Target pulls Grand Theft Auto 5 off shelves in Australia
Target Australia will cease sales of Grand Theft Auto 5 following "feedback from customers about the game's depictions of violence against women," according to a company press release.
"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," said Target General Manager Corporate Affairs Jim Cooper. "We feel the decision to stop selling GTA 5 is in line with the majority view of our customers."
Target Australia will continue selling other R-rated DVDs and games.
Gizmodo AU points out this corporate decision likely ties back to a Change.org petition and its 40,000 signatures.
"While these products often contain imagery that some customers find offensive, in the vast majority of cases, we believe they are appropriate products for us to sell to adult customers," Cooper continued. "However, in the case of GTA 5, we have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not aproduct they want us to sell."
Update: Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has issued the following statement regarding Target Australia's decision: "We are disappointed that an Australian retailer has chosen no longer to sell Grand Theft Auto 5 - a title that has won extraordinary critical acclaim and has been enjoyed by tens of millions of consumers around the world. Grand Theft Auto 5 explores mature themes and content similar to those found in many other popular and groundbreaking entertainment properties. Interactive entertainment is today's most compelling art form and shares the same creative freedom as books, television, and movies. I stand behind our products, the people who create them, and the consumers who play them."
[Thanks, Bianca]
