I really wish they would stop playing the promo for GTA: Tales from Liberty City. As much asI want those games, I am not going to go out and buy an XBox for $299. Why, oh why, did Rockstar agree to create exclusive content for XBox? Scratch that, I know why (ka-ching) but it seems odd that they would leave out what I can only assume is a HUGE chunk of their fanboys and girls who sit with their giant PS3 in hands waiting (and waiting) for really good games to be released.

Same goes for EA. Stupid EA and their stupid revenue gathering. I was so stoked to get TS3 for my birthday way back when and now it is just annoying. Don't get me wrong, I still play the damn game and enjoy the open, free-roam aspect, I am just fed up with the limited amount of things to buy and do and places to go. Oh, I could go and download all the clothing, hair, sets etc from their site and $100+ later I would have a whole new range of toys to play with. But screw that. I'm not even going to part with my cash for the World Adventures EP becuase from what I can see there is nothing in it that I would want for my Sims. And its a half-pi boycott of sorts. A moral stand, if you will, against EA and their half-arsed attempt at a great game just to line their own pockets.

With seemingly everyone hanging onto the edge of their seats in anticipation of more GTA IV news, there have been many articles and retrospects on the GTA franchise. None have quite hit the mark like the one I have just read at nzgamer.com entitled "Grand Theft Auto: The Phenomenon" and authored by one Angus Deacon. Here are a few quotes that I quite enjoyed;

on the negative attention surrounding GTA III's release in 2001:

"...it was mentioned in just about any act of violence that could be even remotely related to it. Marilyn Manson must have been saddened that the attention was suddenly pulled away from him and the negative publicity simply made the game more successful."

on GTA's supposed violent influence on the youth of today:

"It is important to note that after all these years of scientists sitting in rooms playing hour upon hour of video games, there still isn't any recognisable proof of negative behaviour being caused by the past-time. It's also interesting that no-one seems to be worried about the negative effects The Sims might be having on kids of today.... Are there children out there who think that the Grim Reaper pays everyone a visit on their deathbed? Surely this is proof that young gamers can differentiate between fact and fiction?"

on Tyrone McMillan's (arrested in April '06 for a police chase after they tried to pull him over for parole violation)lame excuse for being retarded:

"McMillan, unbelievably in his 30s with a wife and kids (who were actually in the car for most of the chase), used his expertise navigating the fictional streets of GTA with a PlayStation 2 controller... and put them to good use leading the police on a 55-minute real-life car chase. Kudos for sure, but I think this just proves that McMillan is an absolute fruit-cake. It is highly probable that McMillan could have been set off by a TV advert for cornflakes."

on GTA's influence on developers:

"...the GTA franchise itself was starting to influence the gaming industry. Game developers everywhere realised that people didn't want to purchase games that went from point A to point B anymore. Why not get the whole alphabet in there as well and let the player do whatever they want?"

I believe that the vast majority of GTA fans will agree. Whatever road, path, sea or flightplan GTA will take, there will ALWAYS be an audience ready and waiting to lap up every one of it's beautiful, violent and revolutionary juices.

"Rockstar Games - we salute you!"