EB Games Australia Store Set Up Fake Drugs at GTA V Launch

[roseofbattle]

EB Games Australia Store Set Up Fake Drugs at GTA V Launch

Drugs are no stranger to the Grand Theft Auto games, but it's quite another thing to see fake drugs when picking up the game at a store.

When Reddit user mattwestcott [http://www.reddit.com/user/mattwestcott ] went to an EB Games store in Australia for the midnight launch of Grand Theft Auto V, he saw employees lining the counter with fake drug paraphernalia. According to him, the staff asked customers for IDs for proof of age before customers even entered the store. Kotaku Australia reported this was an isolated incident done by "one rogue store" and the head office knew nothing about it.

EB Games issued the following statement: Regrettably, one of our EB Games store locations in Queensland set-up an unauthorised display within the store in support of the launch of the Grand Theft Auto V video game. The display included a white powdery substance that appeared to be some form of an illegal drug. We can confirm that the powdery substance was "sherbet", a type of fizzy candy, and at no point did the store attempt to give any of the fizzy candy away. This was an isolated incident, and we apologise for any offence this may cause.

Grand Theft Auto V is the first R18+ rated game [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126514-Grand-Theft-Auto-V-Gets-Thumbs-Up-For-Australia] of the series to be released in Australia. The R18+ category went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. The Classification Board in Australia ruled drug use as a high impact on the game, while themes, violence, language, nudity, and sex were all labeled as a strong impact.

Source: Kotaku Australia [http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1mhuwg/local_eb_games_australia_giving_out_free_cocaine/]

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[VanQ]

That's actually clever because I remember when I was a kid, myself and others used to snort Wizz Fizz for some unknown reason. It wasn't even mildly pleasant. I don't know why we did it. I'd have loved it if the employee that set it up sat there snorting a line of Wizz Fizz for every copy sold.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Good thing they did this after the game got its classification, I'm thinking.

 

[lacktheknack]

Yeah... that's a bad idea. Not everyone enters an EB Games for GTA, after all, and I'm sure they'd be happy to see drugs everywhere.

 

[Lilani]

And this is the same country that took so long to get an R18+ rating, and still at times refuses to use it keeping "violent" games like SR4 from easily entering its borders? I think it's cool and all, actually reminds me of a senior project I saw an art student do at my university[footnote]He used a good portion of the building to display his art, and in the main entrance corridor where his display began he set up a couch and a table with razorblades on it and white powder that spelled out his name.[/footnote], but I think it's just incredible this came from Australia given all the censorship we hear about. Guess it just goes to show how different the community is from the politicians, lol.

 

[vun]

Yeah... that's a bad idea. Not everyone enters an EB Games for GTA, after all, and I'm sure they'd be happy to see drugs everywhere.

Eh, I like seeing cool stuff like this even if it's not a game I like. I don't plan on getting the new GTA, but I would still think the display was cool if I entered the store.

 

[lacktheknack]

Yeah... that's a bad idea. Not everyone enters an EB Games for GTA, after all, and I'm sure they'd be happy to see drugs everywhere.

Eh, I like seeing cool stuff like this even if it's not a game I like. I don't plan on getting the new GTA, but I would still think the display was cool if I entered the store.

I'm thinking more along the lines of someone's Mom who thought Viva Pinata looked like something their kid would like.

 

[LordLundar]

Something I just realized here:

SR4 has one, and only one reference of drug activity and one reference of anal rape. It gets banned until those two references were removed.

The GTA series is infamous for items that are on the "refuse classification" list yet it gets a green light with no problems.

I wonder who got bribed...

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

We swear, we were not borrowing this stuff from the publisher's stash. They would totally kill us for that...

 

[vun]

Yeah... that's a bad idea. Not everyone enters an EB Games for GTA, after all, and I'm sure they'd be happy to see drugs everywhere.

Eh, I like seeing cool stuff like this even if it's not a game I like. I don't plan on getting the new GTA, but I would still think the display was cool if I entered the store.

I'm thinking more along the lines of someone's Mom who thought Viva Pinata looked like something their kid would like.

Of course someone won't like it, there will always be people who don't like it no matter what you do.
But it's the launch of a major game, so the store making moms feel uncomfortable for one day during the launch of a game that's already making moms feel uncomfortable doesn't seem like that big of a deal. The customers who will hang around the store around launch are most likely valuable repeat customers, probably worth catering to every now and then.

 

[Callate]

Given that Saints Row IV was originally refused classification on the drug issue alone, that's kind of a forehead slapper.

 

[Agayek]

I'm thinking more along the lines of someone's Mom who thought Viva Pinata looked like something their kid would like.

You gotta remember it was at a midnight release thing for GTA V.

How many moms are going to go into EB Games after midnight looking for little Johnny's next game?

And the ones that are really should be offended by it and refuse to give the game to their kid.

 

[josemlopes]

The idea is funny in that sort of "we dont give a fuck" mentality but to do it in Australia really doesnt help that whole thing going on there.

At least it probably kept the soccer moms from buying the game for their kids because they cant say no to them.

 

[Ukomba]

Australia has such a positive view of video games that I'm sure they'll undertsand. e_e

I'm not sure there is a country right now where this would have gone off as a good idea, maybe Amsterdam.

 

[Someone Depressing]

It's a good marketing idea; I wish they did more things like this.

Like having a corpse lying around somewhere then RE7 comes out (May Micheal of the Holy Order slay the beast of the abyssal, tarnished oblivion on that day. It's an excuse not to buy it)

 

[Psychobabble]

I'm thinking more along the lines of someone's Mom who thought Viva Pinata looked like something their kid would like.

You gotta remember it was at a midnight release thing for GTA V.

How many moms are going to go into EB Games after midnight looking for little Johnny's next game?

And the ones that are really should be offended by it and refuse to give the game to their kid.

I'd say that rather depends on whether little Johnny is a drug fueled psychopath or not.

And stay classy EB Games. Good work at showing just what kind of thug-life misanthrope customer base this game actually has, instead of just a following of sane rational individuals who are only looking for a good time, with no intention of actually hurting anyone, or participating in real life any of the actions they see on screen.

 

[Lightknight]

Oh no, non-illicit props relevant to a title they're releasing.[/sarcasm]

Seriously, I'm grateful that some of the responses here also think the disdain for this is silly. Like people going to buy GTA V are going to be prudes or something. They even checked ID BEFORE entry.

Could not be more ok with this.

 

[MorganL4]

Lets be honest...... NO ONE that goes to a midnight launch event for a GTA game is going to be offended by fake drug paraphernalia.