Australia Getting Watered-Down Version of GTA IV
Australia Getting Watered-Down Version of GTA IV
April 4, 2008
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Grand Theft Auto IV, due for April 29th release, has been edited to satisfy Australian censors. Jason Hill of the SMH writes:A Rockstar spokesperson confirmed to Screen Play yesterday that the company had produced a special version of GTA IV to comply with the Australian classification system, which does not currently contain an R18+ rating, but declined to reveal what material had been cut...
The Grand Theft Auto series has a chequered past with the OFLC in Australia. In 2001, thousands of copies of GTA III were sold before the game was rated and refused classification because players could pick-up prostitutes. An edited version was later released. 2002's Gran Theft Auto: Vice City was also edited for Australian audiences.
Via: GamesIndustry.biz
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LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 07/20/08 at 07:08pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: -he's disbarred. I was thinking Leland Yee, since he has actual medical credentials and all, not to mention political power.
GRIZZAM PRIME: -he's disbarred. I was thinking Leland Yee, since he has actual medical credentials and all, not to mention political power.
Posted 07/20/08 at 07:03pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: Well shadow, every time I look at the shoutboard I see JT over and over, and I'm wondering who'll be spoken of the most when
GRIZZAM PRIME: Well shadow, every time I look at the shoutboard I see JT over and over, and I'm wondering who'll be spoken of the most when
Posted 07/20/08 at 06:59pm
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : Point of relevancy there Grizzam? j/w
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : Point of relevancy there Grizzam? j/w
Posted 07/20/08 at 06:48pm
GRIZZAM PRIME: So, in the future, who's initials will we use the most? LY(Leeland Yee)?
GRIZZAM PRIME: So, in the future, who's initials will we use the most? LY(Leeland Yee)?
Posted 07/20/08 at 03:52pm
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : @PHOENIXZERO: IDK, why don't you ask him over e-mail?
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : @PHOENIXZERO: IDK, why don't you ask him over e-mail?
Posted 07/20/08 at 01:47pm
Silencets: I might miss JT when he's disbarred.....nah I won't
Silencets: I might miss JT when he's disbarred.....nah I won't
Posted 07/20/08 at 11:45am
PHOENIXZERO: I wonder how many times Jack has seen The Dark Knight so far....
PHOENIXZERO: I wonder how many times Jack has seen The Dark Knight so far....
Posted 07/19/08 at 11:32am
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Don´t you think that maybe Fat Princess will generate a lot of controversy?
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: Don´t you think that maybe Fat Princess will generate a lot of controversy?
Posted 07/19/08 at 08:46am
Paul T. Farinelli: To say that he did say it seriously, considering all of the rhetoric that he's spewed before.
Paul T. Farinelli: To say that he did say it seriously, considering all of the rhetoric that he's spewed before.
Posted 07/19/08 at 08:45am
Paul T. Farinelli: Apparently it was a joke on JT's part. He acts as though we all should've realized that, but it's not to big of a stretch
Paul T. Farinelli: Apparently it was a joke on JT's part. He acts as though we all should've realized that, but it's not to big of a stretch
Posted 07/19/08 at 07:14am
LuNaTiC: JT was not loved as a child. What jack ass forgot to pull out when creating this abomination??
LuNaTiC: JT was not loved as a child. What jack ass forgot to pull out when creating this abomination??
Posted 07/18/08 at 10:32pm
Paul T. Farinelli: Seriously, i haven't been so awe-struck by someone's sheer audacity in...ever!
Paul T. Farinelli: Seriously, i haven't been so awe-struck by someone's sheer audacity in...ever!
Posted 07/18/08 at 09:45pm
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : And I can take "No" for an answer.
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : And I can take "No" for an answer.
Posted 07/18/08 at 09:45pm
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : JT is such a tool. He thinks he can have his way just because he's a Christian. Listen up, Jackie-boy, I'm a Christian, too.
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : JT is such a tool. He thinks he can have his way just because he's a Christian. Listen up, Jackie-boy, I'm a Christian, too.
Posted 07/18/08 at 09:09pm
Paul T. Farinelli: Also, I must say that Jack honestly looks like a serial killer in that pic. (not saying he is one, just that he looks creepy)
Paul T. Farinelli: Also, I must say that Jack honestly looks like a serial killer in that pic. (not saying he is one, just that he looks creepy)
Posted 07/18/08 at 09:08pm
Paul T. Farinelli: Jace was apparently polite.
Paul T. Farinelli: Jace was apparently polite.
Posted 07/18/08 at 09:07pm
Paul T. Farinelli: I agree, it just seems like pure insanity that Jack would seriously say that to the man's face during an interview, one in which
Paul T. Farinelli: I agree, it just seems like pure insanity that Jack would seriously say that to the man's face during an interview, one in which
Posted 07/18/08 at 07:48pm
Jack Wessels: If not then... Damn...
Jack Wessels: If not then... Damn...
Posted 07/18/08 at 07:48pm
Jack Wessels: Hey Dennis, I know you can't share the videos JT sent you, but was there perhaps even a slight amount of sarcasm in his replies?
Jack Wessels: Hey Dennis, I know you can't share the videos JT sent you, but was there perhaps even a slight amount of sarcasm in his replies?
Posted 07/18/08 at 06:21pm
tallimar: ... news story so much as a punch line.
tallimar: ... news story so much as a punch line.
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Comments
Care to explain why the use of "gay" is somehow an insult? I'm curious
I would prefer it come out slightly censored than not at all. I personally am importing the sucker from Asia... play-asia.com FTW.
Australia is currently coming out of 12 years of conservative fear, it will take a while to return to the free loving larricans we are known as.
For now I'm planning to import from NZ, I'll still save $10-20 over buying it from EB. I also have a number of friends who are planning the same thing... Maybe reduced sales in Australia will clue people in!
This will be released UNCUT in Britain. BBFC approved even.
Inconvenient Truth: We know. Dennis told us about a week ago.
The R18+ rating isn't coming fast enough
Whens Manhunt 2 coming out in the UK????
That doesn't suprise me in the least.
It probably is the prostitutes. They now offer three "levels of service" in the game and it sounds like its not just the old bouncing suspension animation.
...Take-Two has replaced all prostitutes in GTA IV with kangaroos to meet the Australian censorship board's standards and get the game released. When a Take Two representative was asked, "Why not koalas?" she replied, "Koalas are much too violent and have claws. They'd never pass the censorship board's gaming standards."
A soon to be former attorney had this to say: "It's written down. It must be true!"
...More as the story develops ;)
Last time I checked the PS3 was region-free for all PS3 games...
Are you holding a news conferance because I have questions?
Might be some of the online games to.
Fire away! Who needs a news conference? :)
Glad you thought this whole "moral outrage" thing through....
The US continues to water down beers.
Australia will water down their games until that stops.
paying US/Japan retail prices, plus postage), and usually WAY
before the game is even released here, if at all (I am one of the
few here to own smash bros, freeloader is handy, and last time
I get a non region free PAL console).
I'll import this just like everything else, skip all of the crap we have to put
up with.
-Twixn-
I'm cancelling my pre-order and importing, and I'm not happy about it. Does anybody have good links to a cheap and fast import site?
I use play.com or play-asia.com. They're best for the PS3 as it's region free but for PAL sometimes they're a day or two behind (which baffles me because they mostly sell to PAL countries)...
I'll be getting it the 360 and I'm unsure which region will be compatible. I know I can order it from New Zealand, but are there any other countries I can get it from, just in case?
Violence is ok but any sign of Prostitutes are considered more offensive.
May I add that there are many Prostitutes in many MA15+ rated movies...
However, T2's website is terrible. Can't find a contact number anywhere and there online registration system is broken. Typical.
The OPLC is out of control and clearly going against the will of the populace - not just in these matters but in film and literature as well. For a supposedly democratic country Australia has some of the harshest censorship of the western world.
Yup, you've pretty much said what I planned to. I'm asking for the 360 version of GTA4 for my birthday and then when the PC version comes out, utorrent might just consume a few gig of my bandwidth...
The OFLC will be getting a stern letter from me which will force them to expend the energy to crunch it up into a ball and toss it into a paper recycle bin. That'll show 'em!
When it comes to sex, we're quite liberal minded.
Absolutely nothing. The ban is on the sale of the game. Not on ownership. Siply import from NZ. It's faster.
Tonight the hard hitting news conferance! With Your host GP, you interviewers: anyone who askes a stupid answer specificly for a stupid answer, Tonights Guest Loudspeaker!
Will the Kangaroos be available for pick up then subsiquent murder? Also, is the rumor you can beat the ever loving **** out of Aquaman true?!
I'll probably just import the standard version from NZ, trade the neutered copy and keep the bonus stuff.
It's going to cost fortune, and I guess for GTA it would be worth it, BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO!
As an Aussie (13-year old) gamer, I shall buy this game via import.
"...Maybe reduced sales [of GTA: IV] in Australia will clue people in!"
No, it'll be ammo for those who think the majority of gamers are crooks who pirate games so they can have their precious violence and sex.
Otherwise we'd HAVE the uncensored version, albeit rated R18+.
Importing a game and pirating a game are nowhere near the same thing.
Most stores over there have been told they are getting the Aussie version of the game.
One example,
http://games.internode.on.net/content.php?mode=news&id=2912
& it still gets an R rating
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