Report: PC Version of GTA IV Won't Be Edited for Aussie Market ...But?
Report: PC Version of GTA IV Won't Be Edited for Aussie Market ...But?
December 1, 2008
There's a confusing story on GameSpot this morning which reports that the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV will be released in the Australian market with no content edits.
It's odd because earlier this year Australian censors refused to issue a rating to the console versions of GTA IV until some of the game's animated hooker sex scenes were chopped. An unnanmed Australian Rockstar spokesperson told GameSpot:
Grand Theft Auto IV PC has been rated MA15+ strong violence, sex scenes, coarse language, and drug references by the Australian Classification Office. The PC game is unedited in any way and identical in content to the international version.
So... does this mean that Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification is no longer concerned about the hooker animations? Or that it is - for some reason - less concerned about them in the PC version?
Is it possible that R* left the animations out of the PC version? Will future shipments of the console version to Australia add the sex scenes back in?
Something doesn't add up on this one.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: In photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
JDKJ: BREAKING: In photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
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Comments
Sounds to me that a. they weren't paying as much attention when rating this version or b. it is no longer a convenient whipping boy do to the game being out for several months already or c. They just assumed it was the same version as the console versions and gave it the same rating.
E. Zachary Knight
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It won't be reason b. The reason why the highest rating for video games in Australia is because one Michael Atkinson believes what Jack Thompson does: That violent videos games cause violence. He even tries to state "scientific research" to backup his claims (but as far as I've read about, these supposed tests are flawed incredibly anyway).
Because of his vote against an R18 rating, the chances of Australia ever getting an R18 rating for games is slim to nothing. Unless or course he dies or retires.
-- Joshua Smellie
Thats not actually true.
The current South Australian Labor government can choose to change the Attorney General to someone other than Michael Atkinson, and the state Labor government has stated that they are not opposed to an R18+ rating.
It is also possible for the Liberal party to win the next state election, which would also see a change in the Attorney General, and the Liberals also have no problem with an R rating.
The only thing that can't happen is for Atkinson to lose his seat, as he is in one of the safest Labor seats in the state.
It will be interesting to see that if there was anyone to challenge the Seat of Michael Atkinson in the 2010 South Australian State election, I would rather see it be a young Gamer Politician who knows allot more about Videogames and also about the Media Violence Research than what Mr Atkinson does.
But also he or she would have to come up against allot of parinoid parents who do fear videogames, and who are more perswayed to Mr Atkinson's belief.
If the South Australian Liberal Party want to take Mr Atkinson's seat, one that is one of the safest Labor seats, then they would have to go for someone who is completely different to Mr Atkinson who could give him a run for his money.
It is really a strange to see that Grand Theft Auto IV will release in Australia.
http://www.blueunplugged.com/p.aspx?p=122588
the most sensible conclusion is that the stuff the objected to from the console version is not in the PC version. Still sucks for the Aussies. I wonder what version Steam will carry in Aus.
It's australian politicians at work. Of COURSE it doesn't make any sense. Just make note that you're glad you don't live there, and move on. :p
Maybe they finally payed off the right people? Isn't that how censorship works?
they let it slide because they don't see the PC as a "gaming platform." a PC is something that everybody has. but a console is a "toy" that only children have. so a game on the console is a lot more likely to get into the hands of a child, because, "games are for kids," you know. it all makes sense if you look at it from their whacky point of view. but that doesn't make it right.
It is not murder; I am merely advancing the hands of the clock, just a bit.
You hit the nail right on the head IMO. Many people make this connection in their head that console=kids toy and computer=adult toy. Which is ridiculous, to be sure, however it's just goes to show how out-of-touch with the times these people are. Kids that played Atari 2600, NES, Neo-Geo(way ahead of their time), Sega master system, SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, Sega X32, and on and on, we're adults now, and we play games. Even adults who didn't play those old systems as kids are getting into it now. It's ridiculous to assume consoles are made for kids especially when this current generation had us seeing $500-600 price tages for just the system. These things are now basically miniature computer systems with network connections and hard drives, USB ports and everything. Bah... poly-ticks...
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Remember back in the 80s when the Videogame Crash affected the American Market, until Nintendo released their NES with R.O.B and they sold it as a toy?
Even though it was an important steep for the Videogame Industry, it also highlights the verry issue that we see now. There are still people from an older generation who still see Videogame Consoles as toys and the PC market avoided it when the Commodore 64 marketed itself as more of a world processor computer.
Shame that the old belifes of the older generation of the 80's and the 90's don't really match up with the market of today where Videogames are seen as a console for everyone of different tastes and sensabilities.
I'd definitly have to go with this, its pretty much what Cpt Crunchie said, they don't see the PC as a gaming console, while the regular consoles are "toys" that must be regulated to hell and back, so yeah, that'd pretty much be the reason.
Hey, maybe they think PC gaming is dying. :P
M. Carusi
Capitol Gaming
http://capitolgaming.blogspot.com
I think Australia is waiting to attack GTA IV.
--- Official Protector of Videoland!
It's all a ploy of the crab people. No brainer.
I'm an attention whore. So visit my DevaintArt and feed my ego. Feed the whore. http://keaton2008.deviantart.com/
The problem with this article is that it trys to find logic in the workings of a major government body.
If I may raise the possiblility, prehaps it is being released unrated? It is on the PC after all.
It's illegal to sell unrated games in Australia, unfortunately. :\
Remember, all the games that have been 'banned' weren't banned as such, they were just refused classification and thus because illegal to sell. Although apparently this also extends into it being illegal to import the game, I have no idea how that works.
Pre-ordering today, picking up tomorrow.
Hopefully just right before the Family groups start whining and get this version b&.
The newspost above contains a major inaccuracy - the Australian Classification Board (formerly the Office of Film and Literature Classification) never saw an unedited version of GTA4 on console and never demanded edits.
Take 2 suspected that the CB would object to some of the content in the game and, without consultation, pre-edited the console release. There were two minor edits: picking up hookers was toned down (no levels of service, and camera fixed behind the car) and running over corposes no longer left bloody tyre marks on the road. This is the only version that the CB saw. They never saw an unedited version and never demanded cuts.
It appears that Take 2 figured the PC version is not as important to their overall financial goals, so if it were to be refused classification and need to be resubmitted, it wouldn't hurt them too much. As such, they simply submitted the unedited version for classification. Surprise, surprise, the CB being as wonderfully consistent as it is (not), it's been passed just fine with an MA15+ rating.
I'm just reading between the lines here, of course, and there's more than a little conjecture. If I'm right, though, it's one helluva clever marketing ploy from Take 2. Many Aussies would be tempted to buy the game again on PC, just so they know they have the original, unedited product, free from government interference.
I gues we'll have to wait and see.
-- http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/