Target Australia has removed Rockstar's smash hit action-adventure video game from its shelves today following a spate of complaints from its customers about the game's depictions of violence against women. General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Jim Cooper said the decision was made following extensive community and customer concern about the R rated game. However only a day earlier the store had decided to keep the game on its shelves. So what made Target do a U-turn on its public defense to keep Grand Theft Auto V on its shelves? An online petition an online petition which had been started by battered women on November the 29th, had reached nearly 41,000 signatures this morning and forced the superstore to rethink its stance on stocking the game. Mr Cooper had this to say in an official statement on Targets Australian website: "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," Mr Cooper said. "We've also had customer feedback in support of us selling the game, and we respect their perspective on the issue. "However, we feel the decision to stop selling GTA5 is in line with the majority view of our customers." Mr Cooper said Target would continue to sell other R-rated DVDs and games. This statement was a polar opposite of the ones released only 24 hours before on the very same website which defended the stores decision to stock the game. So what are your thoughts on this, do you think Target were right to pull the game from the shelves? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
When people will finally realize that "YOU DON"T HAVE TO BUY THIS GAME"<br> If you are ofended by violence... you're not forced to buy this game.<br><br> Everyone should have a choice of buying this game, nomatter if it's good or bad.<br> What about freedom of speech and that kind of stuff?<br><br> This is bullpoop.
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ESTE" data-time="1417644740"> <div> When people will finally realize that "YOU DON"T HAVE TO BUY THIS GAME"<br> If you are ofended by violence... you're not forced to buy this game.<br><br> Everyone should have a choice of buying this game, nomatter if it's good or bad.<br> What about freedom of speech and that kind of stuff?<br><br> This is bullpoop. </div> </blockquote> I understand the point of view, though. While it does seem like every game caters to the male demographic, GTA's content has always been questionable. They can claim it's a social commentary or a satire or whatever, but that doesn't absolve them of the responsibility to the consumers as a whole. And as often as GTA has been pinpointed as an influence in crimes over the past decade, Rockstar is in serious need of an overhaul to their "guy screws/beats/kills women and steals cars" formula. Say what you want about how horrible the Saints Row games are by comparison, but they at least give you the option to play as a woman as well as more creative and diverse tasks over the course of the game.
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="thejamesmcornett" data-time="1417648309"> <div> I understand the point of view, though. While it does seem like every game caters to the male demographic, GTA's content has always been questionable. They can claim it's a social commentary or a satire or whatever, but that doesn't absolve them of the responsibility to the consumers as a whole. And as often as GTA has been pinpointed as an influence in crimes over the past decade, Rockstar is in serious need of an overhaul to their "guy screws/beats/kills women and steals cars" formula. Say what you want about how horrible the Saints Row games are by comparison, but they at least give you the option to play as a woman as well as more creative and diverse tasks over the course of the game. </div> </blockquote> I understand where you're coming from man but come on. Battering women isn't a central theme of the game. You could play it and never kill a single woman if you don't want to. I mean if we're being technical we can get all up in arms about the depiction of men as remorseless sadistic sycophants. I think this is another attempt by the wrong type of feminist to garner headlines and video games are an easy target( no pun intended). I mean, why doesn't any other medium come under fire the way video games
