Rockstar responds to GTA 4 cuts down under

Says Australian GTA 4 will still provide an incredible experience and cuts made are minor.

Rockstar Games has issued a response in wake of news that cuts had to be made to Grand Theft Auto IV in order for the game to be awarded a MA15+ rating in Australia - the highest rating available to video games.

"Unlike the US and Europe, Australia still lacks an R18+ rating for video games and as a result many games are edited for release in Australia, including most previous Grand Theft Auto releases," explained the Rockstar statement.

"While there are some minor differences between the Australian and US/EU versions, they are not significant and we do not believe they take away from the level of scope and detail that make GTA IV such an incredible experience."

The statement goes on to reassure Australian gamers that Rockstar would not release GTA 4 in Australia if it "believed these differences compromised the quality of the game in any way."

Grand Theft Auto IV is scheduled for release on April 29 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.