Grand Theft Auto III banned in Australia

Grand Theft Auto 3 is now officially banned in Australia, following a second analysis by the OFLC's Classification Review Board. The game will be removed from retail shelves and it is now illegal for it to be offered for sale.

Distributor Take 2 Interactive's requestfor a review of the "Refused Classification" rating given to Grand Theft Auto 3 by the Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC) has resulted in the review board upholding the original classification of "RC"-- making sale of the game illegal and causing all remaining copies to be pulled from retail.

This means that the game, rather than existing under a seemingly innocuous MA15+ rating, now falls under a black market shadow. In fact, the "Refused Classification" status of Grand Theft Auto 3 leaves retailers who continue to sell it liable for prosecution under relevant Australian State and Territory legislation. --Ed Dawson, Gamespot Australia