GTA 5 launch will not harm PS4 & Xbox One sales, says analyst

Grand Theft Auto 5's September 17 release on current-gen platforms will do little to dent sales of PS4 and Xbox One consoles, but could set current-gen records according to a group of analysts.

Speaking with GI International, EEDAR's Jesse Divnich said, "PlayStation 4 and Xbox One continue to stay at the top of the charts on Amazon.com. Consumers are clearly excited for the next generation of consoles to launch. I don't foresee one current generation game, no matter how large it is, impacting the start of the next generation of consoles."

International Data Corporation analyst Lewis Ward feels the opposite, as reported yesterday: "A lot of gamers are going to stick by their Xbox 360s, Wii/Wii Us, and PS3s at least until the 2014 holiday season, when the game catalog will be a lot bigger and some of the online kinks will have been worked out. That also means that games like GTA V should have plenty of runway to sell well in the meantime, as long as they deliver the goods."

Independent analyst Billy Pigeon agreed with Ward's stance, adding, "I'd expect the game to have a positive influence on [current-gen] hardware sales, particularly when bundled with hardware by retailers. If there are concurrent price drops for Xbox 360 and PS3, that positive effect will be even stronger."

If you missed Rockstar's GTA 5 gameplay reveal trailer earlier this week, or just want to undress it again with your eyes, you can watch it here.