I happen to be a big fan of Rockstar games. I also happen to watch a lot of CBC. I find it refreshing to look outside in on my own country. Often times I feel the US forgets there are countries besides Mexico, Canada, and Iraq. But that is a different matter. In this editorial Canadian teachers cried out for the boycott of Bully.
Teachers of K-12ish said that Bully promoted violence and bullying in schools. That parents should not only boycott the game but that everyone should. After the journalist presented the facts of Rockstars consistent fight with the morally upstanding (due to the stick that is in place there) and that Bully came out to a great deal of scrutiny she allowed one of the heads of the GDC to debate Kathy someoneorother who was leading the charge on this matter.
The debate was won the same way most debates of the video game types are. They need only ask the question “Have you played the game?”. Once that happens all credibility is lost, the jaw goes slack, and the opponent reaches for any weapon they can find, for inevitably the answer is almost always no (In this case the woman said she had watched the trailer).
What the teacher never knew was that in Bully you must attend class, do work, and be a good boy if you want to succeed at all. Fighting in the hall ways, breaking toilets with well placed fire crackers, sneaking skateboards in, is all part of the game yes but at great cost to you. Detention and so forth detract from your score. The main character rises against the bullies and defends the weak like any good hero should. Once again the MSRB was called in to scrutinize this game and they gave it a rousing T for Teen as every parent… well as ever parent has no idea what that means and just gets whatever the kid asks for. Clearly once again Rockstar has outsmarted them all once again.
Often I think parents and hellbent, lazy, right wing activists fail to realize that video games are art. Like any movie, TV show, comic book, or even a school required reading assignment, they have a right to exist based on that very fact. Unless the game in an instructional tutorial on how to kill someone with basic household items (see Manhunt) what the kid gets out of it is only what he/she might question and discern from it. You know, from the stuff THEY are supposed to be teaching them since they pound them out in the first place. More than anything I feel kids should be told to question every last thing in the world that comes at them. At least ninety percent will include their daily value of bullshit. This includes video games as well as their teachers. It is the very least we can do to arm them in defence against life.
Alex-
My Chi can beat up your honor roll student.
