Some U.K. Retailers Turn Their Backs on "Bully"

Some U.K. Retailers Turn Their Backs on "Bully"

October 18, 2006
A major British retailer has decided not to carry Rockstar's controversial Bully, which is being sold under the name ("Dog Eat Dog") in the U.K.

As reported by GamesIndustry.Biz,  U.K. retailer Currys won't stock the game, which is rated for players 15 and older by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).  

The decision also encompasses PC World and Dixons. All three retailers are owned by parent company DSG International. A corporate statement on the decision read in part:
"We're fully aware people will be able to buy this game elsewhere, but we feel this game is not appropriate for Currys' family-friendly image."

"We have a good relationship with the game's producers Rockstar, and look forward to working with them going forward."

Indeed, the stores are accepting pre-order for GTA Vice City Stories and GTA4. Gamers can also pick up Scarface: The World is Yours, all of which are rated "18" by the BBFC.

-Reporting from Canada, GP Correspondent Colin "Jabrwock" McInnes
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Comments

Submitted by aniki21 - October 18, 2006 at 5:32 am -0500
This is utterly disappointing. I'm planning on picking it up at Game or Gamestop anyway, but I can't believe they're buying into the negative hype.

The double-standard between stocking GTA and not Bully is ridiculous, especially if their only justification is to defend their "family-friendly" image.
Submitted by Dustin1986 - October 18, 2006 at 5:36 am -0500
I just read a review of this game at 1up.com. It got a 10. IGN gave it an 8.9 I'm hearing nothing but glowing reviews about this game. The truth is undeniable, Bully has gotten a bad rap. This isn't the game they think it is at all. I wasn't very interested in it before, but now I might have to pick up a copy. I've heard too many good things to ignore it.
Submitted by Dagrak - October 18, 2006 at 6:08 am -0500
In terms of games Curry's and its related stores really are not major retailers. Although it sounds bad this really won't have much impact on the sale of the game.
Submitted by Black Manta - October 18, 2006 at 6:17 am -0500
::shrug:: Big deal. Just because one retail chain (who doesn't specialize in games anyway) won't carry it doesn't mean you can't get it elsewhere. That's the beauty of a free-market economy.
Submitted by pix - October 18, 2006 at 6:27 am -0500
Bullying has always been a big thin over here so I am not suprised the name of the game was changed and that a couple of stores wont stock it, however i have one question -

Who the hell buys games from any of the stores anyway?

None of the above are major game stockers so I can not see what impact this will have on sales of vthe game anyway
Submitted by BearDogg-X - October 18, 2006 at 6:29 am -0500
It's hypocritical on Curry's part, since they're taking pre-orders for GTA: VCS and GTA4.

Talk about a lame excuse.
Submitted by o_rangekrush - October 18, 2006 at 8:09 am -0500
I got it last night and played for about an hour - this is a teen game, pure and simple. Sure there is a little fighting, some sillyness.... but nothing any worse than a 'revenge of the nerds' like movie.

I know this may sound strange but it actually reminds me a little of harry potter.
Submitted by Brokenscope - October 18, 2006 at 8:17 am -0500
OHHHHH


BUT HARRY POTTER IS CORUPTING THE YOUTH! IT IS TEACHING THEM WITCHCRAFT AND ALL SORTS OF DEVILISH THINGS!
Submitted by Terminator44 - October 18, 2006 at 8:35 am -0500
Sooooooo, I take it Curry's is the U.K. equivilant of Wal-Mart?
Submitted by Dagrak - October 18, 2006 at 9:06 am -0500
@Terminator44

I'm not 100% sure what Wal-Mart is like but Curry's is basically a standard electrical goods store, focusing mainly on kitchen and domestic stuff. They only really have games as an extra, kinda like how they have Cadbury's Cream Eggs by the checkout desks in supermarkets. Basically you go there for a new vacuum not a game.
Submitted by Dagrak - October 18, 2006 at 9:08 am -0500
Hmm, I may have been wrong, but basically no one goes there for games

http://www.currys.co.uk/
Submitted by Oddysee - October 18, 2006 at 9:10 am -0500
"Sooooooo, I take it Curry’s is the U.K. equivilant of Wal-Mart?"

No, Currys is an electrical appliance retailer. No one goes there for games anyway and their selection of games is pretty small. You go there if you want a TV or washing machine, not a game.
Submitted by Siftr - October 18, 2006 at 9:14 am -0500
Don't ya just LOVE hypocrites?
Submitted by Terminator44 - October 18, 2006 at 9:19 am -0500
@Dagrak

That sounds very much like Wal-Mart. In case you don't know, WM is just a giant retail store where you can find ANYTHING. To it, games are just another one of those items. My question partly had to do with the fact that Wal-Mart also has a history of not selling controvesial products (like birth control), mainly for the same reason Curry's is stating for not carrying Bully. They don't want to piss off the small-town conservative demograph that makes up most of their customers. Has Curry's done something like that before now?
Submitted by Dagrak - October 18, 2006 at 9:22 am -0500
@Terminator44

Not that I'm aware of and like I say games there are really an aside, theres only a few available and normally in rotten condition if my local Curry's is anything to go on.
Submitted by Oddysee - October 18, 2006 at 9:25 am -0500
@ Terminator44

Well yes they have actually. They happily stocked Manhunt and then when that teenager killed his friend, Manhunt was used as a scapegoat. So Curry's then chose to take it off their shelves. Out of repect they said.
Submitted by Grahamr - October 18, 2006 at 9:47 am -0500
Wow............nearly everyone is buying into the hype. danm you,jack thompson,and your gang of banaholics.
Submitted by nosdivad - October 18, 2006 at 9:57 am -0500
Currys is probably more like the UK equivalent of Radio Shack - but also sells stuff like fridges and ovens and dishwashers. Well known for selling electronics, but more specialist than something like Walmart.

Anyway, the fact that they won't stock it wont hurt sales particularly - the people who want it will go to specialist games stores.
Submitted by IanC - October 18, 2006 at 10:12 am -0500
I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning.....
Submitted by aniki21 - October 18, 2006 at 10:15 am -0500
If anybody on the other side of the pond would like a more specific indication of stuff Currys stocks, you can take a poke 'round their online store, assuming the thing's not feeling buggy at the minute.

It's mostly consumer electronics and household appliances, with some small PC components, and limited console stuff.
Submitted by Anonymous - October 18, 2006 at 11:01 am -0500
Bully this... Bully that. At what point do people realize Rockstar is just using them? The more they doth protest, the more sales Rockstar reaps. Rockstar has had a free ride at the expense of the industry's integrity for a long time. Even though it concerns me that Bully has no ill content and the media pretends otherwise, on some level I stop caring about what happens to Rockstar. If you play with fire, be prepared to deal with the repercussions and don't cry about it.
Submitted by Beacon - October 18, 2006 at 11:44 am -0500
@ Dustin1986
To be honest, my initial plan was to avoid Bully completely. I thought that Rockstar was most likely deliberately making the game controversial in order to get loads of free publicity. After reading the reviews, I'm gonna have to pick it up, or at least rent it, although not any time soon. My stack of "to play" games is big enough as it is.
Submitted by GoodRobotUs - October 18, 2006 at 11:57 am -0500
This is also the group that dropped GTA after hot coffee, they've got a reputation for spinelessness.
Submitted by Chuma - October 18, 2006 at 12:02 pm -0500
Anyone who buys games from the Dixons/Currys deserves a slap anyhow. They charge full RRP even on games that and years old and have a terrible selection.

I wouldn't expect this decision to affect sales of the game even one tiny fraction in the UK.
Submitted by Chuma - October 18, 2006 at 12:07 pm -0500
Terminator44:

Walmart own ASDA over here which is a big chain of supermarkets. The range is much different though as, whilst they do sell a limited range of clothes, electrical goods, etc ASDA's main focus is food.

Curry's is completely different. It is there to sell white goods. Games, DVDs, CDs etc are an afterthought and thus anyone who went there to buy them would be paying full price. The only time they were any good was when they decided to stop stocking Gamecube stuff and sold their Wavebird controllers at under half price. Thats the first and only bargain I've ever had there (promptly bought 4 :D)
Submitted by jdmdsp911 - October 18, 2006 at 12:10 pm -0500
"Indeed, the stores are accepting pre-order for GTA Vice City Stories and GTA4. Gamers can also pick up Scarface: The World is Yours, all of which are rated “18? by the BBFC."

Ahh yes. Hypocricy at work. Gotta love it.
Submitted by odc04r - October 18, 2006 at 1:11 pm -0500
Only family friendly image those stores have is for parents who don't mind paying a high premium for yesterdays technology and extended waranties.
Submitted by Brer - October 18, 2006 at 2:51 pm -0500
I love the smell of hypocrisy and CYA in the morning. Thankfully their decision (as others have noted) should have little or no impact on the sales of the game. On a lighter note...wasn't Shaun in "Shaun of the Dead" working at a Curry's or something that looked suspiciously like one?
Submitted by Terminator44 - October 18, 2006 at 4:23 pm -0500
@Various

Ah, now I see. Thanks for pointing this out for me, guys. Oh, and it's pitiful that they banned Manhunt, since that game was owned by the victim, not the killer.
Submitted by Calvinball - October 18, 2006 at 6:07 pm -0500
Can you say "Hypocite".

I knew you could.

"Won't you be, please won't you be, my neighbour"
Submitted by The JJ - October 18, 2006 at 6:08 pm -0500
Certainly the whole of DSG are truly awful for games but I'm guessing PC World probably has a fair few idiot customers in spite of that. Still my guess is that this ban will result in a net increase in sales of Canis Canem Edit due to the free publicity. T2 and Rockstar have been playing matador with JT et al since they first announced this title and so far it looks to me like they'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

By the way Dixon's got rebranded a few of months back and no longer exists. see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4878438.stm
Submitted by Rammsoldat - October 18, 2006 at 6:20 pm -0500
I cant remember the last time i got a game from currys. they've nevre had much of a selection.
Submitted by Chuma - October 18, 2006 at 6:58 pm -0500
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6063502.stm

Note the last comment:

"It is due to be released on 27 October and anyone wanting to get their hands on the title will not have too much difficulty as other UK stores including Game, HMV and Woolworths, will all stock it."
Submitted by aniki21 - October 19, 2006 at 7:20 am -0500
Labor MP for Leicested East Kieth Vaz is back on the Bully horse - he asked Tony Blair to call a meeting at Prime Minister's Question Time yesterday (October 18th):

Keith Vaz (Leicester, East) (Lab): Last Thursday, the British Board of Film Classification gave a 15 certificate to a video game formerly called “Bully”. The game contains scenes of violence, including scenes of players terrorising teachers and students, teachers being head-butted and the aggressive use of baseball bats. Currys has banned it. Given the link between video games and a propensity to encourage violence that some research has demonstrated, will the Prime Minister convene a meeting of stakeholders—including representatives of the industry and parents’ groups—to discuss the issue? Does he accept that this is not about adult censorship, but about protecting our children?

The Prime Minister: First, let me praise my right hon. Friend for his work in raising awareness of the issue. I have not seen the game myself, but I know that both my hon. Friend the Minister responsible for creative industries, and my hon. Friend who is responsible for the video industry, would be happy to meet my right hon. Friend to discuss the issue. It is obviously important, and I know that there is a lot of concern about it.

I think it can be said that the video games industry, or at least a substantial section of it, has made significant advances over the past few years, but as my right hon. Friend says, it is important for that progress to be maintained.
Submitted by GoodRobotUs - October 19, 2006 at 5:25 pm -0500
I remember what was called the 'Top of the Pops' effect.

Most people know of the TV Show Top of the Pops, however, there was this strange ability the show had. For example, Lulu released a song called 'Let's get physical', it was only actually 'raunchy' if you really really tried to think of it as such, but Top of the Pops refused to air it.

Instant Hit.

The same can be said for several other bands, Guns'n'Roses, Xtreme and others were all bought out of the limelight in a lot of ways by the media's refusal to play their songs. If Dixons really want to push money into the hands of their competitors whilst giving Bully free advertising, it's their funeral really.
Submitted by Lex-Man - October 20, 2006 at 5:52 pm -0500
Dixons doen't as a store its now called Curryies Digital. It's a chain of rip of eletrical stores anything you can buy there will be £100 cheaper online.

I think Dixons is the name of the parent company of Curryies, PC world and Curryies digital.

Although I did pick up Jet Set Radio for £1.50 and some other game for a £5.00
Submitted by Keiichi - October 24, 2006 at 4:29 pm -0500
@GoodRobotUs - wasn't that Olivia Neutron-Bomb that did Let's Get Physical?

Currys is part of the same group as PC World - and the staff there often have not the slightest scooby-doo about anything. What else can you expect?
Submitted by Boz - March 4, 2007 at 8:17 am -0500
OMG LMAO, so...they are stocking GTA but not Canis Canem Edit for a 'Family friendly image' OMG they're like sooooo out of order, family friendly image my ass, they just think that it wont sell well and now I bet theres a BIG hole in their profits now lol.

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