Chief Censor: New Zealand gamers allowed to import GTA IV

If you’re one of the many gamers who are quite miffed about Rockstar editing the Australian and New Zealand versions of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360), then we have a news update, at least for the guys over at New Zealand. Chief Censor Bill Hastings doesn’t mind if you import, so long as you don’t do it with profits in mind. All the details in the full article.

If you’ve read the earlier update about Australian gamers opting to import unedited versions of Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3, Xbox 360) instead of buying the censored version locally, then we’ve got an update on that issue direct from the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) Chief Censor himself, namely Bill Hastings. Well, more specifically, about gamers in New Zealand doing the same thing. Let’s see what he has to say, shall we?

In an interview with Gameplanet, Bill Hastings talks about the anomaly of Grand Theft Auto IV receiving an R18 rating instead of something similar to Australia’s MA15+ rating – despite Rockstar North saying that it submitted the same edited version to the OFLC. He explains that as Chief Censor, he leaves it to the gaming population to ponder why Rockstar had given them the Australian version instead of the US/EU versions, as the previous iterations of the series had always passed in New Zealand with nary an upturned eyebrow – and that’s with the US/EU versions reviewed, to boot.

As for the issue of importing, Bill Hastings says that unless the game a person is importing has objectionable content (i.e. Manhunt), then you’re pretty much in the clear. If you’re planning to sell your imported copies, however, then you’re going to run into red tape. Here’s the exact quote:

If your readers import the UK version into New Zealand for their own use, there is no penalty provided it is not objectionable under New Zealand law. It does not even need a New Zealand label if you import it for your own use.

If anyone decides to offer the UK version for sale or hire in New Zealand however, it will have to be submitted for classification and a New Zealand label.

Well, that certainly cleans up the entire mess. Here’s hoping that everyone gets to enjoy the game no matter what version it is.

Buy: [ Grand Theft Auto IV (PlayStation 3), (Xbox 360) ]
Buy: [ Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition (PlayStation 3), (Xbox 360) ]