Rockstar's new 'Bully' looks to beat Grand Theft Auto rap

Rockstar Games, best known for its violent, controversial and wildly popular Grand Theft Auto series, today plans to unveil its major game for the holiday season: a whimsical boarding-school romp called Bully.

A scene from the game Bully, in which standing up to and even fist-fighting bullies to stop them from tormenting others is encouraged.

When Rockstar first mentioned Bully to the public more than a year ago at a video-game trade show, the project sent a wave of concern through the industry. Anti-game activists claimed that it would encourage players to become bullies themselves. Even some executives at other game companies feared that Bully, coming from Rockstar, a company that has long been a lightning rod for politicians and others fearful of video games, would drag the entire industry into yet another quagmire of criticism.