Retailer Target Australia has pulled Grand Theft Auto 5 from stores following what they say is feedback from the majority of their consumers.
The game was released in the country on the same dates as the rest of the world. It has already been over a year since it came out for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 17, 2013, and was most recently released on November 18, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
In a Facebook post, elaborated further in an accompanying media release, Target’s corporate affairs general manager Jim Cooper explained that they received a lot of feedback from their customers regarding the game. There was a significant level of concern regarding the game’s content, and also concerns about the game being sold in their stores.
Jim makes it clear that they will continue to sell other products meant for adults in their stores. They are no longer selling the game not because of the mature content, but because of the public outcry, which they cannot ignore and have to respect and act upon.
For further context, Australia opened the floodgates to selling mature rated games when their regulation board created a new R18 rating. However, the country continues to struggle with games being banned, censored, and even denied classification.
Even in cases where the government has approved the sale and distribution of mature games, however, it seems that many Australians themselves retain conservative views towards games. Target Australia has every right to choose what products to stock on their shelves, including listening to consumer feedback, and for better or worse, that has led to less stores selling GTA in the country.
