PETITION: Continue to sell Grand Theft Auto 5 in Australia

[SkullCap]

What's going on right now in Australia, New Zealand, and Norway is not progressive in any way, it's blatant censorship no matter how many different ways you look at it. The fact is that censorship solves no problems and is just a means to avoid open discussion. If any progress needs to be made then its time to stop this childish censorship. Click the link and sign the petition today!

https://www.change.org/p/kmart-continue-to-sell-grand-theft-auto-5-in-australia

 

[Zhukov]

I am earnestly curious to see how this turns out.

Best o' luck to ya.

Personally, I'm imagining disgruntled shop workers putting up with this.
"Hold the show guys, there's been another petition, we're putting the GTA5 games back up."
"The hell? We just finished rearranging the shelves!"


EDIT:

"I fear the other retailers will follow this trend, soon this game won't be sold anywhere in Australia."

"But if Target removes the game, what has been achieved? There are plenty of other places to buy it."

Consistency, please.

EDITEDIT:

"Here's her announcement to start harassing more retailers around the country and shes even started contacting people over seas, this won't stop in Australia."

Petitions now equal harassment apparently. I thought that was the kind of accusation the Bad Guys made? Also, if this person believes petitions are a form of harassment, what does that make their own petition?

 

[Elijin]

Its hard to get behind this notion when
a) Grand Theft Auto 5 is still sold in Australia
and
b) Retailers choosing not to stock something isnt censorship.

 

[Ronald Nand]

Who cares if Kmart and Target aren't stocking GTA 5? Mainly parents would buy games at Target, and as far as I'm concerned parent's not being able to buy GTA 5 for kids who are too young to play it is a good thing. There's still plenty of places to buy GTA5 like EB Games, JB Hifi, Steam, Amazon. Its Target and Kmart's loss that they won't make money off GTA 5 while other retailers will.

If a petition to ban GTA 5 start's affecting stores like EB Games than I'd start to get worried as that's a place that focuses on games and their main demographic is gamers.

Also I doubt petitions like this are going to impact anything outside of GTA 5, GTA has always been to scapegoat of misinformed modern media attacking games, I find it unlikely that they will target anything outside games as prolific as GTA. Just think about the lack of controversy on Saints Row, in Saints Row you can beat women to death with a over-sized dildo, if there's anything that fuels the misinformed argument that games cause people to commit sexual violence that would be it.

I don't think this is a big deal, places that focus on selling games are not going to cave into ridiculous petitions like this and people making these petitions are unlikely to attack anything outside of GTA.

 

[IceForce]

I can't wait for the petition demanding McDonald's start selling pizzas.

Maybe I should start a petition every time my favorite clothing retailer doesn't stock the size of garments that I wear?

it's blatant censorship no matter how many different ways you look at it.

Then you didn't look at it enough ways, because it isn't censorship.
It's no more "censorship" than McDonald's censoring pizzas.

 

[Tayh]

Meh, can't really get behind this as they still seem to be ignorant of my existence as a PC gamer.

 

[shrekfan246]

Its hard to get behind this notion when
a) Grand Theft Auto 5 is still sold in Australia
and
b) Retailers choosing not to stock something isnt censorship.

Well, you stole my post. I hope you're happy.

Seriously though, I think the internet needs to get a massive PSA about what actually is and isn't "censorship", because holy balls this has just gotten ridiculous.

 

[DayDark]

I actually think maybe there should be a petition to remove films, books, as well, just to see how far we can push target before they starting actually looking into whether the accusations their products receive are true. I'm sure these groups will have no trouble going behind the idea with morally righteous anger.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

1. Censorship and a company's decision not to carry controversial material are two different things. Hell I remember Walmart in America would only carry censored music for a long time (I don't know if they still do, haven't bought an album in years, thanks digital delivery!) but even then I didn't consider it censorship. It was a choice.

2. It is only censorship when its across the board, meaning when there are no places one can buy said game legally in that country.

 

[Story]

Hmm...no I can't get behind this.
You can still buy GTA at other retailers so it is not censorship. Plus, the only people really hurting is the retailer, not really the customer.

 

[Sassafrass]

Yeah, I'd be more behind this idea of it being "censorship" if it was banned nation wide in Australia. This is more or less a store banning it for some quick attention, to prove they "listen to their customers."

Besides, it's still available pretty much every where else that sells games in Australia so yeah, this isn't censorship. Not by a looooooooooong shot.

Also!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/63487424/the-warehouse-to-pull-r18-games-dvds

Where's the sudden outbreak of outrage about The Warehouse pulling ALL R18 content from its stores in New Zealand?

 

[Belaam]

This is not censorship.

It's market based supply and demand. Target/Kmart seem to feel they will get more business from not selling a product than from selling it. I'm okay with this petition if it gives them the opposite message.

Even if the petition doesn't seem to actually know what censorship is.

 

[Signa]

Guys, c'mon. This totally is censorship. Not of the legal kind or course, but through a series of decisions, grown adults are no longer free to purchase a game at a set of stores. Freedoms have been revoked because someone else didn't like those freedoms.

It's no more "censorship" than McDonald's censoring pizzas.

That's not the same. McDonald's isn't in the food market, they are in the sandwich/burger/fast food market. No one is calling censorship on a fish market for not selling beef, nor is anyone saying a hair dresser should work on their car. Target sells, games, and they were selling this particular game. The only reason they aren't selling it anymore was because someone that wasn't going to buy it complained that it was there. They self-censored themselves to appeal to the complainers, not because it was less profitable or they had a change of heart on how they get money from their customers.

See, the line that was crossed wasn't that they stopped selling something. McD's could start offering pizzas tomorrow, and they could stop selling them by the end of the year, and no one would start calling "censorship" on them. The difference would be that McD's decided they didn't want to keep selling pizzas, and so they weren't obligated to keep selling them. Target would still be selling GTA V if this group hadn't said a thing about it. This watchdog group is pressuring Target to censor themselves, not that Target made the decision to just stop selling GTA V because it suited them.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Guys, c'mon. This totally is censorship. Not of the legal kind or course, but through a series of decisions, grown adults are no longer free to purchase a game at a set of stores. Freedoms have been revoked because someone else didn't like those freedoms.

My supermarket stopped selling a kind of pork rib that I really liked from their deli section. The reason given was that "it wasn't popular enough". Through a series of decisions, I no longer have the "freedom" to buy those pork ribs from that particular market, despite the fact that selling hungry people food is their entire reason for existing. Has the supermarket censored pork ribs?

They self-censored themselves to appeal to the complainers, not because it was less profitable or they had a change of heart on how they get money from their customers.

Corporations are very image conscious. The primary...nay...the only reason for this is that corporations are very protective of their bottom line. If they feel selling or promoting a particular product will harm their imagine with certain lucrative demographics, they will cease to carry that product. That is a decision made for purely material considerations.

This watchdog group is pressuring Target to censor themselves, not that Target made the decision to just stop selling GTA V because it suited them.

That is their prerogative as consumers. Recently a group of people, outraged at a perceived injustice, proceeded to blacklist and call for sponsorship support to be withdrawn from certain websites/publications, with the ultimate goal of silencing a vocal demographic they felt had grown too loud. When challenged on it, they defended it as "their right as consumers". Look to them for guidance on this issue. They are entirely in favor of this sort of thing. It's consumers exercising their rights. Saying "If you don't stop X, I will no longer be a consumer of your product". You should LOVE this shit. It is PRO CONSUMER.

Anyway yeah that's pretty silly of Target but what's to be done? Just buy the game in one of the other eighty billion retail outlets, I suppose. I think the petition was petty and childish, but then I think that of all petitions of this nature.

 

[Haerthan]

Guys, c'mon. This totally is censorship. Not of the legal kind or course, but through a series of decisions, grown adults are no longer free to purchase a game at a set of stores. Freedoms have been revoked because someone else didn't like those freedoms.

My supermarket stopped selling a kind of pork rib that I really liked from their deli section. The reason given was that "it wasn't popular enough". Through a series of decisions, I no longer have the "freedom" to buy those pork ribs from that particular market, despite the fact that selling hungry people food is their entire reason for existing. Has the supermarket censored pork ribs?

They self-censored themselves to appeal to the complainers, not because it was less profitable or they had a change of heart on how they get money from their customers.

Corporations are very image conscious. The primary...nay...the only reason for this is that corporations are very protective of their bottom line. If they feel selling or promoting a particular product will harm their imagine with certain lucrative demographics, they will cease to carry that product. That is a decision made for purely material considerations.

This watchdog group is pressuring Target to censor themselves, not that Target made the decision to just stop selling GTA V because it suited them.

That is their prerogative as consumers. Recently a group of people, outraged at a perceived injustice, proceeded to blacklist and call for sponsorship support to be withdrawn from certain websites/publications, with the ultimate goal of silencing a vocal demographic they felt had grown too loud. When challenged on it, they defended it as "their right as consumers". Look to them for guidance on this issue. They are entirely in favor of this sort of thing. It's consumers exercising their rights. Saying "If you don't stop X, I will no longer be a consumer of your product". You should LOVE this shit. It is PRO CONSUMER.

Anyway yeah that's pretty silly of Target but what's to be done? Just buy the game in one of the other eighty billion retail outlets, I suppose. I think the petition was petty and childish, but then I think that of all petitions of this nature.

Finally someone who sees the hypocrisy inherent in the whole thing. It never was censorship. Censorship was what Australia did to South PArk: The Stick of Truth

Edit: Australian Government.

 

[Roxas1359]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/63487424/the-warehouse-to-pull-r18-games-dvds

Where's the sudden outbreak of outrage about The Warehouse pulling ALL R18 content from its stores in New Zealand?

Sassy! People have a hard enough time accepting that there are other countries than the United States. How do you expect people to believe in this nation known as "New Zealand"? Sounds made up to me.
[sub][sub][sub]Love ya Topaz. :3[/sub][/sub][/sub]

OT: Well for one, it's not really censorship or "banning" if you can still buy it in other stores in the nation. Do I think that the reason listed under the petition was very dumb: yes. But in the end it's Target and Kmart's decision to do it to try and get brownie points from the "look they listen to customers" crowd. Heck, there is only 1 Kmart in my entire city nowadays, and Sears has also not been so hot in a long time where I live as well. Target used to be pretty big here, but Walmart pretty much killed them in many ways to the point in which there are only 1 or 2 Targets are still nearby me.

 

[Rahkshi500]

My supermarket stopped selling a kind of pork rib that I really liked from their deli section. The reason given was that "it wasn't popular enough". Through a series of decisions, I no longer have the "freedom" to buy those pork ribs from that particular market, despite the fact that selling hungry people food is their entire reason for existing. Has the supermarket censored pork ribs?

The thing is that there's always going to be a group of people who desires for a certain specific product. Using your example, even if those pork ribs are no longer in your supermarket's deli section, there's still going to be a group of people who would want pork ribs. That's the essence of a niche market. If it starts happening everywhere to where even a nich market is impossible to form, then there is a problem here. Now, like you and others here, I don't think that having a Target store remove GTA 5 from their shelves is gonna stop Australia from selling the game in other retail store, but as this petition noted, the people who got Target to remove the game are gonna try to do the same with other retail stores. Whether it actually comes to pass or not is another thing, but if it does, then I think it then become a problem. Any kind of business decision is gonna risk losing customers, and just like the possibility of Target losing customers for selling GTA 5, they'll have the possibility of losing customers for removing it as well. I personally would rather have a company be able to sell a product and always keep selling a product to an existing demographic that wants it, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[tippy2k2]

I signed it yesterday when I saw the post about them kicking it out of their stores. Not because I think it's censorship (private company; they can sell and not sell whatever they want) but because I think it's really silly that they pulled a game like that and it's the only thing I can really do to show my displeasure.

This doesn't really affect me (since 'Merica here) but I did say on Target's Facebook page that I would refuse to shop at their store if they tried to bring this over to us since it would be a clear message that they don't want me as a customer. I then deleted my comment (and replaced it with an apology) after I was told that "Target" and "Target Australia" were two completely different companies that share name and name alone...

Whoops

EDIT: Damn it. Seeing some of the people quoting it now makes me regret signing it. I'm still 100% for them to change their mind and restock GTAV but there is no need to lash out and name call like that is doing. All well...that's what I get for skimming

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I personally would rather have a company be able to sell a product and always keep selling a product to an existing demographic that wants it, but that's just my personal opinion.

They are able to sell it. They've decided not to. No matter how large a store gets, it will never be able to serve every demographic.

However slippery slope the "what if they do it again" argument might be, I agree with you in principle. I do not approve of people leveraging their consumer power to make products disappear from shelves, rather than simply not buying them, or petitioning for more of the products they do want. That said, what was your opinion of the recent effort to blacklist/cut off sponsorship from certain websites? Approve or disapprove? Were you equally irate then?