Bully still in development

By Tom Bramwell Published 2 August, 2006

Out later this year.

Rockstar Games has confirmed that Bully - subject of much controversy - is still set for release in 2006.

"Bully's very much still in development and slated for release later this year," a Rockstar spokesperson told us.

Although very little has been seen of the Rockstar Vancouver game, it's still managed to follow GTA into the pages of the tabloids thanks to widespread criticism from hair-triggered politicians and publicity-hungry lawyers.

This despite a relatively light-hearted premise - a troublesome schoolboy standing up to bullies by pulling pranks.

Rockstar has remained fairly quiet about it, but development has continued undeterred. "We hope to be showing it to people soon," a spokesperson told us.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • morriss #1 6 years ago

    Format?

  • reality_cheque #2 6 years ago

    Half of me doesn't even think this exists, it's just a publicity stunt.

  • OnlyMe #3 6 years ago

    Like GTA3 before it, it could become the next big shockwave to the gaming market. You know, GTA3 came out of nowhere and completely changed the games forever. This could come out of nowhere too. Wonder why they're keeping so quiet. Most likely because they don't want the media attention until the game has already been released. Maybe they've learned that all publicity isn't good publicity.

  • RobertFoster #4 6 years ago

    "publicity-hungry lawyers"

    Who's that then?

  • Laserbream #5 6 years ago

    Haha, I can't blame them for keeping it hush-hush.

    The Maily Dail crowd are back to worrying about asylum seekers and house prices, but Bully could provide them with new material to get hysterical about, bless 'em.

  • rudedudejude #6 6 years ago

    Good to hear they havn't bowed down to the moaners.

    Damn tabloids and their crap.

  • El_MUERkO #7 6 years ago

    as long as theres a some sort of hot coffee mod that allows you to take a chain saw to school or impregnate shaz during p.e. it'll be great

  • Golgo #8 6 years ago

    Why aren't the tabloids crowing about 'The Ant Bully'? Cruelty to ants and all that, driving some of the more vulnerable ones to self-harm, suicide and even to Columine style ant classroom massacres.

  • smelly #9 6 years ago


    morris : Format?
    disc : PS2



    Me : Ah, so it'll be rubbish then? :-)

  • VinculumGate #10 6 years ago

    why wouldn't it still be in development?

  • Grim... #11 6 years ago

    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN ONE!

    What?
    Oh. Damnit.

  • Rambaldi #12 6 years ago

    PROMOTE THIS SICK FILTH!!

  • mono_eric3 #13 6 years ago

    And the award for making me spit half my cheese sandwich all over my desk goes to:

    El_MUERkO!

    I may have to spend the rest of my lunch picking cheese out of my keyboard, but at least I'll be laughing.

    : D

  • spongebob #14 6 years ago

    Why don't make it more like Breakfast Club? EAT MY SHORTS!

  • Eldritch #15 6 years ago

    ""We hope to be showing it to people soon," a spokesperson told us."

    'It' being the game, hopefully.

  • jack_klugman #16 6 years ago

    Why would anyone buy this?

  • dadrester #17 6 years ago

    because it's not fifa?

  • cyber_nicco #18 6 years ago

    @disc

    no fuckin patience today

    PS2 and Xbox. Don't piss me off.

  • cyber_nicco #19 6 years ago

    If i'm not mistaken, you play as the goddamn bully - not the way EG describes it.

  • Machetazo #20 6 years ago

    Nice one Rockstar for standing steadfast, and believing in the game, and also to EG for reporting the brilliant news! I can't wait till they show this. :D

    cyber_nicco...erm, here's IGN's preview from last E3. [link url=htt p://uk.xbox.ign.com/articles/616/616947p1.html
    ]http://uk .xbox.ign.com/articles/616/6169...[/link]

    "The game is an exaggerated and humorous look at life in a private school that Rockstar stresses is completely different than anything else it has done. "We are really excited about the first title to be developed by our Rockstar Vancouver studio," said Sam Houser, President of Rockstar Games.

    Mixing drama and comedy into a single story, Bully follows a schoolboy named Jimmy Hopkins and his adventures in the fictitional "Bullworth Academy." Corrupt from the inside out, the school is overflowing with crooked higher-ups, wicked schoolmates, and a whole mess of bothersome bullies. Throughout this escapade, Jimmy will have to stand up to cruel classmates, pursue a love interest, put up with teachers that pick on him, and play pranks on a mess of annoying little buggers from all over the campus."

    They say it's coming to PS2 and Xbox.
    EG were right. There's real reason in starting to question the motives of the more outspoken detractors. There's only so much of that you can dismiss, even if you see the above as merely a PR message. That was an exclusive first details article for IGN, and all they are saying is: Here's a game you might like to play, here are a few details to encourage you to give it a look...

    But all the negative mainstream coverage (and those comments of people with an obvious agenda) surely can't be based solely on "facts" gleaned from three images, can they?
    The most "extreme" of which could, in said extreme circumstance take place in school canteens anywhere - and certainly wouldn't go unpunished if it did.

    I think the real people who need their intent investigated (and possibly more besides) are the blow hards (NOT referring to people simply giving their opinion on forums, and encouraging discussion. Such debates are absolutely welcome and very healthy on whether or not certain themes are appropriate for games, and issues relating to the same, and those "contingencies" for and against can only form an opinion based on the info at hand) that called "foul" and began shameless publicity hunting based on less-than-fully-informed speculation, at best.

    Perhaps there's a case for Rockstar's past reputation having preceded it. But then again, no debate has any sort of solid base when it's structured around preconceptions and misgivings based on such a neglible amount of info that's been made available. I doubt these same people were nearly as critical, or less than enthusiastic to see Rockstar presents Table Tennis be released. But, didn't that also come from the "bad" company...

    I wish the game every success on its release and hope that it will deliver a fresh and interesting gameplay experience, from its unique and promising perspective. I think that people would be better off waiting till Bully's delivered its message, before seeking to so readily criticise it.

  • cyber_nicco #21 6 years ago

    You will be the bully. Trust me. (I'm not saying it's bad)

  • Isonic #22 6 years ago

    I think that this is soo rediculous.This game doesent relli have anything to do with bullying.Theres only a couple of missions where you stand up to some bullys.But the game is mainly on acting the fool in school and trying to get that girl.Bully is just a clever name for the game.But maybe rockstar should have thought twice about it.They should jst change the name to bullworth accademy.That should shut the overobssesed parents up!

  • VinculumGate #23 6 years ago

    no, they shouldn't have to think twice about it. that's just wrong. RIDICULOUS

  • Machetazo #24 6 years ago

    Bully's a PS2 exclusive now, after R* dropped the Xbox version, say <a href="http://news.spong .com/article/10498">Spong, following a phonecall to Rockstar's UK offices.