Senior research analyst Colin Sebastian from investment firm Richard W. Baird is saying that Grand Theft Auto 5 may miss its release date of March 2013. From GameSpot:
In a note sent to investors, Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said the firm is “increasingly concerned” that GTA V may miss its projected March 2013 release window. Speaking to GameSpot, Sebastian said there are numerous reasons for these concerns. “By no means am I convinced that it will miss March, but there are a couple of factors to consider. One, we haven’t heard anything definitive from the company on release timing,” he said. “Second, retailers typically would want 4-6 months lead time to prepare for a launch as large as GTA, and from [what] I understand they haven’t heard anything. Third, Rockstar rightly prioritizes game quality over release date, and this dynamic could shift timing.”Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar Games and its CEO Strauss Zelnick is telling a different story. At Take-Two Interactive’s 2012 annual share holder meeting, he announced, “Grand Theft Auto V is in full development and is making substantial progress,” Whatever the case, Product Reviews has a great piece that explains why Rockstar may be holding out on a definite release date.
Sebastian has also said that whatever the date of release for Rockstar Games’ GTA 5, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a hit. Twelve to fourteen million units will be sold in the first three months according to the Baird analyst.
