Microsoft's coup: GTA on 360 and PS3

by Christopher Grant { May 9th 2006 at 1:58PM }

Peter Moore just dropped a bomb on us during their keynote (which we're liveblogging here): Rockstar's blockbuster series, Grand Theft Auto, is coming to the Xbox 360 on October 17th and 19th, 2007, in North America and Europe respectively. Peter Moore said it would be on 360 "from day one" implying the title will see a simulatenous release on the competition's PlayStation 3 console.

This takes one of Sony's biggest assets this generation and makes it moot. Well played Microsoft ... those billions sure do come in handy sometimes.

(Updated: GTA4 is dropping in 2007 -- not 2006 -- meaning it will ostensibly drop on both 360 and PS3 on the same date, or "day one" as Mr. Moore said.)

Tags: Grand Theft Auto, GrandTheftAuto, GTA

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Vilhelm @ May 9th 2006 3:44PM

Wow... I'm impressed. Way to go, Microsoft!

seifer @ May 9th 2006 3:45PM

Take that, Sony.

Evil Inside @ May 9th 2006 3:46PM

Lower console price, GTA 4 exclusive(even if for a limited time) released at PS3 launch.

Smart move Microsoft, smart indeed.

Clint Brown @ May 9th 2006 3:46PM

So basically they have it for a month....I think I can wait that long.

C. Grant @ May 9th 2006 3:47PM

Not the point Clint.

twism @ May 9th 2006 3:47PM

Nice going Microsoft. Thats for your $600 Dollar Blu Ray Play...I ment PS3.

twism @ May 9th 2006 3:49PM

Yeah wait a month to buy a $600 PS3 plus tax, then buy $60.00 Grand Theft plus tax and cry to your Mommy you have no money for lunch.

Aaron @ May 9th 2006 3:50PM

Considering how little I care for the GTA series, this info means nothing to me in the console wars.

But considering how popular these games are, this is definately to Microsoft's advantage... if only for a month or so. You know it will sell meeeeeeeeellions in that timeframe.

Michael Price @ May 9th 2006 3:50PM

I thought he said October *2007*?

scourge @ May 9th 2006 3:50PM

This is going to be great for 360!!!

I can already see the GTA4 ads running parallel to the PS3 hype and stealing some of Sony's thunder.

Have you all checked out the live marketplace?

Halo 3 and a ton of other videos are up right now

Daniel M. @ May 9th 2006 3:51PM

yeah, seriously, if this "exclusive" is only until the PS3 comes out (about a month later), then it's not much of an exclusive at all, is it?

It'd be a different story if it was exclusive for 6 months or a year.

Basically, msoft is just putting a spin on this but they don't have much of an exclusive at all.

frederick @ May 9th 2006 3:51PM

This is great news. Now I will only have to buy one console. Saves me $600. Schweet.

scourge @ May 9th 2006 3:52PM

How can you say they don't have much of an exclusive?

They get the game first and will have eposidic content that won't be available on the PS3. That sounds exculsive to me

GH @ May 9th 2006 3:52PM

"Peter Moore said it would be on 360 "from day one" inferring the title will see a release on the competition's PlayStation 3 console when it launches November 17th."

Peter Moore implied it - you inferred it.

josh @ May 9th 2006 3:55PM

The post is just assuming this will or won't come out for the PS3.

Also, the liveblog implies this game isn't coming out til 2007, while this post seems to say it's coming out in 2006.

I'd wait for clarification before jumping to any conclusions.

Either way, Sony losing their traditional GTA period of exclusivity is a big deal for them. I bought my PS2 specifically to play GTA 3. While I am bored of teh GTA games at this point, 4-5 years later, they still have MANY fans.

enxian @ May 9th 2006 3:57PM

its 2007 or 2006???

i see on Gamespot 2007 Sorry!

darryl @ May 9th 2006 3:57PM

Bah... who cares!? Really, one month lead... I'll wait for the *full* version on PS3.

ds3 @ May 9th 2006 3:59PM

this is truly pathetic.......that microsoft would sink that low but hey when you got a rich daddy like bill gates that reaches in his own pocket every time xbox isnt doing so well than you can pretty much screw with everything
thx a lot microsoft for this show of fear and how pathetic you really are thx alot really

now i am gonna make november 17 a holiday in my book
so fuck you microsoft

Element @ May 9th 2006 4:04PM

http://rockstargames.com/grandtheftauto4/

Doesnt look exclusive to me.

? @ May 9th 2006 4:08PM

october 2007.... geez bet they ant even stated to think about it yet....i could be dead by then.....concentrate on this year god....

Jack @ May 9th 2006 4:09PM

Halo 4 is coming out on PS3!!! Oh wait Sony isnt that desperate to do anything it can to steal exclusive titles away from other systems...

Dave @ May 9th 2006 4:11PM

It's funny that Sony, a huge international corporation also known for numerous unfair business practices, is seen as the righteous underdog by the Sony fanboys. I plan on picking the best platform--and I don't care who makes it.

Abe @ May 9th 2006 4:12PM

You go ds3, you go girl!

Gwyn @ May 9th 2006 4:13PM

Hey joystiq guys! there's a duff "strong" tag in this article (, in North America and Europe,) making the whole of joystiq go bold.

Just FYI.

hilker @ May 9th 2006 4:13PM

Oh come on. This is business. It isn't as if Sony has never done the same thing. Final Fantasy used to be a Nintendo exclusive, once upon a time.

boris @ May 9th 2006 4:14PM

it doesnt matter if its exclusive. What matters is it will be available on day one which totaly destroys sony......the only other thing they got going for them is square enix, but hey there games have started sucking anyway so no theres no reason to buy a ps3 now ......hhhhaaahaahahahahahhahahahaahah....witness the beginning of the end for sony....... to bad , should focused more on the gamer and less on the fucking blue ray shit thats gonna fail anyway......peace bitches!

Clint @ May 9th 2006 4:14PM

Joystiq got it wrong. They changed the article. It's not exclusive. PS3 gets it from day one as well. Who cares? GTA is tired anyways.

Steve @ May 9th 2006 4:14PM

***21. Halo 4 is coming out on PS3!!! Oh wait Sony isnt that desperate to do anything it can to steal exclusive titles away from other systems...

No, they just steal all the other conseles ideas and rename them.

Inafune @ May 9th 2006 4:15PM

Actually it won't be appearing on the 360 first. If you read the article carefully it clearly states it will release on both systems at the same time....instead of the usual situation where the xbox fans had to wait.

This is as clear as it can get:

GTA4 is dropping in 2007 -- not 2006 -- meaning it will ostensibly drop on both 360 and PS3 on the same date, or "day one" as Mr. Moore said.)

spoo @ May 9th 2006 4:15PM

LOL it is funny to see $ony fanboys get so pissed.

Cloud @ May 9th 2006 4:18PM

I just had an idea... You know what would be funny is if GTA 1 would be downloadable for the Wii. lol

Inafune @ May 9th 2006 4:19PM

lol, too funny Cloud

Mick @ May 9th 2006 4:19PM

Sony never owned GTA. Microsoft owns Halo, they don't need to get an "exclusive".

He never said the game was an XBOX exclusive. This is what was said:

"Microsoft and Rockstar games have entered into an exclusive partnership to provide exclusive episodic content through Xbox Live."

The game will be the same on XBOX360 and PS3. Future content for the game will be released for XBOX 360, not PS3. That's what makes it exclusive.

Don't you guys read anything before going off on your rants?

Pretty Obvious @ May 9th 2006 4:20PM

Sony fans should be relieved. I for one thought Microsoft was gonna announce that they had bought out Rockstar and the next GTA would be 360 exclusive.

Tom @ May 9th 2006 4:20PM

Basically useless then, the people who bought a ps2 for gta are likely to stick with the ps3 for gta. Especially considering the ps3's far better value, i mean a blu ray players alone will probably still be really expensive by then. Really nothing big here.

Inafune @ May 9th 2006 4:28PM

Not sure if that was aimed at my post or not mick, but in any case....The purpose of my post wasn't about arguing the fact of if it was exclusive or not. It was simply to clear up the confusion that some were posting as fact...and that being that it would release on the 360 first. I am aware of what was said in regards to the downloadable content.

josh @ May 9th 2006 4:31PM

"Especially considering the ps3's far better value, i mean a blu ray players alone will probably still be really expensive by then."

This is only a better value if you buy the $600 PS3 with HDMI output, have an HD TV (most don't), and Blu-Ray wins the format war in a timely manner.

If it takes 2-3 years for a winner to be decided on in the Blu Ray vs HD battle, then Blu Ray players will be far less expensive at that point. The first DVD players cost $600 bucks, but 2-3 years later they were $99 or less.

CoffeeJedi @ May 9th 2006 4:43PM

four???

shouldn't this be GTA6?

Finished.Law.School @ May 9th 2006 4:43PM

I hope it is GTA in the future - Blade Runner style bitch!

dubz @ May 9th 2006 4:47PM

"Bah... who cares!? Really, one month lead... I'll wait for the *full* version on PS3."

LOLERSKATES

Wolfrain @ May 9th 2006 5:14PM

"37. four???

shouldn't this be GTA6?

Posted at 4:43PM on May 9th 2006 by CoffeeJedi"

No it is number 4 as GTA San Andreas and GTA Vicy City use the same basic engine of GTA III. Just like how GTA London 1969 was not Number 2 because it used GTA engine. When they make new engines for the game thats when they add numerical figures on.

p.s. Following your logic, how would this be number 6. Look

1. GTA
2. GTA London 1961/1969
3. GTA 2
4. GTA III
5. GTA Vice City
6. GTA San Andreas
7. (GTA Advance)
8. GTA LIberty City Stories

jakie_chon @ May 9th 2006 5:15PM

wouldn't it be fun if this got ported to the wii? That way, beating the crap out of the ho's with a bat would be even more fun

Tony @ May 9th 2006 5:22PM

I love how PS3 fanboys complain when Microsoft goes and takes away Sony's money cow, saying "OMG MICROSOFT SUCKS!! SO THEY GOTTA GO STEAL SONY'S GAMES!!!"

But it's ok for Sony to blatantly rip off Xbox live, and make a motion sensor controller like Nintendo has been planning for months...That's ok..but Microsoft can't throw some Money at Rockstar so to get GTA on their system at the same time? Rediculous if you ask me...

Listen, Sony losing that 6 month or so gap from when GTA is released on Xbox is a big deal...GTA is the most popular franchise of the last 7-8 years..It was arguably Sony's #1 console seller..(I say arguably to avoid fanboyism..It's pretty obvious IMO) I know atleast 10 people that went out and re-bought a PS2 just for San Andreas...myself included..I have never in my life waited in a line for a single video game..I did for San Andreas..there were hundreds of people at my mall alone when it launched..

Now, if you take someone who already owns a 360..but they LOVE GTA..now they can save $500 - $600 dollars and not have to wait 6 months...It's a big deal...There's tens of thousands of people who play games casually, but GTA is the only game they REALLY get into...They buy sports games like Madden and Live, and then they buy GTA..If you take a casual gamer, who hears great stuff about GTA and Madden 07...and they wanna buy a new system but don't want to spend a ton of money..their gonna buy a $300 core 360 before they buy a $500 "core" PS3...and shut the fuck up about blu-ray..who cares..right now, it's a new technology...and unproven technology...I don't see it taking off like a DVD did...the casual consumer needs to invest too much money to get the whole blu-ray experience..It could end up like the lase disc..or it could be great..who knows.

Sean @ May 9th 2006 5:50PM

quote ^^^:
Yeah wait a month to buy a $600 PS3 plus tax, then buy $60.00 Grand Theft plus tax and cry to your Mommy you have no money for lunch.

you don't wait a month its 2007 not 2006, but still to get maybe TWO decent games for the P$3 with the package that's worth getting, plus tax you're at $750.

and forget lunch money, money for ANYTHING. your parent's will be out of money!

MegaWatts @ May 9th 2006 6:56PM

Funny to see Sony fanboys get so pissy when their world is falling apart. LOL!!!

Oh and Halo would never show up on PS3 since MS OWNS Bungie. The comparison is retarded. You are implying that Sony owns Rockstar? LOL!

Seeing the Sony fanboys freaking out is fricking hilarious. Funnier than Nintendo naming their console after Wee Wee Pee Pee! LOL!!!

Sony is Microsofts Biatch!!! Suck it sony. Sony got pwned!

DetoX @ May 9th 2006 7:00PM

the real winner here is rockstar

Jor @ May 9th 2006 7:11PM

most popular PS3 games >> Final FantasyXIII, and Metal Gear Solid 4 same old stuff.

While the 360 is showing off with Fable 2, Gears Of War, Shadowrun, Too Human, GTA IV, Halo 3, Mass Affect, Viva Pinata, Lost Planet, Blue Dragon, Forza Motorsport and other games as well.

It's pretty clear PS3 got slapped in the face! nuff said

shaka @ May 9th 2006 7:46PM

microsoft just kicked sony in the NUTS !!!!!!!!!
ouch !!!!!!! this is bad ,bad real bad for ps3 and sony.

this is going to be one rather isteresting battle from side by side. sony will not have easy this timw around at all. ps3 is still my fv next gen. console ,but ouch !!!

shaka.