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GTA4: The Aussies Strike Back

The Aussies are mad as hell and they won't take it anymore... well at least that's what some gamers feel like. The highly awaited Grand Theft Auto 4 will be hitting Australian shores on April 29. But the big difference between their version and the US version is content. 

In order to pass the Australian media classification system, which does not have a rating of R18+, Rockstar had to tone down a lot of the game in order meet the MA15+ rating so the game could be sold in OzzieLand.

Outraged gamers have retaliated by canceling their pre-orders for GTA4 and will be resorting to purchasing import copies that are cheaper and have its content uncut.

Victorian deputy premier and attorney general Rob Hulls said, "It seems inconsistent that in Australia adults are allowed to view adult-only films, which have been classified R18+ by the classification board, but not computer games with an equivalent high-level content. At the moment, Australia is out-of-step with the rest of the developed world on this issue."

Hulls also said, "While computer games have predominantly been considered the domain of children, the most up-to-date research indicates a steadily growing trend in adult consumers of the product, with the current average age of gamers reported to be 28 years."

Aussie gamers ask, "If the average age of gamers is  28 years old in Australia, what is delaying the process of expanding the game category classification further to include adult material such as that found in Grand Theft Auto 4?"

A very good question, indeed. 

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