Unreleased game? Let's protest!

[oldskool]

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/bully/news_6130289.html

Bully draws protesters to Rockstar's front doors

Washington, D.C.-based group marches on developer's Manhattan headquarters to protest marketing of violent games to children.

Although the Hot Coffee isn't quite as piping hot as it has been of late, the fallout over the hidden sex mini-games in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is still simmering. Always a lightning rod for controversy, Rockstar might be growing weary of all the free publicity it has been getting, as games it hasn't even released yet are now becoming the target of public outcries.

Yesterday, members of the Washington, D.C.-based youth group Peaceoholics protested outside Rockstar Games' New York offices, carrying signs that read "Put the cuffs on Rockstar, not youth" and "Prosecute Rockstar Games; they are felons" and chanting "Hey hey, ho ho, Rockstar Games has got to go."

Though the Peaceoholics have accused Rockstar of marketing violent games for children in the past, Tuesday's event was specifically directed at convincing the developer to shelve the upcoming Bully, which Rockstar describes as a game where players take the role of a "troublesome schoolboy" who "stands up to bullies, gets picked on by teachers, plays pranks on malicious kids, wins or loses the girl, and ultimately learns to navigate the obstacles of the fictitious reform school."

Although the game is not yet rated (an M for Mature tag seems a certainty) and Rockstar has revealed next to nothing about the actual gameplay, Bully has already made some waves. Given the developer's history with controversial titles and the lasting taboo of violence in a school setting ever since the Columbine High School shootings, it's a safe bet this won't be the last bit of protest directed Rockstar's way over its latest offering.

Attempts to reach Rockstar Games and Peaceoholics for comment Wednesday afternoon were not successful.

[zero]

This is so ridiculously frustrating. I cannot stand people.

CONTROL WHAT YOUR FUCKING KIDS PLAY YOU STUPID COCKSUCKING FUCKS!

[LL!]

I wish there was something I can do about this, but then they'd blame video games and I'll be contributing to the problem.

[Toe]

What Zero said. It's just like the episode of South Park where all the parents protest the show "Terrance & Phillip" saying they are doing it for the kids, yet when Stan calls and is screaming because Death is after them, there parents ignore him.

Parents are too lazy. They should be seeing and watching what there kid is doing, and telling them not to if they deem it inappropriate instead of trying to make it so NOBODY can play the game or watch the show in question. Blaming a video game for making your kid hurt a fellow classmate is like saying that your kid is fat because chocolate is available over the counter. The parents should be watching there kids and what they do. If my kid (if I had one) came home, I would know if he brought a game home. I would question him about it, watch him play it. If I thought it would be a bad influence, then I would tell him to take it back. Actually, a lot of kids I have seen have parents who tell them "No, you can't play that.", and the child listens to them and actually follows there instructions, even when they have $50 in there hand and are in EB.

[LL!]

What Zero said. It's just like the episode of South Park where all the parents protest the show "Terrance & Phillip" saying they are doing it for the kids, yet when Stan calls and is screaming because Death is after them, there parents ignore him.

Parents are too lazy. They should be seeing and watching what there kid is doing, and telling them not to if they deem it inappropriate instead of trying to make it so NOBODY can play the game or watch the show in question. Blaming a video game for making your kid hurt a fellow classmate is like saying that your kid is fat because chocolate is available over the counter. The parents should be watching there kids and what they do. If my kid (if I had one) came home, I would know if he brought a game home. I would question him about it, watch him play it. If I thought it would be a bad influence, then I would tell him to take it back. Actually, a lot of kids I have seen have parents who tell them "No, you can't play that.", and the child listens to them and actually follows there instructions, even when they have $50 in there hand and are in EB.

←

It's not even that. The parents aren't lazy, they're just ignorant. A kid can't go buy a violent video game, the parent must get it for them. They can't just come home with a game like you say and then you deem it wrong because that game would never have ended up in his hands.

Parents just need to be responsible, read the rating on the game, and then when they're old enough to start playing more violent games just talk to them about it first.

I mean, I never needed anyone to talk to me about video games because sometimes it's just common sense. It's common sense that going out and killing someone is wrong, so don't do it.

Ugh, this thing just has my head spinning.

[Toe]

What Zero said. It's just like the episode of South Park where all the parents protest the show "Terrance & Phillip" saying they are doing it for the kids, yet when Stan calls and is screaming because Death is after them, there parents ignore him.

Parents are too lazy. They should be seeing and watching what there kid is doing, and telling them not to if they deem it inappropriate instead of trying to make it so NOBODY can play the game or watch the show in question. Blaming a video game for making your kid hurt a fellow classmate is like saying that your kid is fat because chocolate is available over the counter. The parents should be watching there kids and what they do. If my kid (if I had one) came home, I would know if he brought a game home. I would question him about it, watch him play it. If I thought it would be a bad influence, then I would tell him to take it back. Actually, a lot of kids I have seen have parents who tell them "No, you can't play that.", and the child listens to them and actually follows there instructions, even when they have $50 in there hand and are in EB.

←

It's not even that. The parents aren't lazy, they're just ignorant. A kid can't go buy a violent video game, the parent must get it for them. They can't just come home with a game like you say and then you deem it wrong because that game would never have ended up in his hands.

Parents just need to be responsible, read the rating on the game, and then when they're old enough to start playing more violent games just talk to them about it first.

I mean, I never needed anyone to talk to me about video games because sometimes it's just common sense. It's common sense that going out and killing someone is wrong, so don't do it.

Ugh, this thing just has my head spinning.

←

[oldskool]

What Zero said. It's just like the episode of South Park where all the parents protest the show "Terrance & Phillip" saying they are doing it for the kids, yet when Stan calls and is screaming because Death is after them, there parents ignore him.

Parents are too lazy. They should be seeing and watching what there kid is doing, and telling them not to if they deem it inappropriate instead of trying to make it so NOBODY can play the game or watch the show in question. Blaming a video game for making your kid hurt a fellow classmate is like saying that your kid is fat because chocolate is available over the counter. The parents should be watching there kids and what they do. If my kid (if I had one) came home, I would know if he brought a game home. I would question him about it, watch him play it. If I thought it would be a bad influence, then I would tell him to take it back. Actually, a lot of kids I have seen have parents who tell them "No, you can't play that.", and the child listens to them and actually follows there instructions, even when they have $50 in there hand and are in EB.

←

It's not even that. The parents aren't lazy, they're just ignorant. A kid can't go buy a violent video game, the parent must get it for them. They can't just come home with a game like you say and then you deem it wrong because that game would never have ended up in his hands.

Parents just need to be responsible, read the rating on the game, and then when they're old enough to start playing more violent games just talk to them about it first.

I mean, I never needed anyone to talk to me about video games because sometimes it's just common sense. It's common sense that going out and killing someone is wrong, so don't do it.

Ugh, this thing just has my head spinning.

←

[MalaCloudy Black]

I hate the state of our country.

[Clawson]

This always reminds me of the time when I was playing SOCOM online and some lady came on bitching about how her 10 year old son shouldn't be hearing swear words. Trust me when I say I've never heard somebody been chewed out more so in my life. Poor women must have been shell-shocked.

[Toe]

This always reminds me of the time when I was playing SOCOM online and some lady came on bitching about how her 10 year old son shouldn't be hearing swear words. Trust me when I say I've never heard somebody been chewed out more so in my life. Poor women must have been shell-shocked.

←

[therockbox]

Some women at work came in when GTA: SA had just come out, demanding a refund because it was "unsuitable for her 12 year old son to be playing." I'd sold the game to her a couple of days before, and warned her that it was an 18 and wouldn't be suitable for anyone under that age. She said my attitude was terrible, took my name and claimed she'd be taking legal action. Still haven't heard anything though.

[Dan]

So I was playing San Andreas, so then I thought..Fuck it.

I went out, stole an ambulance and killed a few hundred people.

[gunnar hendershow]

I forget which Republican senator said on The Daily Show, "We have far too much violence and sex in video games that we have to protect our kids from. We shouldn't have to do that."

Or something along that tone of voice.

[A-Dub]

Someone needs to go march on their headquarters, we could carry signs that say "I was influenced by the Peaceoholics." And make bad chants like "I don't know, but I've been told, M rated games means 17 years old!" Or maybe we could find something that rhymes, or works with syllables...

[oldskool]

"Make video games, not peace" signs?

[gunnar hendershow]

"GTA prevented me from killing real people" would make a stellar sign.

Someone needs to get a rally together to march on D.C. actually to support video game rights. Yeah, think of what all those radical anti-game nuts will do then.

[zero]

"GTA prevented me from killing real people" would make a stellar sign.

Someone needs to get a rally together to march on D.C. actually to support video game rights.  Yeah, think of what all those radical anti-game nuts will do then.

←

That's the problem though, people who realize that these protesters are nuts actually have better things to do. These idiots have nothing to do with their time, so they bitch and moan about trivial things like TV, movies, and video games. They're not satisfied with raising their own kids, so they have to tell everyone else how to raise their's. And these people will never stop, they will always have some bug firmly lodged in their rectal cavity. They got their fucking V-Chip, they still bitch about TV. We got our parental advisory explicity lyrics sticker, still bitch about music. And we got the ESRB, they still bitch about video games. They won't stop bitching until the entire country is devoid of fun and everything is safe for the children.

[Cactus Drags]

Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Rockstar Games has got to go?

You REALLY expect to get anywhere with chants like that? Christ.

I'm sick of this discussion everytime a remotely violent game comes out. It is the responsibility of the publishers to create AWARENESS of the content of the game. It is not their responsibility to ensure that such content ends up in the wrong hands. Fucking lazy, ignorant dipshit parents.

[Tarheels.]

parents are ignorant..thats a simple fact. They go out and buy these 13 or 14 year old kids..hell maybe even younger a game like GTA..after seeing that it has a M rating then blame the creators. These ignorant fucks should take the blame..they bought the game, when you buy a game for your child you should look at the esrb rating. Zero put it the best..there are warnings out about language, violence, and that v chip but these parents are so damn ignorant that they refuse to pay attention to them and blame the makers of it.

When GTA:VC came out I was playing it and my 9 year old neighbor came over. His mom heard about the game and demanded that I stopped playing it because it was giving him a bad influence. I simply told her that she should worry about what her son is doing..not trying to stop me from enjoying my game. If kids are seriously so crazy that they would go and kill someone because they saw it on a game or tv they need to be in an asylum anyways.

[LL!]

For Pete's sake, like I told Zero last night, CARS (yes the transportation machine) are more of a resource to voilence than any video game or movie will ever be. Have you seen people on REALLY bad road rage? Let's just put out a ban on cars.

By the way, this shirt owns. http://www.zestuff.com/product.php?productid=59&cat=4&page=1