Target Australia has removed Grand Theft Auto 5 from stores in the country, after a petition of over 40,000 people asked the retailer to stop selling it - claiming the R18+ game encourages female violence and murder.

The petition was uploaded onto Change.org on Nov. 29 and has gartnered media attention, due to Grand Theft Auto 5's violence. It is not the first time Rockstar Games' 19 year franchise has caught the attention of various activists against violence.

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In Grand Theft Auto 5, the player controls three bank robbers in Los Santos, a fictional rendition of Los Angeles. The game has been criticised for its torture segment, where federal agents force Michael and Trevor to enact the torture with various instruments.

"'Grand Theft Auto V' explores mature themes and content similar to those found in many other popular and groundbreaking entertainment properties," Take Two Interactive's CEO Strauss Zelnick said. "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."

Australia has had a murky past when it comes to video games, just recently implementing a rating for over 18 games. The new rating has allowed many previously banned titles, like Left 4 Dead 2, to arrive in the country for the first time.

Other retailers will continue to sell Grand Theft Auto 5 for mature audiences - the board in control of ratings has not shown any move to ban the title outright. Target has also been selling Grand Theft Auto 5 on PS3 and Xbox 360 for over a year now.

Target will also continue to sell Grand Theft Auto 5 in North American stores. The two companies are operated by different management.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came under the same heat from retailers, when players found sexually explicit scenes inside the video game. Rockstar Games removed these scenes after complaints hit the studio, bringing the game back to retailer stores.

Supporters of Grand Theft Auto 5 claim the game is clearly targeted at adults and it should be on the fault of the parent if the game is played by a child. Banning the game outright also undermines adults, who are capable of watching violent movies or TV shows, but cannot play violent video games.

TagsGrand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games, Australia, Video games, violence, Target