GTA IV gets cut for Australia

By Robert Purchese Published 4 April, 2008

Will carry a warning and everything.

Rockstar has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto IV has been cut in order to be granted a release in Australia.

The edited version was awarded the highest rating of MA15+, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, and carries the warning of "strong violence, strong coarse language, drug and sexual references".

There is no 18 rating in Australia because of all the kangaroos and dangerous spiders.

Previous instalments in the Grand Theft Auto series have also had to be edited in order to save the brains of the Australian public.

Earlier this week the BBFC cleared GTA IV for release in the UK with an 18 rating.

Grand Theft Auto IV will be released for Xbox 360 and PS3 on 29th April.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Feanor #1 4 years ago

    The Victorian Deputy Premier is now saying that Australia needs to get an R18 rating for games just like they have for films.

    http://www.gamespot.com/news/6188543.html

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #2 4 years ago

    But what about the dangerous spiders?

  • MGG #3 4 years ago

    Jeez "Australia catches up with rest of world". Any aussies on here? Want to explain why you still live in a censor-police state?

  • Denny #4 4 years ago

    "There is no 18 rating in Australia because of all the kangaroos and dangerous spiders.

    Previous instalments in the Grand Theft Auto series have also had to be edited in order to save the brains of the Australian public."

    Quite possibly my favourite two sentences ever published on eurogamer.
    +lots

  • rogueJT #5 4 years ago


    Australia sucks. I can tell you that the hooker scenes are gone anyway, those Wombats down there don't seem to like those.

  • neilka #6 4 years ago

    Surely a country populated entirely by convicts is pretty much constant real life GTA anyway?

  • THEGREATMADMAN #7 4 years ago

    Surely its up to the people to decide what they say, not the government. Thats the thing with governments these days, including in Britain, they treat every citizen like a little kid. I'll decide what i see thanks very much, now go and tackle some real issues

  • agparrot #8 4 years ago

    They have Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson, but not the full GTA IV!

    ho ho ho.

  • RazorObsession #9 4 years ago

    Bastards. i fucking knew it.

    I'm a 'Pomme' living in Oz, and I cannot believe this shit. video games are about the one thing the country does backwards and its enough to make me want to go back over to Britain again. the manhunt issue wasn't even an issue out here, as it was never ever going to be released in any way shape or form.

    Prostitution is legal out here btw, but they cant have little johnny learn it from a videogame, they have to have wait until thier dads show em the ropes for reals. Oh and i don't know a single car driving aussie who doesn't drink drive 5 times a week MINIMUM.

    They invented the biker gangs (lone wolves, hells angels, all that shit) and its just like a mad max movie only more violent.

    I doubt they appreciate the irony either.

  • Greebo #10 4 years ago

    @RazorObsession

    They should let the games through unedited, then at least they'd have something to blame all that on!

  • Aretak #11 4 years ago

    Australia is planning to censor the internet, so games being cut is no surprise.

  • Freek #12 4 years ago

    They're a PAL terrority, so they could just import via Play.com or something to get the euro release.

  • Currychips #13 4 years ago

    As the majority of serious gamers will now import the title, it's their own stores that will miss out on the revenue and business.
    I've bought my cousins over there a couple of copies. I'll be shipping them out as soon as they arrive.

    Australia's loss is everyone else's gain.

    This edited version will just give more publicity to the game and make people more determined to seek it out.

    I bet R* are loving this, free publicity to go along with the rest of the hype. Lovely stuff.

  • Kyle #14 4 years ago

    @Freek: Wouldn't the shipping costs be pretty hefty?

    @Feanor: Didn't something similar to this happen a few months ago where an R18+ rating was suggested and the government basically shot the whole thing down?

  • WinterSnowblind #15 4 years ago

    Importing games doesn't cost all that much, and if they really want to play an uncensored version it's definitely worth it.
    The only downside is that they'd have to wait at least a week to get the game.

  • Mr_V #16 4 years ago

    I note that GTA IV has even made it past the German USK uncut with a "no youth" (18+) rating.

  • Whizzo #17 4 years ago

    NZ internet retailers are probably rubbing their hands with glee.

  • septimus #18 4 years ago

    Yay for nanny states.

  • Moribundman #19 4 years ago

    Well.... I suppose they have a point if they can't actually RESTRICT sales to under 18s...

    At least we can blame the parents over here!

    http://www.marcofolio.net/images/stories...

  • The_Inquisitor #20 4 years ago

    The Australians are more sceptical to violence you see, due to their criminal genes.

  • Lawlost #21 4 years ago

    Amazing this has not change since I lived out in Oz, I think they made cuts to Duke Nuke Em' ! Sad really considering they are liberal in other ways prostitution and porn, weird how they go all dizzy when it is in a videogame.

  • penhalion #22 4 years ago

    Come on it's not so long ago that we sent them off to colonise the new world on ships.....how DID they survive that one anyway? It looked fool proof on paper...you know...send them off in rickety ships...should sink before they ever get there....instead it's plain sailing

  • Double0_Jensen #23 4 years ago

    @RazorObsession - The Hell's Angels were formed in California... ;)

  • mkreku #24 4 years ago

    Apparently adults aren't allowed to play games in Australia. I'm glad I don't live there.

  • RazorObsession #25 4 years ago

    @Double0_Jensen - Try arguing that with a room full of Australians, truth or not, its easier just to agree with em.

  • djed #26 4 years ago

    i suggest australia go on a strike.

  • Monkey_Chops #27 4 years ago

    "There is no 18 rating in Australia because of all the kangaroos and dangerous spiders.

    Previous instalments in the Grand Theft Auto series have also had to be edited in order to save the brains of the Australian public."

    Hahaha! Love it.

  • Sneerk #28 4 years ago

    Aussies of the world, revolt!

  • napalm68 #29 4 years ago

    Mate, we are a country colonised by convicts, not puritans, catholics, and lace wearing frenchies like America was. And we have to put up with crap like this.

    :p

  • ardamillo #30 4 years ago

    From an Aussie point of view this is embarrassing, but I don't mind as it's actually cheaper to import it anyway.

    Part of the problem is that changing the law requires the agreement of the attorneys general of all 6 states. So as long as at least one of them is making some mileage out of anti-game posturing we will remain stuck in the 'gentler age' they recall so fondly.

  • ozallez #31 4 years ago

    Thank fark for New Zealand and their R rating, canceled my pre-order today and have ordered one from over the ditch ... love u Kiwis :D

  • samadriel #32 4 years ago

    Once again, the Kiwis show us the way.

    Of course, by the time the game finally comes out for the PC, where it bloody well belongs, they'll probably have added an R classification to the system, and I won't have to go to the trouble -- 'lucky' me!

    (That's neither a vote of confidence in Rockstar, nor in the eternally-backward Australian OFLC, incidentally)

  • teknohead #33 4 years ago

    @RazorObsession

    If everyone you know drinks 5 times a week, maybe you should take a good hard look at the types of people you want to spend your time around...

    Either way, on topic. This is a fucking load of shit and the censor board can lick my fuckin sack. I will be buying my copy from overseas as I don't agree with being censored by some wanky old cunt in an office.

  • Vandrius #34 4 years ago

    It doesn't bother me, and I'm from Australia.

    Why?

    Lets see... buy a game for AU$120 in aussie shops, or buy it from asia for AU$70 inc shipping. Thats roughly 50 quid versus 30 quid. *does math*

    Nope, still not buying a single game from Australia.

  • NegativeZero #35 4 years ago

    The real rub is that they're stinging us an extra $10 at retail compared to other software. At a time when our dollar is the highest in value it's been in decades.

    There will suddenly be a lot of New Zealand copies that end up in Australia, I think. Personally I'm going to wait and see if the US release is regioned (I suspect it won't be) and if not then I'm importing the US release since that will cost me just under half as much and not be censored.

  • Rodney #36 4 years ago

    could someone help me out here.

    Im living in Australia, but I brought my 360 over from the UK. What regions will play on my console?