GTA V News: Christmas Release "Outside Realms Of Probability"
Hopes of seeing Grand Theft Auto 5 hit retail shelves this year are dashed.
Rockstar North's feverishly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 5 is unlikely to be released this year, according to EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich. New screenshots for the latest in the popular GTA franchise have been revealed this week, with more expected sometime today. Fans had crossed their fingers for something substantial, with some claiming the reveal of screen shots is some sort of countdown to a release date. Divnich though warns that the release of the title this year "is out of the realm of probability." Speaking to NowGamer, he said: "A Christmas release is probably out of the realm of possibility at this point. Competitors have already placed their stake in the ground and while GTA V has no direct competitor, the combination of 2 to 4 great Action and Shooter titles this season could produce problems for a GTA holiday release."The Action and Shooter titles he refers to are Assassin's Creed 3, Halo 4, Black Ops 2, Hitman Absolution and Resident Evil 6, all of which are expected to be released between October-November this year. With these titles hoping to cash in on the Holiday season, Divnich claimed that Rockstar don't necessarily have to do that with GTA 5 and the title could actually be released at a much less "favourable" time of the year as far as sales are concerned.
"It's GTA V, release timing doesnt matter. GTA IV launched in April of 2008, and prior to its release April was considered the "worst" month to launch a title."The latest screenshots revealed for GTA 5 showcase a number of leisure activities, such as parachuting, dirt bike racing and even tennis. Quite what Rockstar have in store for us today remains to be seen, but it probably won't be the Christmas release date we were all hoping for.