Grand Theft Auto IV Censored For Australia

Rockstar Games has confirmed that the Australian version of Grand Theft Auto IV has been censored to satisfy that country's restrictions on videogame content.

Rockstar did not reveal what material has been cut, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, saying only that the special version was produced to meet the Office of Film and Literature Classification's MA15+ rating. The game has been rated R18+ in the U.K., New Zealand and Germany and M (Mature) in North America, but Australia does not have a corresponding rating for mature-themed videogames.

Australia has recently begun considering the possibility of investigating the need to examine the usefulness of further discussions about adding an R18+ rating at some point in the future, but hopeful reaction to the news was tempered by a statement from a government spokesman who said a change could take years to go through. Since then, some Australian politicians as well as the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney have expressed opposition to a proper adult rating for videogames.

Predictably, reader reaction to the news has been almost universally negative, with many expressing intentions to cancel preorders with Australian retailers in order to purchase the game online from overseas dealers. Previous releases of the Grand Theft Auto series, including Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, were also edited for release in Australia.

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What?! The Aussies don't have an 18 equivalent rating? How odd, so everything has to be acceptable for a 15 year old to play? And I thought the UK system was in need of an overhaul!

There's been articles about Autralia' ratings issues, and how things are going to change much until... revoluzion!

Ha ha, Yathzee. Say goodbye to the drunk driving mission : P

i am so glad i don't live down-under... Everything that makes GTA, GTA is also what makes it an 18...

Anyone else think the main character looks like Jason Statham on the boxcover?

Oh, Aussie ratings. Erm, yes, bad Australia.

I was going to mention the Statham thing myself. I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising, given his past movie roles.

I'm sure some kind soul will send Yahtzee a PAL copy from the UK.

I mean, fo' shizzle.

Oh, and yes, that def looks like statham.

I was thinking that there was a marked similarity with the ruggedly handsome Mr.Statham a few days ago. MGS has Kurt Russell in Snake, so why not Jase in GTA?
RE the censorship: I suppose living in Oz has got to have one negative point compared to Blighty.

Is that girl bleeding from her tounge? I dont want to know how that happened, i suspect egg-shells are a part of it.

sammyfreak:
Is that girl bleeding from her tounge? I dont want to know how that happened, i suspect egg-shells are a part of it.

She's actually licking a lollipop. Who loves ya, baby?

Alphavillain:
I suppose living in Oz has got to have one negative point compared to Blighty.

Have you seen Neighbours recently?

The_root_of_all_evil:
Have you seen Neighbours recently?

Haha, good point.

But yeah, the Australian OFLC is made of fail. I know, since I live here. You know that Dark Sector will be banned here upon its release?

Honestly, I can't see why we don't have an R18+ rating. The logic is very simple - give it a mandatory ID check before it's sold, and everyone should be happy that the children are protected. If people don't believe that that'd help, then we should scrap the OFLC and ban every form of media there is, because ratings are obviously ineffective in controlling the distribution of media.

I am so pissed about this bullshit. I already pre-ordered the special edition of the game now I will have to cancel it and buy the REAL VERSION over the internet if the laws allow for it. If they don't I will have to go overseas and buy it, then bring it back. THATS BULLSHIT!!! I refuse to buy the stupid fucking Australian version. I shouldn't have to put up with this bullshit. Australia is way too over-sensitive shit country. ROCKSTAR probably hates Australia because they have to make a softcock edited version of every game they release. Stupid Australian cocksuckers responsible for this should cut their dicks off.

Fenixius:

Honestly, I can't see why we don't have an R18+ rating. The logic is very simple - give it a mandatory ID check before it's sold, and everyone should be happy that the children are protected.

This is the problem I have with rating systems. I saw "American Werewolf in London" when I was about 12 and I had nightmares. However, I had far worse nightmares, for far longer, about a song called "VIdeo Killed the Radio Star" (On the GTA:VC soundtrack) because it showed the image of a little girl getting blown up (Or so I thought at the time...).

(And according to the research, I should curl up into a foetal position whenever I hear that now, but I quite like it.)

Now, if I give 'American Werewolf' to a kid these days, they'll be howling with laughter; but 24 hours a day they can see troops in Iraq/Bosnia being terrified and blown up.

And, having worked in the retail trade, some kid came into buy some superglue. I apologised and said I'd have to see some I.D., he toddled (yes he was that young) over to his dad, who walked up and said "It's for me!", bought it, and on the way out, handed it back to his kid.

there are too many stubborn old men in power. outdated, backwards-thinking, ignorant, grumpy elitists. there is no evidence to suggest games effect people psycologically any more than film, television and the media do. in fact this is another case of politicians meddling where they shouldnt. it happens all to often to pander to the all to easy 'family values' voters.
It's a no-brainer that kids shouldn't be supplied with excessively violent games, or games containing bad language, nudity or violence. those games arent made for kids. and its ultimately the parents responsibility to censor what their young children see. And simple procedures can be put in place to ensure retailers sell responsibly too.

(btw this is an amalgam reply to the comments of 3 related articles)

I'm slightly annoyed. Although it doesn't affect me in the slightest.

WAIT, what does that mean about online? I have some Austrailian friends who I am hoping to play against when we all get GTA. What happens about that?

Gummy:
and its ultimately the parents responsibility to censor what their young children see.

Then shouldn't parents be able to be reported? On the spot fine of £50/$100 for allowing a minor to watch/play a 18 rated game?
Who's for that?

Is that a serious suggestion?

Crap_haT:
I'm slightly annoyed. Although it doesn't affect me in the slightest.

WAIT, what does that mean about online? I have some Austrailian friends who I am hoping to play against when we all get GTA. What happens about that?

Probably nothing. I doubt the actual gameplay will be much changed, just some of the content.

Can i just say i doubt it is rated at R18 in the UK as that is usually reserved for things like Porn, i think they meant to say it was rated 18 by the BBFC.

the fact that a group of kids went and trashed an aussie school in the past day or two is going to add fuel to the fire that ratings don't need to change

Malygris:
Is that a serious suggestion?

Yes. If people have to take responsibility for pets, why not children up to the age of 15, say?