E3 2012 was full of games that we already knew alot about. Surprises were few and far between, which left some speculating that a big surprise could be in the works at Rockstar. Grand Theft Auto V had a clear path to dominate the headlines, but the developer decided to pass on that opportunity. Despite consensus that the company would show something at E3, there have been no reports of even off-floor showings of GTA V. What’s more odd, are those that are still clinging to the hope that the next Grand Theft Auto title will still arrive in 2012.
While Rockstar hasn’t announced anything concrete, industry analysts have predicted that their next game would arrive in the fall of 2012. Eventhough Rockstar isn’t an annual attendee of E3, there abscense from even the pre-E3 press conferences signals that this might not be the case at all. Already mid-June, the hourglass is beginning to run out of sand on GTA V in 2012.
Keen observers of Rockstar’s history will remind you that nearly all of their releases take place between the months of April and May. Just look at their last four big releases: Max Payne 3 (May), LA Noire (May), Red Dead Redemption (May), GTA IV (April).
The developer has done quite well sticking with this gameplan. All four of the games listed here have sold into the millions, and have received widespread critical praise. Rockstar did say that once Max Payne 3 had shipped, that they would be releasing new details about GTA V. It’s been a little less than a month, and both the biggest video game trade show, and the Take Two earnings call have both occurred with the company maintaining silence on the game. The next financials from Take Two are due in August, which is probably even too late for the company to announce a 2012 release date for the game.
Perhaps, the odds are beginning to stack up against a 2012 release for Grand Theft Auto V.
