POTW: Will you buy GTA IV locally or import?

Welcome a new feature of ours here on PALGN, the poll of the week. At the beginning of every week we'll be posting up a poll we'd like our readers to answer.

Then, every Sunday we'll post up the results. We've decided to kick the poll off with a rather simple question: will you be purchasing Grand Theft Auto IV in Australia or will you be importing? Grand Theft Auto IV is due for release on April the 29th and Australians were recently disappointed to find out that the Australian version of the game has been edited.

So, let us know at the following link whether you will be buying Grand Theft Auto IV in Australia or importing the game. Don't forget to check back next Sunday for the results and our next survey.

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70 Comments

Jellyfish

3 years ago

Camerooni wrote

wadsy wrote

it hasn't been refused classification though, the edits were made before it was classified.

Okay its a thin wire im walking but it hasn't been banned or refused classification

It may not have been refused classification - but at the same time it hasn't 'been classified' in its unedited form - and i'd be careful around anything like that.. one dvd importer recently got in trouble for selling titles that hadn't been classified locally (no they weren't porn.. just hard to find niche topic stuff).

If it doesn't have an OFLC sticker it can be considered as refused/non classification. Also GTA 4 is a high profile game and there has been a lot on the fact it has been edited. The fines for importing refused/non classified material goes as high as $100,000 AUD

john_solids

3 years ago

Xtra wrote

Import when I can, currently getting my ass kicked in COD4 by people like John_solids and his AFK crew! (Another F****n' Kill) ????

haha sorry mate if your getting gta i will invite ya im sure you will be able to kick our ass on that or atleast run us over haha.

NeoSanity

3 years ago

nikack wrote

Camerooni wrote

wadsy wrote

it hasn't been refused classification though, the edits were made before it was classified.

Okay its a thin wire im walking but it hasn't been banned or refused classification

Though it is very easy for Australians to access foreign import agencies, which brings me to something I've raised before. If a company like Valve starts offering GTA IV or a similar game in its unedited form to Australians and Americans would it fall under Australian law?
Even then if they try to stop it how will Australian law deal with the people who circumnavigate these refused titles. It's like importing a refused title, the law says the game is too violent for Australian audiences but hell you can import it if you want.

In a way it screws with the local distribution market and it highlights the ineptitude of this law. It makes no sense to ban something locally but offer no means of "protection" against said titles being imported.

GroovySamurai

3 years ago

Looks like I'll be getting GTAIV next Thursday because I have a massive assignment due next Wednesday and I know if I get the game its going to distract me big time, sure its going to be tough waiting it out but hopefully it will be all the sweeter when I get it. I've decided to buy my copy from Australia I'll probably trade some things in towards it and I'm not to fussed about the cut content.

arbok

3 years ago

GroovySamurai wrote

Good on you Groovy - just ignore the hype - this game release is the same as any other!

Daniel Golding

3 years ago

Neo.Sanity wrote

If a company like Valve starts offering GTA IV or a similar game in its unedited form to Australians and Americans would it fall under Australian law?

It's an interesting situation, but one that in all honesty the government (in fact, governments all around the world) has been anticipating for some time.

There has been a shift since the rise of the internet on encouraging citizens to self-censor rather than enforce censorship because it is simply no longer feasible on a large scale. This means education campaigns and raising public awareness of issues rather than classification or censorship of products. Methods of governmentality are interesting in these cases, as it's really about the government trying to create the ideal citizen rather than actually restricting access to various products.

fireflybck

3 years ago

Do we know yet fully what's missing from the Aussie version?

EvilHayama

3 years ago

Well this question is finally answered for me, I'm not importing because the 360 version is region locked. I'm not even sure I'll bother buying it locally, it's near double the price and I have plenty of other games to play, maybe it will drop in price, maybe the cuts won't be too bad, but at the moment I don't care.

Karai Pantsu

3 years ago

^ You can still import from a PAL region that received the uncut version, like the UK?

ugh the boot

3 years ago

fireflybck wrote

Do we know yet fully what's missing from the Aussie version?

I think this article would be pretty accurate cuz I think it's a bit hopeful to think only 1 cutscene has been cut from such a mature and long game. But then again it's not something that has been confirmed....it just sounds right to me.

"I have a confirmation from my friend who has both versions.

The CUT Australian PAL version, and the UNCUT UK PAL version.

From what I've seen, in gameplay from his TV, the main changes in the two versions of the game are as follows:

- Hookers are still in the game, but the difference between the two games are that when you purchase the hooker in the UNCUT game, you CAN see the hooker bouncing on top of you in the car, from all views around the car, but in the CUT version, you can only see the car bouncing from the back (Like the cut San Andreas)

- Dismemerment is OUT of the CUT version. In the UNCUT version of the game, hitting a motorbike on the road CAN cause dismmemberment of the arms, legs or head, but not in the CUT version.

- Minor changes in various cuts scenes are present. Including different swear words being cut, moved, changed, etc.

--

That's what we've noticed so far.

Cheers.

EDIT: We also notices, when checking the disk size of each, that the CUT version is a WHOLE 1 GIGABITE SMALLER than the UNCUT version."

Taken from here:

Two wheels GTAIV thread

Personally i'm importing cuz I really don't mind waiting, I actually prefer it when games take their time to come out and devs put all their time and effort into it. I was actually glad when they announced the game was delayed cuz I knew it needed polishing from the little we'd heard about it. The main reason i've imported is cuz I can't stand my favourite media/entertainment getting censored and it isn't a huge deal for me ordering stuff online (do atleast once every 2 weeks). Plus including postage it was about $25 cheaper than getting a gimped local version so it just seemed like a no brainer for me.

fireflybck

3 years ago

I shouldn't have bothered asking what's cut. It's a stupid question. The fact is it's cheaper and better to import.

There's no glory in being the first to have it. Nor is there glory in having the uncut version. But I want my money's worth.

Mr Waffle

3 years ago

critter2003 wrote

Also I've been hearing that there's a possibility that the games will be censored based on your consoles region, not the game.

This wouldn't be acceptable, I imagine. Remember, "Hot Coffee" wasn't actually available in GTA:SA, but the fact it was on the disc alone was enough to get it removed from shelves.

As for the poll, I'll either get a UK 360 version (folks are in Europe at the moment), or I'll just wait and import the PS3 version when I end up buying said console. The price difference alone is enough to make a stand on the issue, let alone the censorship...

EvilHayama

3 years ago

Karai Pantsu wrote

^ You can still import from a PAL region that received the uncut version, like the UK?

hmm, if that works I'll have a look around.

What surprised me was that apparently the usually-banhappy singapore got the uncut euro version of GTA4! Does anyone besides australia get this cut version?

Karai Pantsu

3 years ago

A few PALGN members have UK copies en route, I'm sure info regarding them will be posted ASAP - I'm expecting mine to arrive mid to late next week.

Singapore just recently introduced an R18+ classification for games, or so I heard?

EvilHayama

3 years ago

Yeah, they made it so game ratings are the same as movie ratings.

Are you listening, Australian government? You're being beaten to the punch by Singapore!

Thanks for the tip Karai, if I hear that the UK one works I'll probably try to get mine from my friend, it's only $AU55 over there.

Xtra

3 years ago

john_solids wrote

Xtra wrote

Import when I can, currently getting my ass kicked in COD4 by people like John_solids and his AFK crew! (Another F****n' Kill) ????

haha sorry mate if your getting gta i will invite ya im sure you will be able to kick our ass on that or atleast run us over haha.

I'll steal your car and then run you over with it!

Paid for the standard UK version last night on ebay $75 to my place. Should be here late next week.

Black Wolf

3 years ago

The only reason why Australia does not have an R rating for games is because the SA attorney-general Michael Atkinson opposes it. All the AGs in each state and territory must agree to a R rating, and so far everyone but him has agreed to the rating. Atkinson is not listening to the general public, and he is the most hated man among the gaming community.

It is embarrassing that every country but us already has such a rating, and Atkinson is just out of touch.

cmdwedge

3 years ago

nikack wrote

****.. if you count all of the DVD movies I've imported, plus the handful of games.. I'm up for circa $10,000,000 AUD. Looks like I'm in trouble.

Black Wolf

3 years ago

Well, if you keep quiet, you won't be. There is this saying that goes: "How would they know if we don't tell them?"

3 years ago

I'll buy or trade for it on PALGN. If a copy does not come up for sale on this site - I'll import.

nikack - 100K fine? .... if I get raided I'll have to flush my copy of Bikini Karate Babes down the toilet.

Puddingfork

3 years ago

Karai Pantsu wrote

^ You can still import from a PAL region that received the uncut version, like the UK?

You can also import the NTSC-J version from Asia, unless Play Asia lied

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Grand Theft Auto IV

Pre-order or buy:
PALGN recommends: www.Play-Asia.com

Australian Release Date:
  29/04/2008 (Confirmed)
Standard Retail Price:
  $119.95 AU
Publisher:
  Rockstar Games
Genre:
  Action
Year Made:
  2007

Read more...