Target Australia has decided to halt sales of Grand Theft Auto V in response to customer complaints with regard to the game's depiction of violence against women.
"We feel the decision to stop selling GTA V is in line with the majority view of our customers," explained Jim Cooper, Target General Manager Corporate Affairs, in a press release. "We have listened to the strong feedback from customers that this is not a product they want us to sell."
The decision to boycott GTA: V was influenced by a Change.org petition that garnered over 40,000 signatures. It is limited to Target Australia with no effect on the retailer's operations in other parts of the world. Additionally, Target Australia will continue to sell R18+ games other than GTA: V.
"We are disappointed that an Australian retailer has chosen no longer to sell Grand Theft Auto V," said Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick in a prepared statement. "Interactive entertainment is today's most compelling art form and shares the same creative freedom as books, television, and movies. I stand behind our products, the people who create them, and the consumers who play them."