the game not running properly on PCs with more than 2 GB of memory.
Reception
Both the Wii and Xbox 360 versions of the game generally received both positive and mixed reviews with IGN giving the Wii version an 8/10, while the Xbox 360 version received 8.7/10. 1UP.com1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
gave the Wii version an A- grade and the Xbox 360 version a B- grade. Gameplasma gave the Wii version a 9/10. The PC version, however, received mixed reviews ranging from a "Good" rating of 7.8 from IGN to a C- from 1UP.com who called it "[a] shoddy, untimely port that, inexplicably -- considering its ridiculously long port time -- feels like a rush job." GameSpot later rated it with a "fair" rating of 6.0, calling it "[a] lazy porting job [which] hinders Bully's classic classroom hijinks".
The Xbox 360 version of Bully: Scholarship Edition was found to be unstable on some players' consoles, resulting in glitches, crashes and performance issues. Rockstar promised to have a patch addressing these issues by the week of March 10, 2008, however the patch was delayed due to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Certification. On March 20, a patch was released via Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
(v1.03), but there are reports which claim the problems have continued or worsened after patching. The problems included audio issues, animation issues, and inability to complete Music classes due to differences between the Wii and Xbox 360 controllers. The most prevalent and common problem with the game is the unexplained freezing of the console, but not music being played on a connected MP3 player or hard drive. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, a game review website which bases its reviews on the initial public release, took the glitches into account and marked the 360 version of the Scholarship Edition down to a 7/10, a full point lower than the Wii version, which received an 8. The UK magazine NGamer
NGamer
NGamer is a British magazine which mainly covers Nintendo video game consoles and software, and also to a much lesser extent, Sony and Microsoft consoles. The first issue was released on 13 July 2006...
gave the game 90%.
The PC version of Bully: Scholarship Edition was criticized by many, being found by end users to contain problems including textures which were either disappearing or were slow to load, memory leaks, and an endless loop after the initial cut scene in which player speaks with the headmaster when the player had more than 2 GB of memory. However, these issues were addressed in a later patch.
Sequel
In November 2009, The Gaming Liberty interviewed musician Shawn LeeShawn Lee (musician)
Shawn Lee is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist from Wichita, Kansas but now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new band project with AM with the first album coming out July 12, 2011.-Career:...
, who scored Bully, and was asked if he was scoring any more games in the near future; he responded, "Yes. It looks like I will be doing the soundtrack for Bully 2 in the not so distant future...".
In November 2011, in an interview with Gamasutra, Rockstar executive Dan Houser revealed it may return to it for a sequel once Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3 is an upcoming third-person shooter video game in the Max Payne franchise published by Rockstar Games for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Development is led by Rockstar Vancouver in collaboration with the New England, London and Toronto studios...
is released. "Contrary to a lot of people, we like to take a little bit of time at the end of a game before starting a sequel, so we can wait for the excitement or disappointment and everything else of the experience to shake down and really see what we should do in the next game," he said. "So we knew that we didn't want to start doing the Bully sequel instantly at that second with those guys
Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Vancouver is a video game studio located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Rockstar Vancouver released Bully, a controversial title exclusively for the PlayStation 2 on October 17, 2006...
-- even though it is a property that, like Max
Max Payne (series)
Max Payne is a video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment and recently, Rockstar Vancouver. The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York City police officer...
, we adore and might come back to in the future. There was just no impetus to do that then. So we said, 'You can do Max, and then we will see what we can do with Bully."