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Captain Obvious: GTA IV censored in Australia photo

Regular readers will know that for all the problems the US and Europe put up with in terms of the anti-games agenda, things could be worse -- we could all live in Australia. Community member Boolean has informed us of Australia's latest foolishness -- arising from the country's lack of an 18 rating -- as Grand Theft Auto IV has received edits to make it suitable for 15-year olds.

This is certainly nothing new. Rockstar has been having to make special versions of GTA for Australia since the unedited version of Grand Theft Auto III was banned. It just goes to show that Australia needs a little evolution. It's ludicrous to demand that there be no material purely for adults in the country.

Rockstar has not confirmed what, exactly, the edits are, but if this game is as adult-oriented as it seems, one would think that importing is the best option if you don't want an incomplete experience.  

We don't talk about the trouble of Australian gamers enough, but rest assured we feel terrible for you guys. Dicked over by the industry as much as Europe, and even when you do get a game, there's a chance of it being banned or hacked down. Here's hoping you get an 18 rating soon.


Continue: More Grand Theft Auto stories





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50 comments | showing # 1 to 50

The Johnggernaut's Avatar
The Johnggernaut at 04/10/2008 06:29
WTF can they do? Make the guns giant hot dogs that shoot out mustard??? A gun is a fuggin gun and no matter how you censor it, anyone playing it will know wtf is going on...

Ridiculous...
Ferros's Avatar
Ferros at 04/10/2008 06:35
We're all just importing it from New Zealand or England. The Australian dollar is pretty strong at the moment so it's cheaper to import than to buy at retail anyway.
Veck's Avatar
Veck at 04/10/2008 06:38
I'm surprised Rockstar didn't just edit the game for Australia in the development stages. They must've seen this coming.
Boolean's Avatar
Boolean at 04/10/2008 06:44
@ Ferros: That's the most bizarre thing, you hop over to New Zealand and they have had an 18+ video game rating since..well..ever I think. Last time I checked it hadn’t turned into a super criminal hell hole. Sure its still full of New Zealanders which is always a bad thing (^_^), but the crime rate hasn’t exploded just because adults played a game meant for adults.

Over 10 years this debate has been going on.
hoezee's Avatar
hoezee at 04/10/2008 06:47
Ferros, that is what I was going to say. The ps3 is region free right? You can just import the game and bam, blood, or hookers, whatever.
Boolean's Avatar
Boolean at 04/10/2008 06:47
@ Veck: Back in February Rockstar actually stated that GTA would release in Australia with no edits. Of course once the OFLC found out that the game had "guns" and "a cloud shaped like a gun" and "pollution", they bought down their red faced fury as they like to do and forced the changes.
The Young Scot's Avatar
The Young Scot at 04/10/2008 06:47
Australia, my heart goes out to you. No 18 rating? Seriously? That is madness!
Release82's Avatar
Release82 at 04/10/2008 06:49
I was planning on moving to Australia when the U.S. Government collapses and anarchy takes over, now I'm thinking New Zealand. Lord of the Rings was filmed there so it can't be that bad.
vampireblood's Avatar
vampireblood at 04/10/2008 06:57
Yep being Australian I can assure you having an R18 rating sucks balls but It's soon coming, SOON we will have an R18+ rating with the new government laws etc brought in by the Rudd Government.

As for GTA4, well I'm resorting to importing, I don't want no BS Censored version, every GTA game from GTA3 onwards has been imported anyway ;P
Totally Tubular Thomas's Avatar
Totally Tubular Thomas at 04/10/2008 07:04
Our Prime Minister looks like a Pokemon. I hope that has some influence on an R18+ rating for games here.
hoppo254's Avatar
hoppo254 at 04/10/2008 07:09
Pedestrains are Kangeroo's and the guns are boomerangs , all the bad language is now Rack off ! and Neighbours and Home and Away play in the background on tc's.

The Music has been replaced with Rolf Harris's version of Knockin on Heavens door
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 04/10/2008 07:11
.... why don't they have an 18 rating? Seems like a kinda of obvious step to me.
The Young Scot's Avatar
The Young Scot at 04/10/2008 07:13
@Totally Tubular Thomas

So i herd u liek Kevin Rudd...
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 04/10/2008 07:15
Can't wait to decapitate aboriginals in the uncensored version. I hear Native Australian Societal Rape Tycoon is John Howard's favorite game though. How did that get away with bans in the last 300 years?
FooLiz's Avatar
FooLiz at 04/10/2008 07:17
This sucks but we all knew it would come. Anyone who had seen the trailer knew deep down that the Australian OFLC would chuck a hissy fit.
orao's Avatar
orao at 04/10/2008 07:20
Worst country ever.I..
promise my sister come I would come to visit her, I can't wait to leave in a week or week and half. I go back to europe is at least much better I stay there, only visit japan. kevin rudd has a fat face. democracy, si more like totalitarian regime
RAPEGAME's Avatar
RAPEGAME at 04/10/2008 07:43
play-asia ftw

uncensored and $50 cheaper
Stoney's Avatar
Stoney at 04/10/2008 07:46
Being an aussie just got worse. We already paid $100 for games and now this.
Sarin's Avatar
Sarin at 04/10/2008 07:50
@rapegame
That's where my money's going.

The R18+ rating is currently crawling through the Government legislature so it will probably take a while before it gets put in place.
Also I can't wait for GTA IV

Also this is like a week old now
Remz's Avatar
Remz at 04/10/2008 08:02
And once again, we aussie gamers get fucked over.


aw well. :(
Sarin's Avatar
Sarin at 04/10/2008 08:07
@qwerty
No one with any self-respect drinks Fosters in Australia. You'll honestly never find it in any pub.
It's the shittest beer ever made and thats why we try to ship it as far away as posible :P
Ali D's Avatar
Ali D at 04/10/2008 08:09
Man alive, and I moved here...

Also getting news that Rock Band maybe delayed until Christmas!!! There are also terrible rumours that it may not even be released. If I win the lottery one day, I'm buying a second house back in Scotland so I can play some fuckin' games.
p1xelat3d's Avatar
p1xelat3d at 04/10/2008 08:10
@qwerty: every country has their own pussies, too bad they're a lot of them working in the government, the blokes that sit back and relax and have a beer are too cbf to do anything really.

last time they edited a gta game they just took out the hookers on the street, im hoping nothing too serious that affects the story and feel of the game are being edited.
Doom Gaze's Avatar
Doom Gaze at 04/10/2008 08:12
What the hell kind of edits are they making? Is it going to just be one continuous bleep throughout the 100+ hours of game play with black bars over any and everything obscene?

Man, I feel for you Aussies.
Demtor's Avatar
Demtor at 04/10/2008 08:15
What happened to the old days where people got upset about actual REAL LIFE violence and crime that goes on every single day.
Crunshii's Avatar
Crunshii at 04/10/2008 08:15
Import time!
wakeey's Avatar
wakeey at 04/10/2008 08:19
What is yahtzee going to do?
10BobMarleys's Avatar
10BobMarleys at 04/10/2008 08:22
all they tok out last time was the hookers, which were back in by the time san andreas came out. Even the re-released San Andreas had hookers. Id be surprised if they took out more than the decapitations and hookers.
RJG's Avatar
RJG at 04/10/2008 08:27
While we're all bitching about us Aussies missing out on the real GTA, spare a thought for Europe who gets dicked over on Rock Band pricing. This isn't an issue in Australia for one simple reason:

We don't get the game at all.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 04/10/2008 08:32
So glad I live in America...
AgentMOO's Avatar
AgentMOO at 04/10/2008 09:00
All characters changed to care bears, and action keys are all mapped to "hug"
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 04/10/2008 09:09
On the flip side, prostitution is legal in Australia, so maybe they're just looking out for all the hookers not wanting to get killed.
topgeargorilla's Avatar
topgeargorilla at 04/10/2008 09:26
they should call it "Grand Fun Auto IV"!

I'd buy it!

Speaking of censors, was anybody else not allowed to play FFVII because there was swearing?

Yeah, it sucked.
p1xelat3d's Avatar
p1xelat3d at 04/10/2008 09:28
it's sad how a lot of people specially from the older generations use games as a scapegoat for their own faults.

not to say that the youth aren't to be blamed as well, but cmon there's a lot more factors out there to get a kid to pick up a gun and shoot someone..

this is lame, i'm contemplating on cancelling my gta iv preorder and getting that Kratos toy instead lol :P
Josh Tolentino's Avatar
Josh Tolentino at 04/10/2008 09:46
PS3 owners aren't completely in the cold. Since the PS3 is nominally region-free, you could import it from an uncensored country. Hell, you could import a bunch of copies and sell them at shortage prices.
double2's Avatar
double2 at 04/10/2008 09:46
the anus shattering thrust will probably be whent he australians realise they cant use the DLC if they buy a non local version of the game...well at least you got that special gold version of Ocarina of Time...good old gold version of Ocarina of Time...keep holding on to that!
Justin Villasenor's Avatar
Justin Villasenor at 04/10/2008 09:49
Poor Aussies. They just can't catch a break.
double2's Avatar
double2 at 04/10/2008 09:56
sorry, can i also just add for contrast to everyone elses statements - i assume that an 18 version simply will just mean less blood. are there any aussies here who have played censored and uncensored versions of previous GTA games? can you clue us up on this whole rigmaroll? rickmaroll?
gleesona's Avatar
gleesona at 04/10/2008 10:05
Yes, fucking Australian government sucks donkey balls. We need the R 18 rating RIGHT NOW!!!!
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 04/10/2008 10:34
Poor, poor australians. At least they can import normally non-gimped EU copies of the games without having to crack their consoles, but that's really small consolation.
milescosmo's Avatar
milescosmo at 04/10/2008 10:41
I was under the impression the US had no 18 rating either, or at least one that the big three will allow to be stamped on one of their games. But i spose thats not a problem considering how lax they are when it comes to rating their games. I hate living in Australia sometimes, but ill just import it, still trying to decide which system to get it for maye being forced to import will decide for me.
Druid 01's Avatar
Druid 01 at 04/10/2008 11:38
The US's M rating is for 17+ in age. and then the AO is pretty much for porn, or games that are made scapegoats (cough manhunt 2) in order to attempt to scare gamemakers into making games less violent. you can't find AO rated games anywhere in the US. but the usually 18 year old one is M
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 04/10/2008 11:48
This is so facepalming-lame... honestly... why does AU do this?
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 04/10/2008 12:23
It's never about violence, it's always about sex. Because sex is sooo much more detrimental to the younginz.
necrozen's Avatar
necrozen at 04/10/2008 16:51
That's really sad, australians. I'm sorry to hear that. Man, I always wanted to move there because it seems like such a nice place and all the Australians I've ever met have been really cool folks, but if they gimp my games, forget it.
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 04/10/2008 17:47
Hey, at least mod chips are legal over there so that importing is more friendly?
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar
BlackSunEmpire at 04/10/2008 20:56
Its probably cheaper to import a copy anyway. You just wont have it on day 1 necessarily.

@RJG Are you sure you dont get rockband?? Or are you just talking about it being delayed??
p1xelat3d's Avatar
p1xelat3d at 04/10/2008 22:42
Oh well, at least we get prizes like this:

http://www.xbox.com/en-au/community/news/2008/0304-xbox360chopper.htm
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 04/11/2008 02:07
Grand Auto IV doesn't have the same ring.
hood_954's Avatar
hood_954 at 04/11/2008 06:33
FUCKING FACEPALM JPEG RIGHT HERE. I WANT TO DO HOOKERS AND THEN STOMP ON THEM AFTER! Also, ROCK BAND.
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