GTA Chinatown Wars passes BBFC with 18 rating (CVG 12/1/09)

by **VampiricPadraig** Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:27 pm

Refresh Your Memory

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has become the first DS title to be given an 18 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification.

Edge's preview of Chinatown Wars - which features an interview with Rockstar Games' Dan Houser - explains that the title features a drug-dealing minigame, prompting fears that the title will find friction with classification groups and national media outlets.

Fortunately for Rockstar, the BBFC has stated on its website that, though the title includes "very strong language and drug references", it has not undertaken any content cuts.

The decision is in line with what the Houser brothers, and indeed those at Rockstar Leeds, wanted as a target audience for the title, as Dan Houser explained to Edge: "No one disagreed with Sam [Houser, Rockstar president and Dan's brother]'s very clear edict that GTA has to be an M [18 equivalent] rating. It can't be softened to make it family-friendly - that's not the game we're making. We've never not done well by sticking to our guns."

The BBFC also claims there are nearly three hours of cut scenes and non-playable game footage in Chinatown Wars. The title is set for a release in March.