According to Sony Hong Kong's Playstation Website, along with the screenshot posted below, Grand Theft Auto III - the first in Rockstar North's best selling sandbox series to feature 3D graphics - will be released on to the Playstation Network on September 25th. The content was first scheduled to reach the Playstation Network a number of months ago, but was delayed due to licensing issues regarding its soundtrack.
GTA III marked a landmark in the series, as it transitioned from top down graphics to fully fledged, 3D graphics complete with a fully immersive terrain to explore. It thus gave birth to a whole range of sandbox titles, dubbed "GTA Clones" such as
Driv3r and
True Crime: Streets of LA. Upon its release in 2001, it was that years best selling video game. According to Metacritic, GTA III and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 both hold an average critic score of 97 out of 100, making them the highest-rated PlayStation 2 games of all time. As of March 26, 2008, Grand Theft Auto III has sold 14.5 million units according to Take Two Interactive. Rockstar are yet to confirm the release date ahead of the hotly anticipated release of GTA V - the latest in the franchise. A trip back to Liberty City on the PS3 with upscaled graphics might help whet the appetite whilst we wait to sink our teeth into whatever titbit of information Rockstar decide to release next.