Bully gets Teen rating @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on September 15, 2006

News: Let the controversy begin!

Bully, Rockstar's next game, has been a magnet for protests and complaints almost from the minute it was announced. The game's mix of bullying and "mature themes" combined with Rockstar's reputation made most think it could easily be described as GTA: Study Hall.

But then Rockstar did something crazy. They stopped talking about the game and didn't show it to anybody until it was nearly finished. And then they showed the "new" Bully to the world.

Apparently, it wasn't very similar to GTA at all. In fact, Bully seems more like a "school simulator" than a "Columbine simulator". Which just proves that it was of everyone (the gaming press and the protestors) to label Bully when we knew nothing about it.

But still the bullies in the media wailed "Won't someone please think of the children?" And it looks like Rockstar is thinking of the children, because Bully has been given a T for Teen rating by the ESRB. The game is said to contain "Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence" in its ESRB content descriptor.

Will the T rating stop the ranting of Jack Thompson and his ilk? Probably not, but this is certainly a fun little turn of events.

Bully is scheduled to ship October 16.