BBFC defends Canis rating

By Tom Bramwell Published 7 December, 2006

Says violence was balanced.

A senior examiner for the British Board of Film Classification has defended the organisation's decision to award Canis Canem Edit a 15 certificate.

"You can understand the concerns of a subject that hits the headlines fairly frequently in this country. Often the truth is far less dramatic than the myth that's put around it," Gianni Zamo told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz in an interview due to be published next week.

Canis Canem Edit is the PS2 game better known to most people by its US title Bully. It's been subjected to a lot of criticism by anti-bullying campaigners in the UK, with MP Keith Vaz also hopping on the bandwagon recently.

But Zamo reckons that developer/publisher Rockstar took a relatively considered approach - something largely reflected by very positive reviews.

"It's not just a free-for-all, go out and kick the living daylights out of everybody [game]," Zamo pointed out. "There are penalties for engaging in anti-social behaviour, so I think Rockstar have been careful to balance it out in that respect."

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 (25) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • President_Weasel #1 5 years ago

    Keith Vaz is a rabble-rousing idiot and I sincerely hope he is voted out of office in the next election.
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/06 @ 14:42

  • Kami #2 5 years ago

    "Often the truth is far less dramatic than the myth that's put around it"

    Never a truer word spoken. Give that man a cookie!

  • Aria #3 5 years ago

    I do like some of Rockstar's games, but seriously, is that all they're good at? All of their games evolve around violence and abuse. But then again I guess that's what sells these days...

  • ecureuil #4 5 years ago

    "Often the truth is far less dramatic than the myth that's put around it"

    Ain't that the bloody truth.

    Most of the people campaigning against it haven't even played it, and are just listening to hearsay and Daily Mail speculation.

  • Kami #5 5 years ago

    Table Tennis?

  • JediMasterMalik #6 5 years ago

    BBFC seem to be doing there job well, good job BBFC, I applaude you for nat falling to media and political pressure.

  • Mick #7 5 years ago

    bah, i started reading towards the end and thought you were on about zamo from grange hill...

  • MattyD #8 5 years ago

    Zamo? Er...

  • Zomoniac #9 5 years ago

    Good for the BBFC, not being swung by Daily Mail and campaign groups pressure and then standing their ground in the onslaught that follows. They've earned my respect with this.

  • Greebo #10 5 years ago



    £14.99 on Play.com

    Added to Santa list.

  • Carpathian #11 5 years ago

    "Most of the people campaigning against it haven't even played it, and are just listening to hearsay....."

    Listening to that muck would corrupt my sense of judgement too !

    What ? Oh, not *that* Hearsay ?

    /gets coat but chuckles

  • symmetry #12 5 years ago

    Sensible people FTW!

  • Pike #13 5 years ago

    So, nice to see that Keith Vaz has moved on from taking bribes and condoning death threats against authors.

  • Retroid #14 5 years ago

    "BBFC seem to be doing there job well, good job BBFC, I applaude you for nat falling to media and political pressure."

    I suppose there has to be a first time for everything.

  • Whizzo #15 5 years ago

    Zamo? Er...

    Bit of a co-incidence!

    /throws sausage on fork into comments thread

  • gaijin #16 5 years ago

    Accused of peddling soft ratings? Just Say 'No'.

  • Aria #17 5 years ago

    @disc
    Eloborate!

  • Eighthours #18 5 years ago

    So, nice to see that Keith Vaz has moved on from taking bribes and condoning death threats against authors.

    Indeed. Still, we should be happy. With comedy figures like Jack Thompson and Vaz leading the "crusade", it'll never succeed. The time to worry will be when they get someone who isn't a crook to deliver the message.

  • Kami #19 5 years ago

    @ Aria.

    I said it before. Table Tennis.

    But violence breeds publicity breeds sales... the problem is, some people assume that we're not capable of being sane, adult human beings capable of seperating fact and fantasy.

    Hence why this is a good thing.

  • Aria #20 5 years ago

    Ok ok maybe you're right!

    [Even though I didn't ask you to say anything!]
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/06 @ 17:47

  • Pirotic #21 5 years ago

    The BBFC do a great job yet again, they are getting in my good books ;)
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/06 @ 19:17

  • BigJonno #22 5 years ago

    If anything I'd say the BBFC are getting a bit lax these days. I think a 12A for Batman Begins was a bit light. People still associate Batman with comics and Adam West and thus automatically consider it suitable for children. I reckon there was more than one child with nightmares after seeing some of the drug-induced nightmare scenes.

  • smelly #23 5 years ago

    >but seriously, is that all they're good at?

    Never played table tennis then?

  • crazyhorse174 #24 5 years ago

    Eh...doesn't a 12A certificate mean that people under the age of 12 shouldnt watch it, but even people who are 12 should only watch if with an adults consent?

    If you don't think that its suitable for your child, dont let them watch it. If they do and then have nightmares, then you only have yourself to blame - dont use the BBFC as a scapegoat.

    And saying that people associate Batman with the comics and the 60's show and so are lax about it these days is rubbish. Someone mustve watched the film for it to have earned its certificate. The BBFC didnt just see the title and think "Oh well, its just Batman...Adam West in full camp flow again...it'll be more POW, THWOK, WAPPing on the go again - just give it a low certificate!", did they? I dont think so.

  • Freek #25 5 years ago

    "Often the truth is far less dramatic than the myth that's put around it"

    Never a truer word spoken. Give that man a cookie!

    Better yet, a job at a ratings board!
    Oh, wait...