Speculation, fed by Sony's failure to announce a GTA title, had suggested the possibility of GTA exclusivity on XBox 360; yesterday's Microsoft press event however put a stop to that, announcing instead that there will be a simultaneous release on PS3 and XBox 360 of Grand Theft Auto IV.
During the same press event we found out that Grand Theft Auto IV, the next-generation console debut of the franchise, is expected to be in stores on Oct. 16, 2007, in North America and Oct. 19, 2007, in Europe.
The conflict on which new city will receive the High Definition G.T.A. treatment next will have to wait as there was a total lack of details on the actual game. This announcement was more of a power play by MS showing fans that no Sony franchise is safe. Recent stories of how Microsoft had a chance to sign-up GTA as an exclusive for the original XBox and passed seem to have had little, if any impact in a money driven world.
Separately, Microsoft and Rockstar Games also announced a strategic alliance which will see the publisher provide exclusive episodic content for Xbox Live, giving the community ever-expanding gameplay experiences....
Through Xbox Live, we have a unique opportunity to reach out to our audience in new ways, said Sam Houser, executive producer and founder of Rockstar Games. This strategic alliance allows us to craft experiences that fully leverage the on-demand distribution power and sheer size of Xbox Live.
For those who watched the Nintendo press event yesterday, this announcement is another example of how different the philosophy of Nintendo is from that of its other two rivals. Nintendo spoke to gamers by giving details of their titles and showcasing how they will be played. Sony and Microsoft, this far, have relied on vague, marketing infused statements giving very little away about what the gamer will get for his USD 60 per title.
Let's hope that the E3 2006 show floor will have good news for gamers everywhere. Whatever happens, MegaGames will be there to report it.
