Figuring out the release schedule of Rockstar and Take Two is like pretending to be Max Payne. It requires a lot of booze, some pills and having everything spin around you before it could even begin to make sense.
As usual, Rockstar isn't bringing any of their properties to e3 this year according to Computer and Video Games. And this isn't a huge surprise since they skipped 2010 and 2011, when they were on the cusp of releasing Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire and even Max Payne 3.The company tends to keep their cards close to the chest with franchises and especially with original property--can anyone even think of the last time news about Agent surfaced? The last definitive word seems to be a 2009 interview with Take Two's Ben Feder at Eurogamer. Even then, the most he let slip was, "It's a completely different storyline, there is completely different character development. It's a game about espionage, set in the 1970s. GTA is obviously more about an urban experience, a typically rags to riches experience. Very, very different storylines, very different character development. It's going to be very fresh for gamers."
Mind you, back then Feder was hesitant about DLC and now Rockstar practically swims in it. But what about what parent Take Two Interactive wants? Reuters reports the company took a financial hit this year with the delay of Max Payne 3, but are still waiting on upcoming titles like Spec Ops: The Line and next year's Bioshock Infinite. From Reuters:
"At this point it's all about 'Grand Theft Auto:V' and the potential earnings power that this game has." [National Alliance Capital Markets analyst Mike] Hickey said. "And we think that the Street is under-appreciating how much profitability it could drive for the overall company."
There's a slight clarification needed: the "year" could easily mean (and probably does) Take Two's "fiscal" year, which stars and concludes on March 31st of each year. So yes, GTA V could easily be released this year, as long as it's before March 31st, 2013. Still, the process may have already started.
Over at GTAForums, a member posted an in-game screenshot from a Max Payne 3 multiplayer map that found this:
Which, as the forum points out, look supiciously like the planes from the in-game teaser for GTA V. So, early tease for even more aerial goodness along with the recession in the next GTA or just a fun easter egg? Guess we'll find out.