Tue, Apr 29, 2008 | 12:07 BST

Grand Theft Auto IV launches in the UK – photos

Grand Theft Auto IV has now launched in the UK, which you know unless you’ve had your eyes closed for the last two months, and interest is rather high.

The pictures after the link are from GameStation and Game in Worthing, on the English south coast ten miles west of Brighton. At least 300 people were queuing outside GameStation for its midnight opening, and the manager was looking a little pensive.

“We asked for a police presence and they haven’t shown up,” he said. “I’ve never seen this much interest for a game here before.”

The store had received more copies than expected, we were told, something in the region of 400 copies.

“We might have some for sale in the morning, but I seriously doubt it,” said the manager.

The group at the front of the queue had been there all day, and would only give their Gamertags. SGT BUC, acelfc, jimiboob and pat bomb007 were all looking a little “refreshed”. One of them pissed in the doorway while they were waiting for the doors to open. A girl walked past with a GTA poster and screamed when we tried to take a photo.

A proud game-owner drove in front of the crowd, standing out of the sunroof and waving his copy shouting, “You’re never going to fucking get it.”

The manager laughed.

“GTA appeals more to the FIFA crowd,” he said. “That’s why we asked for the police.”

Nice quiet night in a sedate English town. Check out the photos. We’re off to bed. Happy GTA Day.

7 comments

deanimate
29/04/08, 1:44 am

I have fond memories of the first ever GTA but aside from a brief play of GTAII i haven’t played any of the others. This one though has piqued my interest quite a bit and i must admit to rather looking forward to getting down my mates and playing it on his newly acquired PS3. He’s also recently started making his homebrew so getting merrily slaughtered and plowing through GTAIV sounds like a bit of a good weekend.

Online multiplayer too has surprised me. It sounds bloody awesome