Ampers & Dot

The point of today’s post has nothing to do with social media. Nothing to do with “web 2.0″. Today’s post is all about my love for the Grand Theft Auto series. Because you know what? They deserve the praise.

My life changed about eight years ago when I first played Grand Theft Auto 2. The top-down shooting/racer game was a fun and addictive, but would only be the gateway drug to me life-long addiction to the GTA series. When GTAIII came out it was an entirely new world of awesome. The third person car stealing mayhem was overwhelmingly enjoyable. Then Vice City opened my eyes to a new possibilities of fun. And in 2005 when GTA San Andreas came out, I was convinced that no game could ever top it.

In the three years since purchasing GTA:SA I have completed all of the missions six times through; played it through three times each on both Xbox and Xbox 360. I have completed 100% of the game. As annoying as that was. I spent hours on end finding all those god-damned horse shoes. Then, I went back and did it again.

And you know what? I still have fun playing GTA:SA. There has never been a game without a multiplayer mode that has had as severe staying power as any in the GTA series. The only reason I ever stop playing one of them is when the newest comes out- even if that only happens every three or so years.

So today is the day that the most insanely anticipated game of my life hits shelves. Finally. After three release date changes, we are finally here. (Incidentally, when the second release date was changed to October 16th, I had requested two days off around it… then when it was pushed back yet-again to April 29th I decided not to jinx it. And here we are. Not jinxed, but at work.)

Today, April 29th, is finally here. I didn’t think it would ever actually happen. But here we are. And I’m too busy to play anyway. BUT- now that I know it isn’t getting pushed back again, I can at least hype it up more than ever before.

So let’s get back to it with some fun links:

• Analysts are predicting that GTAIV will single handedly derail the box office this weekend
• Read this retrospective of the history of the Grand Theft Auto series
• It might sell up to 13,000,000 copies this year
• I’m not the only one (obviously) who feels passionately about the GTA series
• It received a “Perfect Score” with the critics - even Halo 3 only got a 93…
• There are awesome, awesome achievements for the 360 version
• There’s a multiplayer mode. Yes. The game that I could play forever singleplayerly, has a multiplayer mode.
• Also: here is everything you ever wanted to know and more about GTAIV

That’s all I’ve got today. And likely tomorrow. And the next day. Because as you can probably guess, I’ll be spending the next few months about three feet away from my TV stealing cars, driving fast, shooting gang members, and billions of other amazingly fun options in GTAIV. So long social life… Liberty City, here I come!