Grand Theft Auto IV

WHOO HOO! It's finally here! I don't really know what all the fuss is about because I have never played the game, but I do know that millions of other consumers have and it is HUGE! According to the AdAge article, the Grand Theft Auto IV release "is expected to lift the entire industry even further, while putting the spotlight firmly back on the core gamer audience."

Currently the record for video game sales is held by Halo 3 with $300 million, but that is expected to be broken with the GTA release by up to $50 to 100 million more.  The game producers are not the only ones who will be getting direct sales increases. Gamestop, Game Crazy, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart will all benefit from the sales of the game, especially those that held special opening nights and promos for the game.

The M rating has had some downfall on strictness  for minors and some marketing activities. With those problems, the game has still received all perfect reviews so far and special recognition for its "first-time interactive play as well as superior graphics on the next-generation platforms of both Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360."