GTA V gets caught up in next-gen console talk

            GTA V gets caught up in next-gen console talk

The game, which is now slated to launch in September, could either be negatively affected by next-generation consoles or take advantage of them.

Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most anticipated game launches of 2013, but right now, its actual release date is the subject of debate in the gaming business.

The delay is required to deliver what people expect," Zelnick said during his company's earnings call yesterday, according to Venturebeat.

If the move is not designed to take advantage of next-generation consoles, some wonder if it will hurt Grand Theft Auto V sales. Those folks reason that because new consoles will be available soon after Grand Theft Auto V's launch, consumers might hold onto their cash and use it on next-generation products.

"While we believe that few gamers who intend to purchase GTA will hold off their purchases at launch, many next-generation consoles will be bought over the next two years (beginning with the likely launch of the PS4 in October [2013]), and those purchasers will be less likely to purchase a current generation game once they have become a next-generation household," Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter wrote today in a research note to investors. "We think that the launch of next-generation consoles shortly after the release of GTA V could impact ongoing sales in 2014 and beyond."

There is not one gamer who is going to sit out Grand Theft Auto V hoping that something down the road will be better," Zelnick said, according to Venturebeat