Ever since the title was first announced, the game Bully (renamed to Canis Canem Edit) has encountered protests from various groups, members of anti-bullying campaigns and anti-violent games crusader (and all-around cretin) Jack Thompson. Joining the hysteria, a British MP even called for a ban on the game. Most of the criticism was aggressively voiced before anyone actually knew the content of the game.
Not to be cowed, not only did the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) publicly defend its decision to award the controversial game a 15 certificate (equivalent to a Teen rating in North America), it actually goes to some length defending the game and highlighting its considerate and thoughtful design.
By standing up for a game like Bully, the BBFC demonstrates a level of true independence in these matters, whereas the North American rating board (ESRB) is unfairly viewed by many as too partial towards game publishers since they fund it. Incidentally, the ESRB also awarded the game a Teen rating, showing that the BBFC’s rating was not a fluke.
Critics need to take the time to properly review games before crying wolf or run the risk of losing credibility with their own audiences once and for all.
