5 of the weirdest reasons GTA was banned in different parts of the world

Modified Mar 10, 2021 21:01 GMT

GTA being banned is nothing new, but sometimes, the reasons that get it banned are weird.

GTA is a violent video game series; there's no denying it. However, some people would make claims that video games don't directly cause violence. These sorts of arguments lie in the more predictable category of why GTA might be banned. Instead, this article will focus on more specific cases with either a weird reason for getting banned or a weird backstory.

These weird reasons can include violence, but it will focus more on specific actions such as the recent bill in Chicago related to an uptick in carjacking. As is with all cases involving weird and strange reasons, some of it might seem normal to some, while others might be fascinated with some of these reasons.

Regardless of how sane some of these reasons might be, these five weirdest reasons GTA got banned in some parts of the world should at least provide an interesting story.

Five of the weirdest reasons GTA was banned in different parts of the world

#5 - A bid to ban GTA from Illinois thanks to an uptick in carjacking?

Technically, GTA hasn't been banned yet. However, it is weird that legislators like Rep. Marcus Evans are trying to ban the entire series in Illinois thanks to an uptick in carjacking in recent years. Critics of this attempt to ban GTA state that this is "lazy legislation," where legislators like Marcus Evans are just trying to make a power play without tackling the real societal issues (which require more complex action).

As for the possibility of the ban, it's too early to say. It's another example of politicians blaming violent video games for a rise in crime, as opposed to more serious societal injustices and economic crises. What makes this even weirder is that Rep. Marcus Evans is open to not advancing the bill if people don't like it, which seems surprisingly sane for modern politics.

#4 - GTA: Episodes of Liberty City in Barueri, Brazil

It's highly specific for a game to be banned in a specific city and later the whole country thanks to a lawsuit. It wasn't even the content of GTA IV's story or the violence a player could perform that caused the ban. Rather, it was because Hamilton da Silva Lourenço's music was used in the game without his permission.

It led to a lawsuit where the claimant tried to make Rockstar pay $3,125 a day unless the song would be recalled. What is even weirder is that they tried to make it apply to US versions as well. Specifically, they claimed that "Kid Conga" by Daniel Haaskman ft. MC Miltinho took a sample of their song. Fortunately, everything was resolved in 2012.

#3 - Saudi Arabia mass ban

One would think that GTA's violent nature would be the main reason for it to be banned in Saudi Arabia, and they would only be partially correct. The real reason is that GTA 5, along with nearly 40 other games, were banned in response to the Blue Whale Challenge. In essence, the Blue Whale Challenge was an online game that took place over 50 days where the final day would culminate in at least one person's suicide.

The Blue Whale Challenge might not be as relevant today as it was back then, but Saudi Arabia figured out that banning some games that could have a psychological effect on a child's mind might be easier than doing social reform.

Unfortunately, two young children lost their lives to the game beforehand, which makes it problematic to discuss since the overall connection isn't well-documented in English. Not all GTA games are banned, as some like GTA San Andreas are available on Steam there.

#2 - Thailand taxi incident

It's always an unfortunate incident when a young child tries to replicate something they see in a video game. In Bangkok, Thailand, a young teenager named Polwat Chino killed a taxi driver after he tried to steal his vehicle like the player usually does in GTA.

This eventually led to GTA being taken out of several store shelves throughout Thailand. Considering Polwat Chino could've faced the death penalty for committing the crime, it's not a weird ban given the circumstances. The real weird reason was that Chino wanted to steal the cab to make money to buy a copy of GTA IV. Sometimes passion leads men astray.

#1 - GTA III prostitutes & certification in Australia

One of the most common complaints about GTA III from nongamers was the act of killing a prostitute to get one's money back. Considering that's optional and the mass murders throughout the game aren't, it is weird for that to be a reason for the game being banned in Australia. Regardless, plenty of women's rights organizations saw it as a means to abuse women and were vocal about it.

That's not the weird part, as there can be an argument to be made in that case. The real weird reason GTA III was banned for a short while was that Rockstar Games failed to submit it to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). GTA III had to be censored before arriving on Australian shores, with the ability to pick up prostitutes being one of the removed features.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

Edited by Nikhil Vinod