GTA IV Edited for Weapon Insertion in "Private Area"?

Australia and New Zealand news

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GTA IV Edited for Weapon Insertion in "Private Area"?
The latest rumour to raise its head into the miasma of Grand Theft Auto IV chatter floating on the Interweb suggests that the cut content from the Australian version of the game includes a weapon being inserted into a character's "private area".

A forum poster reports that they called Take-Two (saying only that they called "a friggin expensive 1902 number" - an Australian pay-to-call suffix) and were told the following:

"Well in regards to what Rockstar have removed for the Australian release, as far as we're aware there was only one sexually violent cut-scene which Rockstar felt would cause the game to be Refused Classification. Unfortunately we're not able to go into specifics until after the game has been released but I can tell you that the scene involves a weapon being inserted into an enemies private area during a mission where Niko is taking revenge after one of his close friends was forced into sexual intercourse during his stay in prison."


This is then made more specific by another poster who claims to that one cutscene, "involves some low key methods of torture and ends with a character having a baseball bat jammed up his ass".

This echoes a posting to Wired earlier this month (April 4th) that states, "I've read a rumour that the scene cut is of someone getting...buggered...by a baseball bat (!)"

Surely the Take-Two rep on the end of the 1902 number was having a larf? Apparently not. When asked, the rep said:

"No. This is what Rockstar felt needed to be removed from the game for it's Australian release. We were recently given permission to release this information because as we understand, Rockstar originally made a press release stating that the game would be released uncut world wide. We felt it would be misleading not to release the information".


Of course, this one needs filing firmly under 'rumour' for now, with only a forum poster's word to go on. SPOnG has contacted Rockstar for comment and will let you know what comes back.

Rockstar produced an edited version of GTA IV for Australia in order to comply with its ratings system, which has no 18+ category for games. You can see the company's official statement on the subject here.

Hilariously though, this rumour could add to the value of the third (well, officially second, if you take the fact that a Grand Prize isn't, for some reason, First Prize) prize in the Xbox Live/GTA IV competition that closed two days ago. That prize? "Two Thousand Second Prizes: A Rockstar baseball bat".

If you want to read more about GTA IV, check out SPOnG's recent hands on and Girl Gamer column.

Sources: Whirlpool.net
Wired
Companies:
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Comments

Joji 17 Apr 2008 11:53
1/2
I really don't see the need for the edit, as we've all seen worse in plenty of flicks.

I've read stories of a back lash to this edit, and moreso to the stupid australian govenment not granting an R18 rating, this kind of mature game clearly needs.

Australian gamers have been cancelling their pre orders for GTA4, in protest to the aussie government, rip off game prices and more importantly, the lack of R18 rating.pick this one up.

How come you didn't pick this news up, Spong?
TimSpong 17 Apr 2008 12:20
2/2
Joji wrote:
Australian gamers have been cancelling their pre orders for GTA4, in protest to the aussie government, rip off game prices and more importantly, the lack of R18 rating.pick this one up.

How come you didn't pick this news up, Spong?


For a start it's "some Australian gamers"... [sigh]
Secondly, cancelling their pre-orders with which outlets? [double-sigh]

Thirdly, if you mean why haven't we picked up on Jason Hill's story on the Fairfax Press - we did.

If what you really mean is, "Why haven't you repeated Jason's story rather than talking to your contacts in Australia where you lived for nearly a decade, Tim and therefore being able to add to the initial report with, for example, some numbers from JB Hi-Fi pre-order cancellations or EB pre-order cancellations?" then you've answered your own question.

Or - if you think we didn't pick up on it - you could have been helpful and sent some information relevant.

Or - if you're not referring to Jason's story, you could have been helpful and provided related info.

Any of those options would have been constructive.

G'day

Tim
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