The New Zealand Herald has reported that The Society for the Promotion of Community Standards has been allowed to appeal against the R18 classification of Grand Theft Auto IV in New Zealand.
The group seems to want to restrict sales of the uncensored version that had been privately submitted for classification following Take 2 Interactive's refusal to submit the full version earlier this year.
The group, which has at the top of it's objectives to "encourage self-respect and the dignity of the human person, made in the image of God", has previously sought to change the ratings of various other publications to suit its own needs, such as assisting the reversal of the R16 rating of Mel Gibson's biblical gore-fest "The Passion of the Christ", which saw a subsequent reclassification to R15.
Seems to be a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted, particularly as the differences between the edited and unedited versions are so slight. But then, this is an election year, and it seems all sorts of groups will take whatever leverage they can off such controversial works as the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
