Posted on 10/13/2006 10:47:33 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
The developers of controversial videogame Bully have defended the title in the wake of a threatened injunction in Florida, in the US.
Lawyer Jack Thompson is attempting to stop the game going on sale, arguing it would cause a public nuisance.
The judge in the case has agreed to take a look at the title and play it before reaching a decision.
A spokesman for developers Rockstar said the game had a teen-only rating in the US and a 15 rating in the UK.
Mr Thompson filed his legal action last month, claiming that the game would violate Florida's public-nuisance laws.
They are typically used to prosecute environmental pollution.
The legal action is against the US publisher Take 2, as well as retail giants Wal-Mart and GameStop.
"I'm pretty sure that the game is harmful to minors," Mr Thompson told the Washington Post newspaper.
The BBC News website has been shown an unfinished copy of the game. In it, the main character has to defend himself from school bullies as well as form alliances with different cliques in the school.
Tackling the bullies and stopping them from picking on other children is a key feature of the game.
'Hitting girls'
"Hitting girls, little kids, teachers and prefects lands you in serious trouble - you're busted straight away," said the spokesman.
Fighting forms a large part of the title but the developers said it was displayed like a "cartoon or Popeye fight".
He said: "There's no blood at all in the game. There's no physical damage.
"Nobody dies in the game. There are no guns."
But the main character can use dustbin lids and baseball bats to hit other children in the school.
He said: "Anyone over 15 knows that hitting someone with a baseball bat is going to cause serious head injury and would not copy it just because they saw it in a video game.
"I'm pretty sure no parent will be giving this to their five-year-olds."
Dog Eat Dog
In the UK, Bully has changed its name to Canis Canem Edit (Dog Eat Dog) and is due for release on the PlayStation 2 on 27 October.
The Rockstar spokesman said the game was "entertainment" and was "out of reach of people who are unable to draw a distinction between what's real and what's fantasy".
He added: "Video faced the same backlash in the 80s, music did in the 50s when Elvis shaked his hips. Now we think of it as laughable.
"I am fairly confident that this vilification of videogames will be looked at in the same way in 20 years when the policy makers have grown up with video games as much as 30 year olds."
I sure hope the judge doesn't issue an injunction. I don't care how bad of an influence the game would be on kids, that's an outrageous violation of freedom of expression.
If you don't want your kids to play it, don't buy it for them.
I'm in no way tolerant of banning things like this, but I wonder what the implications are of banning games like this under the guise of "pornography".
Strictly speaking, violent movies (and games) fit the definition as much as sexually related materials might.
ah, Jack Thompson at it again ...
In a totally unrelated news item, Jack Thompson has formed The Committee to Elect Jack Thompson and is planning a run for the governor's mansion.
To compare the cultural cesspool of today with anything that happened prior to 1965 is a bit of a stretch. That said, I'm against government censorship of anything, especially when enacted in a judicial manner.
"I'm pretty sure that the game is harmful to minors," Mr Thompson told the Washington Post newspaper.
That's all we defenseless citizens need to know. Those in power know what's best for us.
Can you play the bully?
After being a good guy all day, its fun to be "bad" in a computer game...
Here's the "plot", such as it is, from the Rockstar game site:
The story follows Jimmy Hopkins, a teenager who’s been expelled from every school he’s ever attended. Left to fend for himself after his mother abandons him at Bullworth to go on her fifth honeymoon, Jimmy has a whole year at Bullworth ahead of him, working his way up the social ladder of this demented institution of supposed learning, standing up for what he thinks is right and taking on the liars, cheats and snobs who are the most popular members of the student body and faculty. If Jimmy can survive the school year and outsmart his rivals, he could rule the school.
Apparently it's supposed to be kind of a rough house comedy. The device of the fictional Bullworth school features a fist, sname, rat and cracked skull.
My bet is that Take 2, the game developer, hired Jack Thompson to protest their game and sue them to generate a ton of free publicity. They're hoping for Grand Theft Auto type of bucks. For those who haven't been around FR a very long time, Jack Thompson used to be a frequent poster here until he started threatening to sue anyone who disagreed with him.
Latest news, the judge refused the order after viewing the game. Thompson, who the other day was praising justice being done, is now of course claiming he was denied due process.
The guy needs to be removed from the bar for abuse of the legal system.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.