Rockstar's controversial Bully title, now named Canis Canem Edit, has been banned by the electrical retailer Currys. Currys told the Sun newspaper that, "We’re a family-friendly retailer. We don’t think this game is appropriate for our stores and have decided not to stock it." Personally we couldn't care less as we buy our games from videogame stockists, but it does seem a bit hypocritical from a company that currently has Scarface available for sale on their website and has stocked hundreds of violent games in the past.

Okay, maybe comparing Scraface to Bully isn't a great example, perhaps it's the fact that Canis Canem Edit's core gameplay is focused around school bullying that has caused such fury amongst do-gooders who may have been bullied themselves at school. It could be that Currys may actually have a point and have done the right thing in taking the morale high ground and removing this violence game from our shelves.

Canis Canem Edit has been rated 15 by the censors and has received plenty of critisism from angry parents, psychologists and campaigners who think the game will encourage young people to replicate the same behaviour in their classrooms.

As a troublesome schoolboy, you'll laugh and cringe as you stand up to bullies, get picked on by teachers, play pranks on malicious kids, win or lose the girl, and ultimately learn to navigate the obstacles of the fictitious reform school, Bullworth Academy, says the official blurb from the publishers. There are no guns in the game, and although there's plenty of fist-fighting, Canis Canem Edit actually punishes you with a visit to he principal's office if you disobey curfews or over-step the mark. Rockstar say that the game provides a safe environment for people to exert their aggression without actually hurting anyone and we're inclined to agree. Violence in the media and videogames has been around for years and it hasn;t contributed to an increase in violence in society or in our schools...has it?

We're still looking forward to playing it because we're responsible adults, but if you were being bullied at school and knew that the school bully had just grabbed himself a copy of Canis Canem Edit would you be looking forward to the next day at school?

Source : Boomtown