Ibad S Khan
The UAE’s video game enthusiasts are unable to purchase one of the most anticipated games of the last year, Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V).
The controversial title, developed and published by industry giant Rockstar, is unlikely to ever be approved for sale by the National Media Council (NMC) for its explicit content that contains violence, sex and drug use.
“The GTA series has a history of controversy because of its content so it’s kind of a given that the game isn’t available yet.
My Experience
I have played and enjoyed all the previous GTA installments and was excited to get my hands on the new one when I first bought my PS4, but was informed of the ban when I went to Virgin Megastore Deira City Centre branch – which operates several stores across the country.
A representative from Virgin Mena told me “they are definitely not getting it in UAE.”
Here is a picture I took of virgin’s shelve of New Releases, you can see Bloodborne but no GTA5.
RECOMMENDED READING: Top 5 most eagerly awaited PS4 games of 2015
Direct Import
Games that are not approved by the authorities still can be bought in the UAE. The reality is that no authority can hold it or banned it completely, since you can easily download online.
A 23-year-old gamer who did not want to be named told InsideDubai he had not found GTA in any stores, but said “It is easy to buy on online third party websites, or download via the PS store.”
Not the first time
This is not the first time that the UAE National Media Council have banned a game. The list of outlawed titles includes Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Dead Island, Dragon Age: Origins, The GodFather II, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Max Payne and quite a few more…..
Point to be noted
The GTA5 is franchise is known for its violence, sex and drug content so if your children are under 18, it’s probably not the best game for them. It has been previously suggested that GTA’s influence in the west has directly contributed to a spike in teenaged criminal activity, although no real correlation can be proved, simply an uplift in kid’s lawyers trying to blame their clients’ behaviour on Rockstar.
RECOMMENDED READING: List of Banned Games in UAE
Inside Opinion
Here’s our view on GTA. You need the game, you have to have the game. But you should respect the law of our great country. So buy the game when you go home for a week or two in your own country, have two weeks of deep joy, then come back and act like a normal person again. Cheers fellas…..