gaming Target Australia Pulls GTA V Due To Depictions Of Violence Against Women

[Delirium 208]

http://kotaku.com/target-australia-pulls-gta-v-due-to-depictions-of-sexua-1666096131

 

Target stores in Australia are no longer selling GTAV.

 

A quote from the article:

 

'We've been speaking to many customers over recent days about the game, and there is a significant level of concern about the game's content,' Mr Copper said.

 

We've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game, and we respect their perspective on the issue.

 

However, we feel the decision to stop selling GTA5 is in line with the majority view of our customers.'

 

*sigh* 

 

Just.... why....

 

Another quote from the article:

 

'But over at ABC.net.au they offer a different perspective on the story. They cite a Change.org petition from a trio of anonymous - Nicole, Claire and Kat - calling for the retailer to ban the game from sale. The petition, with over 41,000 signatures so far, is labeled 'Target: Withdraw Grand Theft Auto 5 - this sickening game encourages players to commit sexual violence and kill women.' 

 

'It's a game that encourages players to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'health' points - and now Target are stocking it and promoting it for your Xmas stocking.

 

This is Grand Theft Auto 5. This game means that after various sex acts, players are given options to kill women by punching her unconscious, killing with a machete, bat or guns to get their money returned'

 

 

*facepalm*

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I've played a lot of GTAV but I never knew I could get more health by abusing women.

 

That must be why my K/D ratio sucks so bad

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

 

 

  On 2014-12-04 at 8:38 AM, DragonFlame said:

The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'health' points

 

Kekzilla. That deserves all of my kek.

 

Media: "VIDEO GAMES CAUSE REAL WORLD VIOLENCE!"

People: "You're a fucking moron!"

 

Media: "VIDEO GAMES CAUSE REAL WORLD VIOLENCE... AGAINST WOMEN!"

People: "You're our fucking based savior ban the vidya now!"

[Odyssey 5,717]

Trust me, Australia are dolts when it comes to rating video games.

 

They banned Fallout 3 just because of one tiny reference to methane. They rated later Pokémon games and later Kirby games to PG because apparently they're violent. I've even come across a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog 1991, and its rating has been changed from G (or E if you live in the US) to PG, simply because it was violent. I don't know what's going on with these guys at the moment, but they should realise that what they're doing with video games is kind of silly.

[Moonlight 7,288]

While women do get fairly bad representation in video games, games like GTA have always been like that so there's no real reason to ban it from one retailer. It'd be different if it was being banned altogether but banning it just from Target seems kind of pointless, a person could just go buy it anywhere else. 

Edited December 4, 2014 by WheatleyCore

[Roughshod 719]

Well it's their decision. The only people it's going to hurt is their shareholders. Still pretty lame though.

 

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeh.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

Kill as many virtual men as you want...

 

But the second a virtual woman gets killed... STOP THE BUCKIN' PRESSES!

[Delirium 208]

 

 

  On 2014-12-04 at 8:59 AM, The Snowy Odyssey said:

They banned Fallout 3 just because of one tiny reference to methane.

 

 

I didn't know that. I live in Australia and I own Fallout 3 on the PS3.

[Lisa 5,553]

  On 2014-12-04 at 8:59 AM, The Snowy Odyssey said:

They banned Fallout 3 just because of one tiny reference to methane.

 

Fallout 3 isn't banned here, and never has been.

________________

 

I like how they say "the majority view of our customers." I bet they only listened to the ones complaining and let the opposition have no voice in this, or even let them know about this.

[Odyssey 5,717]

  On 2014-12-04 at 9:17 AM, Colour said:

Fallout 3 isn't banned here, and never has been.

 

Huh. Then I must be thinking of another game. I don't know what, but I'm very certain that it was banned because of methane. -3-

[King 5,625]

Just to correct some of you, Fallout wasn't banned here. Rather the drugs within the game were renamed to things like "Jet" and "Psycho" rather then using the real life names such as morphine.

As for GTA 5, this wasn't Australia banning anything. This was a business chain listening to some angry consumers which they believed was the best course of action. If they stand by that decision, then so be it.

Even if I do personally think its stupid

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

  On 2014-12-04 at 9:23 AM, The Snowy Odyssey said:

Huh. Then I must be thinking of another game. I don't know what, but I'm very certain that it was banned because of methane. -3-

I'm guessing you mean "methamphetamine" or "meth" because "methane" is one of the gases making up a fart.

[Delirium 208]

 

 

  On 2014-12-04 at 9:24 AM, Dawn Rider said:

. This was a business chain listening to some angry consumers which they believed was the best course of action. If they stand by that decision, then so be it.

 

At least people can still buy the game from other places  

[Lisa 5,553]

  On 2014-12-04 at 9:24 AM, Dawn Rider said:

Just to correct some of you, Fallout wasn't banned here. Rather the drugs within the game were renamed to things like "Jet" and "Psycho" rather then using the real life names such as morphine.

 

wait

that's why it's called Jet and Psycho? lmao 

[Odyssey 5,717]

  On 2014-12-04 at 9:26 AM, Andaasonsan said:

I'm guessing you mean "methamphetamine" or "meth" because "methane" is one of the gases making up a fart.

 

Oh right... heh, now I feel silly. xP

 

----

 

After a little search, I found out that Australia didn't ban Fallout 3, but the developers had to change morphine to Med-X thanks to the soccer mothers of Australia... now I feel like a bit of a dork. x) It's still a silly decision anyway.

[Snoochi 28]

  On 2014-12-04 at 9:08 AM, DragonFlame said:

 

 

I didn't know that. I live in Australia and I own Fallout 3 on the PS3.

 

Yeah so do i, no idea what hes talking about 

[Malafax 90]

What I see here is they a banning an open-world crime game because it contains crime. Tumblr just emphasized the women part. Not to mention trolling on the internet IS NOW A CRIME THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO A FEDERAL LEVEL in Australia because it's "harassment against young children and drives them to suicide." WTF. I hate the legal system in my country...

[SanityNotIncluded 335]

Recently posted about this on Bronies Australia, so here's a shameless copy/pasta:

 

Full disclosure: I don't play GTA games, and never have, so I can't personally vouch for the authenticity of any of the claims being made in the petition.

That said, I think this is really dumb. You can sign a counter petition here (it's gaining A LOT of traction):
https://www.change.org/p/target-continue-to-sell-grand-theft-auto-5-in-australia

This is a really good article which summarises the whole debacle:
http://au.ign.com/articles/2014/12/04/targets-gta-5-snub-is-misinformed-and-achieves-nothing
For those who don't want to read it, I think there are two really important things which should be taken away from it:
1. Target and Kmart are both owned by Wesfarmers. From the sound of it, it seems like this whole debacle is due to some of the higher ups in Wesfarmers seeing the petition and having a personal hand in what's gone down.
2. This quote... basically:

 

  Quote

What we must not do, however, is go on the attack. It needs to be noted that the women who assembled the petition in the first place are former sex workers and survivors of sexual violence. Out of context it should be entirely unsurprising that depictions of violence from GTA V has them rankled. It’s discouraging the women behind this petition are gleaning their impressions of GTA V from YouTube rather than experiencing the game itself but their overall earnestness is not something I’m calling into question.

The fact, however, that these violent acts they incorrectly describe are not tied to normal game progression needs to be explained with civility. The fact that claiming the game actively encourages violence against women above all else is completely false needs to be elucidated maturely. Vitriol will only drive the two sides of this argument further apart.

At one point, the counter petition was apparently engaging in this sort of vitriol by calling the original proponents 'pig-headed feminists'. Thankfully, a supporter advised them to do otherwise and the language was changed. This is a good thing, because the fastest way to lose supporters is to look like a bunch of numpties to outsiders.

[Phill 1,287]

And what about all the violence that happens to men in GTA 5 (And tons of other video games), where's the feminist outrage there? If feminists claim to be about true equality then they should be equally outraged whenever violence happens against men as well as women. Hell, there was a part in GTA 5 where a man was tortured and I heard no feminists complain about that. But if it was a woman who was being tortured you can guarantee that feminists would have had a shit fit.

The sexist double standards of feminism makes me sick 

[Kurai 304]

 

 

  On 2014-12-04 at 8:59 AM, The Snowy Odyssey said:

They banned Fallout 3 just because of one tiny reference to methane

 Im sorry, when did this happen? I managed to pick a copy up a day after it was released. I heard nothing of this ban. 

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

  On 2014-12-04 at 10:34 AM, Djesus said:

Not to mention trolling on the internet IS NOW A CRIME THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO A FEDERAL LEVEL in Australia because it's "harassment against young children and drives them to suicide." WTF. I hate the legal system in my country...

Honestly... good on Australia. The ease with which antisocial jerks on the internet can stalk, harass, threaten, and publicly shame someone is ridiculous at this point.

  On 2014-12-04 at 10:38 AM, Phill said:

And what about all the violence that happens to men in GTA 5 (And tons of other video games), where's the feminist outrage there? If feminists claim to be about true equality then they should be equally outraged whenever violence happens against men as well as women. Hell, there was a part in GTA 5 where a man was tortured and I heard no feminists complain about that. But if it was a woman who was being tortured you can guarantee that feminists would have had a shit fit.

 

The sexist double standards of feminism makes me sick 

If the misrepresentation of this game that they believe were accurate, then it honestly would be pretty fucked up to have a game about fucking and killing prostitutes for experience points.

 

Plus this whole "where was group X when Y thing happened?" is a stupid political game that can be played all day.

[Odyssey 5,717]

  On 2014-12-04 at 10:38 AM, Kurai said:

 Im sorry, when did this happen? I managed to pick a copy up a day after it was released. I heard nothing of this ban. 

 

I got my facts wrong, sorry. I thought Australia banned Fallout, but it turned out that the Australian version had name changes for certain items, like from morphine to Med-X.

[Kurai 304]

@,Ah, yea that sounds like something we would do. Also removed the blood from Left4dead 2 and made it so the bodies faded away. 

[Delirium 208]

  On 2014-12-04 at 11:01 AM, Kurai said:

Also removed the blood from Left4dead 2 and made it so the bodies faded away. 

 

Yeah, but you can download something on steam for free to remove that now. 

 

Edit: Still, it's annoying that it happened in the first place.

Edited December 4, 2014 by DragonFlame

[chirox the pony 1,336]

Ok people something really needs to be done about these people, the media is losing creative freedom and regular people are losing their freedom of speech. I propose we add a new right to the human rights act "the right to offend" so that it's legal to hurt people's feelings and they can do nothing but get over it/stop caring. But hey that's just my idea, but I think it's a move the human race needs to take before science is banned for offending the religious, as far as I'm concerned offense is required to move forward as a species.