Rockstar has made it official: Grand Theft Auto 4 is coming to a PS3 and Xbox 360 near you on April 29th, 2008. The game will receive a simultaneous worldwide launch, meaning that no matter where on Earth you live, you will not be left out of the fun.

Or able to escape, depending on your point of view.

Grand Theft Auto IV promises more of the same open-world gameplay that the series first envisioned with Grand Theft Auto III, and continued with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and San Andreas. While still offering the same core gameplay which has made the series insanely popular (for better or worse), this next entry promises to address some of the glaring issues from previous games, such as drive-by shooting controls, etc.

Rockstar’s founder and executive producer Sam Houser seems excited:

We are so excited to be releasing Grand Theft Auto IV… we’ve pushed ourselves very hard to make something incredible and hope the game sets a new benchmark for interactive entertainment.

For Rockstar’s sake, I hope so. THQ and its Saints Row franchise are looking to take the top spot from the GTA franchise. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on both, and do a compare/contrast.

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