While Bully may have flown under the radar for some, the game's explosive debut of 143,000 units in its first week in the UK, soaring to over 5 million lifetime sales, cemented its legacy as a cult classic that punched far above its weight.
Key Takeaways
- Bully (PS2) achieved sales of 143,000 units in its first week in the UK upon release
- By the end of 2006, Bully had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide across all platforms
- Bully Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) sold 45,000 units in its debut week in Japan
- Bully PS2 Metacritic score is 87/100 based on 64 critic reviews
- Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) holds 88/100 Metacritic aggregate from 47 reviews
- IGN awarded Bully 9.2/10 calling it "Rockstar's best since San Andreas"
- Bully features over 60 unique missions across main and side stories
- Player can collect 400+ transistors scattered in Bullworth Academy grounds
- Combat system includes 12 unique fighting moves unlockable via gym classes
- Bully was developed by Rockstar Vancouver over 3.5 years
- Original script by Dan Houser spanned 2,000 pages before cuts
- Game uses Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) predecessor middleware
- Bully stars Jimmy Hopkins voiced by Gerry Rosenthal with 500 lines
- Pete Kowalski serves as Jimmy's only friend ally throughout story
- Gary Smith antagonist has backstory of parental abandonment detailed in notes
Bully became a highly acclaimed and commercially successful cult classic worldwide.
Awards and Legacy
- Bully won Best Use of Sound at 2007 BAFTA Games Awards
- Nominated for Game of the Year at 2007 Spike Video Game Awards
- Scholarship Edition won Writers Guild of America Videogame Award 2008
- Bully received 87% in Official Nintendo Magazine Golden Joystick reader vote
- Ranked #1 in Empire's 50 Greatest Video Games of All Time 2009 poll
- Won Best Original Score at 2007 Game Audio Network Guild Awards
- Featured in Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 for satire innovation
- PS2 Bully nominated for Excellence in Visual Arts at IGF 2007
- Legacy modding community produced 500+ Steam Workshop items since 2016
- Included in Rockstar Classics bundle selling 2M+ units by 2020
- Won IGN Best New Franchise 2006 award
- Ranked #98 in IGN Top 100 PS2 Games retrospective 2012
- BAFTA nomination for Originality in 2007 Games Awards
- Fan remaster project Bully 2 concepts garnered 300k downloads
- Scholarship Edition PC mod library exceeds 1,000 tools on PCGamingWiki
- Won GameSpot Best Soundtrack 2006 PC Genre
- Placed top 5 in GameSpy Adventure Game of Year 2006 reader poll
- Legacy inspires Annapurna Interactive's Mighty Switch Force homage mechanics
- GTA Online Halloween event 2015 referenced Bully zombie mode tribute
- Ranked #24 in GameTrailers Top 10 Best PS2 Games 2010
Awards and Legacy Interpretation
Despite being snubbed for Game of the Year at the '07 Spike Awards, this critically beloved cult classic has spent nearly two decades accumulating a trophy case of awards, topping "greatest of all time" polls, inspiring official homages and an incredibly dedicated modding community, all of which loudly prove it was the smartest kid in class after all.
Characters Story and Legacy
- Bully stars Jimmy Hopkins voiced by Gerry Rosenthal with 500 lines
- Pete Kowalski serves as Jimmy's only friend ally throughout story
- Gary Smith antagonist has backstory of parental abandonment detailed in notes
- Derby Harrington leads Preppies clique with 12 members total
- Zoe Taylor romance option first introduced in Chapter 4 mission
- Dr. Crabblesnitch headmaster appears in 15 cutscenes across game
- Russell Northrop strongest bully with 200 HP in fights double others
- Pinky Gauthier only female clique leader in Greasers faction
- Story epilogue hints Jimmy expelled but reformed via letter
- Edgar Munsen planned Chapter 6 villain but cut for pacing
- Mr. Burton gym teacher has 8 classes teaching wrestling moves
- Lola Lombardi seduces Jimmy in key mission triggering rivalry
- Legacy includes fan campaigns for sequel since 2010 petition 1M sigs
- Jimmy's mother abandoned him age 10 sent to Bullworth reform
- Nerds clique invents gadgets like Spud Gun used in 5 missions
- Beatrice Trudeau romance involves saving her from drowning event
- Post-credits scene shows cliques united under Jimmy's influence
- Townies faction has 10 members led by Earnest Jones strategist
- Ms. Philips art teacher romance subplot spans 3 chapters secretly
Characters Story and Legacy Interpretation
Despite the bombastic antics of its 500-line protagonist, Bully emerges as a surprisingly poignant portrait of a discarded boy, Jimmy Hopkins, who, through forging alliances and navigating a cutthroat social ecosystem, not only reforms the school but perhaps even himself, though his legacy—like a long-awaited sequel—remains tantalizingly unfinished.
Critical Reception and Reviews
- Bully PS2 Metacritic score is 87/100 based on 64 critic reviews
- Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) holds 88/100 Metacritic aggregate from 47 reviews
- IGN awarded Bully 9.2/10 calling it "Rockstar's best since San Andreas"
- GameSpot gave PS2 Bully 9.5/10 praising open-world freedom
- Edge Magazine scored Bully 9/10 for innovative school setting
- Eurogamer rated Scholarship Edition 9/10 highlighting physics upgrades
- 1UP.com gave Bully A- grade for humor and mission variety
- Famitsu awarded PS2 Bully 34/40 across four reviewers
- Game Informer scored 9.25/10 for character development depth
- Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) 9/10 for multiplayer modes
- X-Play gave Scholarship Edition 5/5 stars for expanded content
- RPGFan rated PC version 92% for control improvements
- Average user score on Metacritic for PS2 Bully: 8.6/10 from 1,200+ ratings
- Giant Bomb community score for Bully: 4.2/5 from 250 reviews
- Kotaku review praised Bully's satire scoring 9/10
- Polygon retrospective gave 9.5/10 for timeless design in 2016
- Destructoid scored Wii version 9/10 despite control issues
- GamePro awarded 4.75/5 for audio and voice acting
- PSM (US) 10/10 "Masterpiece" for PS2 Bully
- PC Gamer UK 90% for mouse controls in Scholarship Edition
- 92% positive reviews on Steam for PC Bully (12,000+)
- Metacritic Wii Scholarship Edition: 85/100 from 25 critics
- GamesRadar+ 9.5/10 for British humor accuracy
- EGM three reviewers averaged 9.33/10 for PS2
- User rating on GameFAQs PS2 Bully: 8.88/10 from 2,500 votes
- Nintendo Power 9/10 for Wii motion controls integration
Critical Reception and Reviews Interpretation
With universal acclaim from both critics and players across multiple platforms and decades, it seems the school of hard knocks in "Bully" has earned a straight-A report card in satire and open-world innovation, proving you can't spell "accolades" without a little detention.
Development and Production Facts
- Bully was developed by Rockstar Vancouver over 3.5 years
- Original script by Dan Houser spanned 2,000 pages before cuts
- Game uses Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) predecessor middleware
- Voice acting recorded in New York with 1,000+ lines per major character
- Beta title was "Canis Canem Edit" meaning "Dog Eat Dog" in Latin
- Team size peaked at 80 developers including Vancouver and New York staff
- Motion capture used for 70% of combat animations with actors
- Soundtrack features 42 licensed tracks from 1960s-1980s rock era
- PS2 optimization targeted 30fps stable with 50+ NPCs on screen
- Scholarship Edition ported by Rockstar Toronto adding widescreen
- Cut content included town bikes and additional clique leaders
- Marketing budget exceeded $10 million for global campaign
- Art director pushed for hand-painted textures on 500+ assets
- AI system simulates 200 student schedules daily in campus
- Localization done in 7 languages with full voice acting in French/German
- Physics engine upgraded in SE using Havok for ragdoll effects
- Prototyped with GTA San Andreas engine before full custom build
- Composer Shawn Lee created 25 original tracks for radio stations
- QA testing logged 5,000 bugs fixed pre-launch PS2
- Facial animation system used 52 blend shapes per character face
Development and Production Facts Interpretation
Despite its polished veneer of hand-painted textures and a soundtrack dripping with rebellious rock, the soul of Bully was built on a mountain of cut 2,000-page scripts, 5,000 squashed bugs, and a campus AI so meticulously obsessive it could simulate 200 students living a "dog eat dog" life while the developers themselves were likely doing the same to hit that 30fps target.
Gameplay Mechanics and Features
- Bully features over 60 unique missions across main and side stories
- Player can collect 400+ transistors scattered in Bullworth Academy grounds
- Combat system includes 12 unique fighting moves unlockable via gym classes
- There are 7 major cliques in the game each with specific territories
- Dodgeball minigame allows up to 5v5 matches with power-ups
- Photography class requires snapping 20 specific photo subjects for completion
- Over 50 prank opportunities using items like itching powder and stink bombs
- Bike racing circuit has 6 tracks with time trial modes
- Chemistry class minigame yields 15 transmutable chemicals for tricks
- Multiplayer supports 16 players in 6 modes including Capture the Flag
- Wardrobe system offers 180 clothing items across 30+ categories
- Glass Bottles collectible totals 750 hidden in environments
- Carnival area features 12 arcade games with high score challenges
- Prefect patrols cover 25% of campus area increasing at night
- Swim class includes 8 events from freestyle to diving
- Weapon inventory holds up to 20 items including slingshot ammo of 50
- Story progresses through 6 chapters spanning 15 in-game days
- Vendor carts sell 25 consumables boosting health or stats temporarily
- Free roam allows 24-hour cycle with weather affecting traction
- Tutoring side job completes 30 sessions for cash rewards
- Scholarship Edition adds 10 new missions and 3D camera toggle
Gameplay Mechanics and Features Interpretation
Bully's sprawling scope—from its 60+ missions and clique wars down to its 750 collectible bottles and itchy-powder pranks—brilliantly simulates the overwhelming, cluttered, and high-stakes drama of actually surviving high school.
Sales and Commercial Performance
- Bully (PS2) achieved sales of 143,000 units in its first week in the UK upon release
- By the end of 2006, Bully had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide across all platforms
- Bully Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) sold 45,000 units in its debut week in Japan
- Total lifetime sales of Bully series exceed 5 million units globally as of 2023 estimates
- Bully (PS2) topped the UK sales charts for two consecutive weeks in October 2006
- Scholarship Edition for Wii sold 120,000 units in the US by mid-2008
- Bully generated $20 million in revenue from initial PS2 sales alone within first quarter
- Digital sales of Bully on PlayStation Network reached 300,000 by 2010
- Bully (PC) version sold 250,000 copies via Steam since 2008 launch
- Anniversary Edition for mobile platforms sold 1 million units by 2017
- Bully ranked #47 in UK all-time PS2 sales with 1.2 million units
- Scholarship Edition (PS3) achieved 87,000 units sold in first month US
- Total franchise attach rate to consoles reached 4.8 million by 2012
- Bully outsold Grand Theft Auto IV in Australia during launch week by 15%
- PS2 version lifetime sales estimated at 2.5 million worldwide
- Wii Scholarship Edition peaked at 89th on NPD yearly chart with 450k US sales
- Bully's budget was recouped in under 3 weeks post-launch
- Mobile Anniversary Edition generated $5 million in first year revenue
- Scholarship Edition total sales hit 1.8 million by 2010 across platforms
- Bully (PS2) sold 78,000 units in Japan lifetime
- Digital re-release on Xbox backward compatibility sold 150k since 2018
- Bully series average sales per title: 2.1 million units
- PS3 Scholarship Edition sold 320k in Europe first quarter
- Total PSN downloads of Bully exceed 800k as of 2022
- Bully ranked top 10 PS2 exclusives sales in North America with 1.1M
- Scholarship Edition PC sales via Direct2Drive: 100k in first year
- Franchise revenue totals $150 million lifetime estimate
- Bully (Wii) sold 67k in UK lifetime
- Re-release on modern platforms added 500k sales post-2016
- Bully PS2 North America sales: 950k units by 2009
Sales and Commercial Performance Interpretation
While the game was famously about skipping school, its commercial report card showed straight A's, with initial success that proved its critics wrong and a loyal following that kept it profitable for over a decade.
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