Brazil bans Bully

by Kyle Orland { Apr 10th 2008 at 6:25PM }

No sooner does Rockstar finally succeed in getting Manhunt 2 unbanned in the UK than another Rockstar game gets banned in another country. This time around it's Bully: Scholarship Edition that's been banned by a Brazilian judge, as the AP is reporting.

According to the report, the ban prevents the game from "being imported, distributed, sold or promoted on Web sites and stores" in the country. Brazilian distributors and retailers will have thirty days to comply with the ban, which came in response to a request from a Brazilian youth center. "The aggravating factor is that everything in the game takes place inside a school" said prosecutor Alcindo Bastas. "That is not acceptable."

A Take-Two spokesman said the decision "will not have a material impact on the sales of this popular title." We're relatively sure this is not the last we'll hear from the publisher about this matter.

Tags: ban, brazil, bully, controversy, judge, legal

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jansperus @ Apr 10th 2008 6:38PM

With that logic, any game that takes place on Earth should be banned.

rv @ Apr 10th 2008 8:58PM

At least we can still play mass effect

LaughingTarget @ Apr 10th 2008 9:12PM

Sorry, but you can orbit Earth, they'll have a problem.

Victor @ Apr 10th 2008 9:32PM

Brazil has no logic, it's not like that ban is going to make any difference.
People only buy original copies of games in Brazil if they're next-gen , and since they're being sold illegaly, I don't really think any seller is going to care if it's banned or not.
Besides, it's supposed to be illegal to sell alcoholic drinks to kids under 18, but everyone starts buying them when they're 14, at any freakin' local supermarket.
So like I said, it's not like that ban is going to make any difference.

Fatass of Kickassness @ Apr 10th 2008 6:32PM

What?

Are you kidding?

I did half the shit I did playing that game IN SCHOOL when I was a kid.

WiiSports Machine...Fernandos in disguise PSN: Killjebus @ Apr 10th 2008 6:56PM

So, this judge thinks it's no big deal that Police death squads hunt the homeless children in the night, but OOOOOOHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOEEEESSSS, do not let the children play a game.

Frak this witch hunt, I am soooo sick of it all.

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Apr 10th 2008 10:02PM

Agreed. I think Brazil's legal system has bigger worries than a game. It seems like a statement that they want to make, like "Bullying is not cool!". Shame how the reciprocal with Brazil is "But rainforest abuse is A-OK!"

Victor @ Apr 11th 2008 5:15AM

@WiiSports Machine...Fernandos in disguise PSN: Killjebus, they don't hunt homeless children, I don't know where you heard that shit.

@A Pissed-off English Gamer, rainforest abuse is illegal and can get you plenty of time in jail for that (rainforest abuse) here in Brazil, we just don't have enough people to watch the forest, so we can't keep up with the whole forest (which is freakin' big).

Dash @ Apr 11th 2008 10:39AM

As a brazilian gamer I agree that this ban is stupid, and that this judge should be worrying about other things, like you know, crime.

But at the same time I will say that this is to little effect. This is not the first game to be banned, so did Counter Strike and Ultima (I have no idea why Ultima would get banned, but it did), but there still is a big shiny Half Life 2 with CS in every store (hell, there is even the box with just CS for the cheap guys), and Ultima, well, I haven't play Ultima in like 8 years (just WOW and EVE now), but in any case online purchases/subscriptions are free of any legal barrier (can't stop the internet).

So, don't worry. The biggesty problem still is the import tax for games, which make a game in retail that is 40 dollars in US cost 125 dollars here (yes, 125 US dollars). Thank goodness for online distribution, that is tax free.

mike @ Apr 10th 2008 6:35PM

a youth center put in the request? Must of been one of those youth centers run by middle aged women with 5 year old children.

If actual youths were running it, they would realize that getting together after school to play games helps stop things like violence and bullying as it occupies the less inteligent troubled youths.

Wow my comment is full of right and wrong lol

KeenCommander @ Apr 10th 2008 6:39PM

What is the big deal: there's nothing that offensive in that game. Period. There never has been. There never will be.

I didn't think it was that good of a game to begin with to deserve all of the fuss, either, but that's just my opinion. It's good, just not that incredibly good.

Mr.ESC @ Apr 10th 2008 10:13PM

Maybe the didn't liked teh ghey.

Either that or they are confusing Bully with GTA.

simon @ Apr 10th 2008 6:41PM

Maybe they should fix the game.

Brazell @ Apr 10th 2008 6:41PM

Lemme get this straight... a country with one of the most lucrative drug trades in the world, as well as a robust human smuggling industry, is banning the sale and importation of ... Bully, the videogame?

theturtle363 @ Apr 10th 2008 7:03PM

Well they certainly have a high moral standard to uphold

Marcos Venturelli @ Apr 10th 2008 6:55PM

Bully is not banned in Brazil. It was banned just in a single state, Rio Grande do Sul.

Either way, it's pathetic. We had recent political scandals, and no one is getting arrested until now. On the other hand, Counter-Strike and Everquest got banned (these ones, on the whole country), and they are trying to block the ENTIRE WORDPRESS COMMUNITY because of a single stupid blog.

I guess Brazil wants to follow on China's footsteps and become the next Olimpics host. It worked for them!