Has Rockstar given GTA 5 enough time? E3 should tell.

It has been pretty well covered since the release of its predecessor, with a mountain of conjecture and hopes piling up across gamer forums, but now it looks like Rockstar has confirmed its target date for the release of GTA 5.

KitGuru fakes a pit pass and heads to the track for an update.

The rumours about Grand Theft Auto 5 started almost as soon as GTA 4 hit shelves in April 2008.

A small mountain of questions has been met with a series of vague responses – but that just makes us more hungry – right?

At the time Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter was quoted saying “In fall 2010, there’ll be a Grand Theft Auto 5.”

But that was then and this is now and the new target is early 2012 with a formal announcement expected at this year’s E3 in June.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Rockstar wants to take its time a little more with this one, since a lot was said about the holes in the last game and, with the staggering figures of sales for the latest big titles, the company is looking at a massive push to get GTA 5 to the top of the best sellers. You have to say that Black Ops really raised the bar for everyone by scoring a big-phat $1Bn in revenue. Now ever other game is set to look like a total failure, unless it scores an Everest of green-backs.

A mid-January launch date might seem a little strange, but having it come just after the holidays means people will have a little money floating around still, and it will have an almost clear field of opposition – since everyone else will have gotten their stuff out in time for the Christmas madness. At least that's the way we would be spinning it if we were going to be horribly late for Xmas 2011.

If Pachter’s comments are to be believed, then “… The next GTA may become the best selling game of all time, selling over 200 million units”.

No pressure then.

Last question, so where will it be set?  Well, according to a poll on the GTAV.net site, the fans are certain that it will be Miami. Or San Andreas. or London. Those are the top 3 guesses, with Cleveland Ohio and St Louis, Missouri in last spot.

KitGuru says: It’s a ask, but if Rockstar is successful in giving GTA 5 the extra attention it needs, then it could pay off for them – and the game's eager fans. Expect a massive build up of fervent attention for Rockstar leading up to, and during, June’s E3.

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