The run-up to Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) has been considerably less ballyhooed than last year's over-the-top Halo 3 debut. Yet when GTA IV parks on store shelves on Tuesday, the latest entry in the controversial video game franchise could be the most lucrative launch in entertainment history - and one that many people may not even know about.
Analysts predict Take-Two Interactive Software and Rockstar Games' open-world, action-driving game will easily top last year's record-breaking US$300 million first-week sales of Microsoft and Bungee Studios' first-person shooter Halo 3 - and without a similar marketing bonanza.
