Grand Theft Auto released today

by Tristan Broomhall

April 29, 2008

THE eagerly awaited fourth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto video games series hit the stores on April 29, and like its predecessors attracted a fair share of controversy.

Developer, Rockstar Games, has produced a specially edited version of the game for sale in Australia so it would comply with our censorship regime. However, Rockstar would not comment on what aspects of the game were changed or omitted.

The game received an MA15+ rating from the Office of Film and Literature Classification, the strictest rating for games in Australia, meaning it can only be sold to people over 15.

Many gamers have had GTA:4 on pre-order since the release date was revealed in January, and picked up their copies when stores opened this morning.

Brett (23) of Manning expected to spend 80 hours over the next week playing the game on XBOX-360 and interacting with other players using the new multi-player option.

“This is like the premiere of Lord of the Rings, the final Harry Potter novel and Guns 'n Roses' Chinese Democracy album all rolled into one for gamers,” he said. “It's going to be huge.

“The edition I've got comes in a special metal safe deposit box and black duffel bag, just like a real crim. They've really put a lot into making this a memorable release, and I've heard the game's great too.”

Retailers in Perth’s CBD would not comment on the game, how many pre-orders they'd taken or sales they expected, but the prominence of stock and promotional material suggested it was going to be among the highest selling games ever.

A previous instalment of the game, GTA: San Andreas, made headlines in 2005 when parts containing a sex scene were unlocked by players using a special 'mod'. This resulted in the game being refused classification in Australia, until an updated version was released.

The makers of the game have courted controversy with their other games like Manhunt and most recently Bully, a violent affair that puts players in a schoolyard environment.