When is Bully set?

[Parker Ogilvie]

I was just wondering if anyone knew if Rock Star had released the time period Bully was set in? Playing it today, I just realised that everything seemed to be quite old fashioned, I know it's a Gothic-Building Prep School in New England but nothing in the game seems to stand out as being particularly modern. The clothing is fairly old, the cars and buildings are fairly old, the only things which stand out are the set of computers in the Nerd Hideout.

I have no idea what American Schools are like, but they aren't that old fashioned are they?

[Al Arlington]

I remember seeing in the Wii instruction booklet, it said "Autumn 2006"

At an estimation: October 2006 - July 2007.

Or September 2006 - August 2007

[Hayley]

I remember we had a topic on this subject a while ago. You can find it here.

Based on the stuff gathered in that thread, I personally think it begins in the fall of 2006 (since that's around the time students in the U.S. are sent back to school) and then moves onto spring/never ending summer of 2007 (because if Christmas is celebrated then New Years wouldn't be too far behind).

The run down look and outdated technology and such is just a result of Bullworth being a crappy place that's not very modernized. Why bother, ya'know?

Alternatively Rockstar placed throwbacks to the 80's and older to appeal to older players or something.

[Evolution]

Honestly, I think Rockstar wants the player to decide for themselves. Although most people say '2006' others will argue that mostly everything is old fashioned, I mean, look at the cars, and the COMPUTERS in the library. Although, the Nerds have rather up-to-date laptops in their hideout... Soo.... But everything else is old fashioned.

I think Rockstar just mixed a load of shit in together and wants the player to decide for themselves.

[Hayley]

I think Rockstar wants the player to decide for themselves.

This also came to mind but I just didn't mention it.

Still, I'm sticking with '06/'07 because of reasons. ;)

[BloodChuckZ]

^I'm with Hey-Hey there.  There's a lot of old shit in America still.  I myself went to a grade school that was built in 1914.  In fact, the classrooms and much of the Bullworth Academy school building reminds me of my old school.

[Mohamed The Kowalski]

I'm sticking with 2006- 2007 also, as there are several clues that assure that.

[residenteviloutbreak]

The official date is around 2006-2008.

However, if you said the 80`s or 90`s, you would not be blamed. There is absolutely nothing modern about the game. You dont ever see computers (The most hi tech PC in the game is an old white computer sitting in the nerd hangout at the comic shop), and everything else looks like old fashioned new England style clothing seen in the 50s- early 80`s.

I personally believe the 80`s. There is really no evidence to suggest anything otherwise.


I can also have these to back this up:
- Clothing designs
- Absolutely no modern style electronics
- Old cars
- Old fashioned school
- The Greasers (I mean... you NEVER see these type of people in modern days).

[Red Blaster]

The mention of the internet, and the PC in the Nerd hideout are by no means 80's material.

It's just a town with a vintage look and culture is all.

[residenteviloutbreak]

The mention of the internet, and the PC in the Nerd hideout are by no means 80's material.

It's just a town with a vintage look and culture is all.

After looking at it, it seems to be a modern PC. Sort of. They had flat screen LCD monitors in the late 90`s, and also internet. Its not to say it still dont take place in the 90`s. Ive got a black LCD Samsung monitor on my PC that says "Manufactured September 3rd 1999".

[Red Blaster]

Yeah, which is why I believe it's just a case of preserving the town's vintage heritage.

[Jimmy Honda]

I say 1980s, and here's why:

1- THE CARS. The newest cars look 1980s, and the oldest look 50s and 60s - and there's a lot of 50s and 60s cars around. If the game took place in 2006-2007, that would mean the newest cars in the game are 20-25 years old, and the oldest cars are about 50 years old. There isn't a town in America where there are absolutely no cars newer than 20 years old. The newer cars (mid 70s and newer) are often seen in Bullworth Vale and the town center, whereas the older metal (pre mid 70s) are often seen in New Coventry and the industrial area. A date of, say, 1984-1985 would mean that the newer cars in the game are really newer cars, and the older cars are just old cars, not the classics they are today.

2- The cliques. The "greaser" ideal had its peak in the 80s, as did the "preppy" clique ideal. Nerds and jocks are also archetypal 80s cliques.

3- Technology. Arcade games are common. In 2006, arcade games weren't nearly as ubiquitous as they were in the 1980s. And while the games have graphics that are too good to be 80s, the concepts were definitely around back then. In addition, there's not a cell phone in sight in the game, the computers in the library are VERY old (early 80s or even 70s!) and about the only new technology in the entire town is a laptop in a basement.

4- Other elements around the town. For instance Happy Volts Asylum would never be open as late as 2006. That's a mid-20th century asylum that would have been badly outmoded by the 1980s. And badly outmoded it was. I would imagine HVA wouldn't have lasted past the end of the 1980s.

I envision Bully to have taken place in 1984-1985 school year. I have a whole fan storyline I wrote long ago about the history of Bullworth and Bullworth Academy.

[Hayley]

I have a whole fan storyline I wrote long ago about the history of Bullworth and Bullworth Academy.

I would like to see this one day.

And you do make valid points but I personally can't help but shrug it off as "Bullworth is a dump with dumpy old things."

[Hoppyj0608]

I wish I knew. I kind of hope it's based in the 80s or 90s because that would just be cool. Perhaps the world may never know.

[Dave]

I say 1980s, and here's why:

1- THE CARS. The newest cars look 1980s, and the oldest look 50s and 60s - and there's a lot of 50s and 60s cars around. If the game took place in 2006-2007, that would mean the newest cars in the game are 20-25 years old, and the oldest cars are about 50 years old. There isn't a town in America where there are absolutely no cars newer than 20 years old. The newer cars (mid 70s and newer) are often seen in Bullworth Vale and the town center, whereas the older metal (pre mid 70s) are often seen in New Coventry and the industrial area. A date of, say, 1984-1985 would mean that the newer cars in the game are really newer cars, and the older cars are just old cars, not the classics they are today.

2- The cliques. The "greaser" ideal had its peak in the 80s, as did the "preppy" clique ideal. Nerds and jocks are also archetypal 80s cliques.

3- Technology. Arcade games are common. In 2006, arcade games weren't nearly as ubiquitous as they were in the 1980s. And while the games have graphics that are too good to be 80s, the concepts were definitely around back then. In addition, there's not a cell phone in sight in the game, the computers in the library are VERY old (early 80s or even 70s!) and about the only new technology in the entire town is a laptop in a basement.

4- Other elements around the town. For instance Happy Volts Asylum would never be open as late as 2006. That's a mid-20th century asylum that would have been badly outmoded by the 1980s. And badly outmoded it was. I would imagine HVA wouldn't have lasted past the end of the 1980s.

I envision Bully to have taken place in 1984-1985 school year. I have a whole fan storyline I wrote long ago about the history of Bullworth and Bullworth Academy.

Sold.
I'm sold on this explanation. 

And 1984-1985 is so much cooler than 2006-2007. Let's get real. 
but it could be an

*edit- but now that I've been googling this for the past hour, I think it could be 2006-2007 or literally whenever. But I think the point is it's not supposed to be any specific timeframe.