Story: Arcade, computer and video games

Grand Theft Auto rating

This television news clip talks about why in 2008 New Zealand received an edited version of the popular game Grand Theft Auto IV, the same version as sold in Australia. The game received an MA15+ from the Australian Classification Board and this was used in New Zealand. The MA15+ rating is the highest possible in Australia, which doesn’t have an R18 rating. This meant that sexually explicit scenes were edited out. The distributors would have had to pay for the uncut version to be rated by New Zealand Office of Film and Literature Classification, so the edited version was also distributed in New Zealand. New Zealand-based distributor Stan Calif paid for the uncut version to be rated in New Zealand – it received an R18 rating.

Using this item

TV3

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Kerryn Pollock, 'Arcade, computer and video games - Video arcades and gaming: 1970s to 2000s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/39316/grand-theft-auto-rating (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 5 Sep 2013