Target Australia pulls GTA V from shelves, response to Change.org petition

[Bateluer]

http://www.target.com.au/medias/marketing/corporate/PDF/media-release/GTA-Media-Release-v2.pdf

https://www.change.org/p/target-wit..._2TAy7BLyrLkl4FVen4Dx6jdEOfc5jWmiunbPseoBVpQ=

First heard about the Change petition from ReviewTechUSA YouTube yesterday, didn't think Target AU would be dumb enough to listen to it though. I guess all those poor gamers in Australia will just purchase the game through Steam, Xbox Live, Playstation Network or walk across the street to another store.

 

[Grooveriding]

Yay censorship. That petition is a vapid argument that amounts to a derivative of the debunked claim violent video games cause violence.

Guess Target doesn't want my business.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Too much stupid.

Let's target one poor retailer because we know that they might actually respond. As you say, they completely ignore steam.

The game allows you to kill men too, but they conveniently ignore that. The game does not incentivize you to kill women. It only incentivizes you to kill people who shoot at you, in fact.

Also, if feminists are really for gender equality, maybe they should complain that the villains you fight are mostly male. Is crime not a valid career choice for women? Maybe if less villains wore sexualized T shirts, more women would want to become criminals.

The problem with this petition is that due to political correctness, there is only one valid option - Target had no choice but to cave.

Target's options were:
Deny the petition and have people think they support abuse against women
Or
Follow the petition and remove the game

There is no option C - refuse the petition not because they support abuse against women but because the petition is bloody stupid and is not going to help current or former victims of abuse.

 

[Bateluer]

The problem with this petition is that due to political correctness, there is only one valid option - Target had no choice but to cave.

Target's options were:
Deny the petition and have people think they support abuse against women
Or
Follow the petition and remove the game

There is no option C - refuse the petition not because they support abuse against women but because the petition is bloody stupid and is not going to help current or former victims of abuse.

Option C would be explaining why GTA5 does not incentivize violence against women and note its PEGI 18/ESRB Mature rating that actually bars retailers from selling the game to anyone under 18 years old in Australia. An 18 year old is simply going to whip out their VISA and buy the game on one of many digital platforms and move on.

Option C also requires intelligence, something the FemiNazis aren't really known for.

Edit - I have just been informed that Australia does not use the PEGI rating system either. They use their own rating system.
http://www.classification.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx

GTA5 pulls an Restricted 18+ rating, so point remains valid.
http://www.classification.gov.au/Pa...2f5tYdG07WKkyz7zFSIcKn96R9MBIj1WNylQ6YQ%3d%3d

 

[Ancalagon44]

Option C would require people taking personal responsibility for themselves and their children. Instead of, you know, not caving when your 8 year old son begs you buy a game that is too mature for him, you buy it and then blame the retailer. You put the onus onto someone else instead of taking responsibility.

Option C also respects a little thing called free speech. When a feminist calls for all men to be castrated, it offends me, but you know what? I let her have her say, however stupid it might be.

 

[Rakehellion]

So killing men is okay?

 

[Bateluer]

So killing men is okay?

So long as genitalia aren't shown, yes.

 

[inf1nity]

So if Target hadn't done this do you guys think there would have been some repercussions for them?

 

[Subyman]

A hollow victory. Every youth in Australia played it earlier this year.

 

[inf1nity]

Also, if feminists are really for gender equality

I hope you don't really believe that. Feminism is womens' supremacy movement, the equal rights narrative is just a smokescreen to lure in gullible men and women.

Target's options were:
Deny the petition and have people think they support abuse against women

Are people really this stupid or brainwashed by MSM that they would think so? I mean, we guys can see the reality behind this, so why can't others?

 

[smackababy]

Australia is full of inbred prisoner descendants. Can't say I expected much from the outback.

 

[tential]

So killing men is okay?

Exactly why I dislike the feminist movement. Not because women don't deserve rights, but because they the feminist movement doesn't work towards equality between genders. It works for women to be treated as "Special".

Racial Equality movement was never able to get this stupid because SEX wasn't involved (in the way I'm about to address). However, men want to have sex with women, so when it comes down to it, men are afraid to be vocally against anything labeled as "feminist" because they don't want to be branded as anti-women and be an outcast to a whole gender and thus have less mates and even be outcast by their own wives.

The feminist movement will go far beyond equality for women and will have to hit a "tipping point" before we bring it back into line with actual equality. The issue is, how long do we have to wait for that to happen?

Edit:
Short Version: No one will go against the feminist movement because they either A) want to get laid or B) need that massive group of votes to keep themselves in office C) Don't want to be seen as anti-women and lose a massive group of consumers.

 

[BoberFett]

Huh, I thought there were people around here who were claiming that feminists did not in fact have the power to take away certain types of games.

 

[master_shake_]

Can't swear so I can't properly express myself.

Smh.

 

[smackababy]

Short Version: No one will go against the feminist movement because they either A) want to get laid or B) need that massive group of votes to keep themselves in office C) Don't want to be seen as anti-women and lose a massive group of consumers.

And, there lies the problem. Once you're able to demonize anyone who disagrees with you, regardless of how wrong you are, you're pretty much guaranteed to win. That is a terrorist organization's wet dream.

I love that I can't be against feminism without hating women. I mean, it has to be one or the other right? Similarly, I can't be against Michael Brown, without hating black people.

 

[tential]

And, there lies the problem. Once you're able to demonize anyone who disagrees with you, regardless of how wrong you are, you're pretty much guaranteed to win. That is a terrorist organization's wet dream.

I love that I can't be against feminism without hating women. I mean, it has to be one or the other right? Similarly, I can't be against Michael Brown, without hating black people.

Exactly. We don't talk about things in this culture anymore. We've dumbed every issue down into a "party" system. Just like politics. It's very depressing when you can't have a conversation with a person because the second you do you're "Against an entire grouping of people".

We end up tiptoeing around every issue rather than actually addressing anything real and substantial.

 

[piasabird]

Cant see any possible good reason to play GTA. Cant see promoting murder, theft, and killing cops. Granted it is a video game and is a way to just escape reality. If the game was written where you could play a cop or a bad guy then maybe that might be viable.

I wonder what people would think about playing a game where you are a racist member of the KKK. You could gain levels by committing acts of racism and hatred. How would that be different from GTA?

 

[digitaldurandal]

Huh, I thought there were people around here who were claiming that feminists did not in fact have the power to take away certain types of games.

Not sure what the context is for this but they may have been referring to the US.

To be fair, Target was the one with the power to take the game off the shelves and it is available in other outlets anyways. The problem is that it is doubtful Gamers will band together and take a stand against censorship, which means only one side of the story gets heard - unless you count those idiot 13 year olds threatening every game reviewer out there over this stuff.

 

[digitaldurandal]

Cant see any possible good reason to play GTA. Cant see promoting murder, theft, and killing cops. Granted it is a video game and is a way to just escape reality. If the game was written where you could play a cop or a bad guy then maybe that might be viable.

I wonder what people would think about playing a game where you are a racist member of the KKK. You could gain levels by committing acts of racism and hatred. How would that be different from GTA?

So don't play it then, and don't let your kids play it, but you don't have the right to tell me not to play it.

It is hardly promoting anything this has already been debunked multiple times, the statement that it does is just ignorance at this point.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Why does Australia have some of the most bad ass people living there but they're pussies when video games are involved?

 

[tential]

So don't play it then, and don't let your kids play it, but you don't have the right to tell me not to play it.

It is hardly promoting anything this has already been debunked multiple times, the statement that it does is just ignorance at this point.

Because it's not enough for people to do something themselves humanity has always attempted to make others do something.

 

[Dankk]

Yay censorship. That petition is a vapid argument that amounts to a derivative of the debunked claim violent video games cause violence.

Guess Target doesn't want my business.

Keep in mind that Target Australia and Target US are completely different companies. Different presidents, different executives, different everything (except for the brand name). Don't boycott Target US because of this.

 

[artemicion]

Target Australia doesn't give a $@(&* about domestic violence. They care that apparently 40,000 stupid people care about domestic violence in GTA V.

I'm betting, given the demographic targeted by Target, they took GTA V off the shelves because their marketing guys think it's better for their bottom line. Not entirely a stupid proposition from a business standpoint. There's money to be made catering to stupid people's demands.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Australia has a fairly long history of banning videogames, so I'm not terribly surprised. Actually, I'm shocked GTA V wasn't banned there whole cloth. But it's a remarkably stupid attitude that banning videogames is somehow acceptable. I'm all for feminism having a voice, but as soon as they call for censorship of ideas that upset them, they're no better (and arguably worse) than any perceived enemy they're arguing against.

 

[exar333]

Keep in mind that Target Australia and Target US are completely different companies. Different presidents, different executives, different everything (except for the brand name). Don't boycott Target US because of this.

Yeah, it's a very strange thing, honestly.