New Zealand Gets Edited Version of Grand Theft Auto IV

Australians hoping to get an uncensored copy of Grand Theft Auto IV from New Zealand retailers are in for a disappointment: Take-Two has revealed both countries will be getting the same edited version of the game.

According to a New Zealand Herald report, the country's Gameplanet Store was hit with large numbers of Australian orders for Grand Theft Auto IV following news the game was being edited to conform with an MA15+ rating, but now has been forced to cancel $50,000 worth of advance orders.

The reasons behind the decision are unknown, but Simon Barton, co-founder of Gameplanet, said, "Everyone's assuming it is logistics. It just makes sense for them to send us the Australian version." Despite the cuts, the New Zealand edition of the game is being released with an R18 rating, and Barton said demand for the game remains high and he expects stock to sell out quickly.

The censorship isn't enough for lobby group Family First, who has called for the game to be banned outright. "It is completely naive to believe that teenagers and young children won't have access to and be able to play the game," said group spokesman Bob McCoskrie. "It is also completely unrealistic to believe that young people will not be influenced in their attitudes and behaviors by constant exposure to this type of material."

Cuts in the Australian version were revealed earlier in April in order to meet the requirements of the country's Office of Film and Literature Classification, which does not offer a rating higher than MA15+ for videogames. Specifics about the censored content have not been revealed, but the announcement has led many gamers to cancel their preorders with Australian retailers in order to buy a fully-functioning version of the game overseas. Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV goes on sale worldwide tomorrow.

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I really for bad for you people down in Oz. Censoring GTA? That's like censoring porn, only more pointless.

Malygris:
"It is completely naive to believe that teenagers and young children won't have access to and be able to play the game," said group spokesman Bob McCoskrie. "It is also completely unrealistic to believe that young people will not be influenced in their attitudes and behaviors by constant exposure to this type of material."

Unbiased dissection. If it's naive, why the rating system in the first place?
Do you have any proof that children will play this unreleased game?
Do you have any proof that these games influence young people?
Do you have a definition for 'this type of material', given you haven't seen the material itself?
Have any of your children committed a violent act which was before they played GTA?
Have you committed a violent act before you played GTA?
Have you ever seen or played GTA?
Why are families now considered more important than other demographics?
Why are families even allowing children to have constant exposure to any material?

Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide! It's addictive and will kill you, yet 99% of companies still use it!

Morons.

@The_root_of_all_evil: Very well-put, man.

This kind of sensationalism is what little groups like Family First tend to thrive on, at least here in the 'States. Some big title (GTA III, VC, SA, Manhunt, [insert name of any shooter ever made here], etc) comes out and suddenly its time to play the ol' "johnny-jump-lately-on-the-fucking-bandwagon" card in order to get publicity for your group and "prove" yourselves as being something OTHER than a waste of time (which they, mostly, fail at in my opinion).

This is a lot like the misguided and sensationalist crap that Hillary Clinton was pulling with the "Hot Coffee" thing from San Andreas**. If this is all such a big freakin' deal, why don't they pull the thousands of sex simulators off the internet, which are PROFOUNDLY easier for kids to get access to? Why don't they lobby something more useful? Because the one thing that's the MOST in the public's eye is GTA IV right now, and that's what'll be the hot thing for all these groups to, yet again, use to get themselves known.

**Reference from BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4682533.stm

"why don't they pull the thousands of sex simulators off the internet, which are PROFOUNDLY easier for kids to get access to? "

Because they have no idea they exist. These people aren't concerned with reality. It's quite amusing that we, the people who wallow in the unreal have a far better grasp on reality than those who claim to be it's champions, whatever that means ^^

I think more violence is going erupt from this than will be prevented.

Dectilon:
"why don't they pull the thousands of sex simulators off the internet, which are PROFOUNDLY easier for kids to get access to? "

Because they have no idea they exist. These people aren't concerned with reality. It's quite amusing that we, the people who wallow in the unreal have a far better grasp on reality than those who claim to be it's champions, whatever that means ^^

So very true ^^

The_root_of_all_evil:

Malygris:
"It is completely naive to believe that teenagers and young children won't have access to and be able to play the game," said group spokesman Bob McCoskrie. "It is also completely unrealistic to believe that young people will not be influenced in their attitudes and behaviors by constant exposure to this type of material."

Unbiased dissection. If it's naive, why the rating system in the first place?
Do you have any proof that children will play this unreleased game?
Do you have any proof that these games influence young people?
Do you have a definition for 'this type of material', given you haven't seen the material itself?
Have any of your children committed a violent act which was before they played GTA?
Have you committed a violent act before you played GTA?
Have you ever seen or played GTA?
Why are families now considered more important than other demographics?
Why are families even allowing children to have constant exposure to any material?

Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide! It's addictive and will kill you, yet 99% of companies still use it!

Morons.

OMG, we must get rid of this dihydorgen monoxide, it will ruin our children... /sarcasm

I can't say any better me'self. Kudos root.

mitsoxfan:
I think more violence is going erupt from this than will be prevented.

Haha! My words exactly. This really sucks tho because im from Australia and i thought "better get it early before it gets edited like the rest of them." Looks like i'm gonna have to sell it to one of my friends and go on eBay and get American-ised. What i don't understand about this is that we have an R18+ rating for movies but not games! Argh!

I've heard the content taken out of the New Zealand version is a man getting raped/tortured/questioned with a gun up his arse. Honestly its fine with me if they take that out.

/facepalm

Fuck, I am so sorry New Zealand. It's probably because of our retarded games rating system that you guys got stuck with the shitty censored version too. Our bad.

So once more New Zeland has to copy us (Australia). Do something original for once!

But still, this sucks. We have to pay more for less content. I don' care if it is some rape torture scene, it still feels like we're getting jipped for our $$$.

Blasphemy!