GTA IV Rated by Australian Classification Board – Not 18+
by Patrick Steen on December 13, 2007 at 6:44 pm
So Grand Theft Auto IV has now been rated by the Australian Classification Board. It is not as mature as we might have expected, but this is a good thing for Australia.
The game has been rated a 15+. That is, no-one under the age of 15 can play the game without adult supervision. The game is said to include strong violence, strong coarse language, drug and sexual references.
Expected a higher rating? I mean this is the highly controversial Grand Theft Auto. It’s also set in a faux New York, and has more realistic characters. However, if a game is rated higher than 15+ in Oz, then the game cannot be sold. The game would be banned.
This was the case with Grand Theft Auto III; pulled off of Australian shelves for three months. Moreover, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were edited especially for Australia audiences.
So can we expect a tamer GTA experience? We don’t think so. Rockstar have just been conscious of the ratings boards, especially after the Manhunt 2 debacle.
Does this mean the game is now finished? Not necessarily. Often developers provide unfinished games to be rated, or even provide a “mix tape” of the typical content way before the end of development.
Via Neogaf
- Denied Down Under: Dark Sector Banned In Australia Due To Excessive Violence
- Australia Getting a Tamer GTA Experience
- Australian Fallout 3 Ban Lifted: Now with Less Psychedelics
- Australia forbids sale of Left 4 Dead 2
- It’s Here! The Latest Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer: “Move Up, Ladies”
- Left 4 Dead 2 Australian Censorship Sucks Hairy Kangaroo Balls, Nicole Kidman Doesn’t
- UK Watchdog Calls For Mad World Ban; National Paper Has Hysterics
- FTC Survey: Children Increasingly Unable to Buy M-Rated Games
5 Comments » |








on December 13, 2007 7:37 pm
Is it possible that Australia is getting a toned down version of GTA4?
And I hope this means the game is nearly done… I want to play it so badly!
on December 13, 2007 9:18 pm
Just call Bruce…
on December 13, 2007 10:18 pm
All the GTA versions in Australia come out with the full package for about 2 weeks, then they get recalled and edited.
You have to grab the game within that timeframe if you want to bang prostitutes.
on December 17, 2007 9:10 pm
I import my ps3 games anyway, I managed to get the others & manhunt before they were pulled off the shelf
on September 29, 2008 4:36 am
try to have one after you play get outside your room and get your shotgun start shooting people around you Lol:))=))