Rockstar Dismisses Talk of GTA IV Delay

Analyst speculation turns out to be ... speculation.

Two of of the biggest games due in 2007 are Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV. As luck would have it, they're coming out within a couple weeks of one another - despite what you may have heard to the contrary.

Rumours prompted by an analyst note had it that Rockstar could delay Grand Theft Auto IV until November, but the company has come out today to deny the claims.

We contacted the company for comment and were told that the game is on track for release in "late October".

Grand Theft Auto fans have had October circled as the date for the arrival of the first Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 instalment since last year. Microsoft surprised many people by revealing in May that Halo 3 would be out in late September. According to one analyst, that could be a problem.

In a note to investors, relayed in part by GameDaily, analyst Michael Pachter speculated that troubled Rockstar parent company Take 2 could push back the release of Grand Theft Auto IV into its next financial year, which begins in November.

"We believe that a two-week delay would provide a reasonable gap between the launch of Halo 3 and the launch of GTA IV, and would actually help sales of both games," he wrote.

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Rockstar's comments will come as sweet relief to GTA fans anxious to play the first game in the series for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

According to previously confirmed dates, Grand Theft Auto IV will be out in the US on 16 October and in Europe on 19 October. For more on the game, head to our Grand Theft Auto IV coverage homepage.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo