Rockstar To Debut GTA Special Editions

Author: by David Jenkins, Simon Carless

Publisher Rockstar has announced plans to release new compilation Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy for release on October 18th in North America for the Xbox. This new compilation comprises Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in a three-disc pack for $59.99, and is another late-period Xbox compilation in the style of Microsoft's previously mentioned Halo Triple Pack, which also retails for $59.99. In addition, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Speciail Edition has been announced for the PlayStation, and includes the standard version of the game alongside a second DVD featuring The Introduction, a pre-game CG movie formerly only available as part of a GTA: SA soundtrack purchase, plus the recently announced Sunday Driver documentary on Los Angeles' low rider car club The Majestics. Both new M-rated releases obviously appear minus the newly excised 'Hot Coffee' content from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which had caused the game to be re-classified with a restrictive Adults Only rating, and seem intended to re-promote the game after the likely sales setback resulting from the game's removal from American retail. In releasing information about these compilations, Take-Two and Rockstar also reported another milestone for its game series: combined, the Grand Theft Auto series now has combined worldwide sales of over 45 million units. In related news, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer, a former worker at a Sony's game manufacturing plant in Pitman, New Jersey has been sentenced to six months of house arrest plus two years probation for pirating packaging material from Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas before its release. According to the paper, Stephen Dottoli, 24, admitted to taking ten images of the game’s packaging and instruction manual and displaying them on his website two weeks before the game was released. He then proceeded to pretend he had a full copy of the game to the site’s visitors. Dottoli has subsequently pleaded guilty to copyright infringement.