The box design is very appealing.I usually don't pay much attention to that sorta stuff,but I like it.

Oooh...I can add an image or something to my comment now? Sweeet.

On topic: The design is pretty nifty. So much so that I just used the word nifty.

At £299, that's essentially getting the game for free.

Which is great, but I want an 80GB BC DS3 package before I go for a PS3... maybe I'll get lucky with MGS4. Or, never.

Still shipping with the sixaxis, selling the obsolete controllers to the Europeans. Oh Sony you're so clever.

Maybe this has been answered in other posts, but why no bundle for the 360? Is this Rockstar calming the waters with Sony after selling the exclusive rights to DLC to Microsoft?

OMG!!! a ps3 with GTA4 but..... the case picture is on the front of the box !!!!!!!!!!1 OMG!!!

@Josh*: There was a post last night about that, and that's exactly what they're putting out soooo....

So GT5 Prologue, GTAIV, MGS4, DMC4.. they're really trying to push the single-game console packs hard. I guess they need to in some sort of effort to increase sales past the 11k a week in Japan. The 360 has only had the World Cup 2006 Core Pack bundle (with football, zomg).. a GTAIV pack seems necessary, perhaps with the Elite so the colour scheme remains.

OH whats that smell, whats that smell? Oh, I smell a Jack Thompson can of a whoop ass in the near future, what, Gran Theft Auto? What. and thats the bottom line cause Jack Thompson said so.

@SBB: link plz? I do sleep sometimes, heh. If so... then, good! The UK's been without a BC option for too long, now.

If you don't trust those foreign types you'll be in trouble as chances are the game store will have lots of eastern european staff

@Josh*: I think SBB assumed you were in North America. I too am waiting for a 80Gb DS3 PS3 with BC for the UK.

@Spew: Can't tell where you are from your commentor page, but here in the UK we've had these 360 pack-ins that I can think of right now:

World Cup 2006 Core as you mentioned
Gears of War Premium pack
Smackdown vs Raw 2006 Premium pack
Call of Duty 3 Premium pack
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Premium pack

There have probably been one or two more that I can't remember right now.

These may well have been UK-exclusive, though.

Shiny.

Or you can get it with a 360 for £189

Dunno if it's been posted already but Play.com have a 360 premium + GTA4 deal here for £199 - [www.play.com]

When you checkout, there's a "promotional voucher button" on the right hand side, click it and enter experience08 and it gets an extra £10 off.

@Spew: I can think of The Halo 3 premium package that is still going on as well as a Forza 2 & Viva Pinata pack.
And I don't think any DMC4 bundle was released over here.

@Kazzahdrane: UK but Vietnam currently. I didn't realise there was a COD3 one but the others I do remember, their boxes are so unforgettable that I must have blocked them out until you mentioned them! Were they retailer exclusive, perhaps?

@DrMekon: Yea but it's not a pack in available everywhere in Europe. The pack in is important as it a way for the PS3 to market itself.... buy a ps3, and get GTA free! This packin bundle is also coming to the rest of Europe as well, other websites for other countries already have it up for preorder.

It's suprising when MS supposedly had exclusive marketing rights to the game, yet the PS3 is getting the pack in with big GTA on its box.

@dionion: There is a DMC4 package, but I saw it in Hong Kong so not sure if it's worldwide (PS3). I don't think I saw a Halo 3 pack, but fair enough! I do prefer Sony's packaging, even if this GTAIV one isn't anything special.

@DrMekon: People still buy 360s? :p

@Josh*: To replace their dead ones!

@dionion: Good point, forgot the Halo 3 console itself. However, that didn't actually include the Halo 3 game.

The Forza 2 & VP pack is a seperate pack which retailers can sell (include for free though, pretty much) with new consoles, but the games are not included in the box with the console.

@Spew: Quite possibly. I know where I work (Gamestation) sold almost all of them new, but not 100% sure about the Call of Duty 3 one as in my mind I can only recall seeing it in our preowned stock.

@Kazzahdrane:

There was a PGR + 360 bundle as well. I should know, I owned it for.... maybe 3 or 4 days. Damn, Geometry Wars sure is awesome though. But I have a PC for that. And BioShock, Orange Box, COD4, GH3, and nearly every other worthwhile 360 title -.-

Sony gets a GTA4 bundle, Micrsoft gets DLC. Guess we know who worked out the better deal. No wonder Sony didn't care about the DLC. And what the heck is up with Microsoft and Rockstar negotiating $50 million for DLC when clearly a bundle is the better deal? This whole scenerio is so bizzare.

@Josh*: I tip my hat to then, sir, for your superior product knowledge :-) So many ess-kay-yoo-s!

And yeah, I have a not-completely-crappy PC but for some reason I just prefer playing most games on my 360. Orange Box was the last PC game I bought and that was the first one in over a year (aside from Sam & Max episode downloads).

I want a PS3, but it is still way too expensive for what you actually get. A piece of plastic that barely plays any good games.

Perhaps I'll buy one later this year, but my Xbox 360 is serving me well atm.

@Kazzahdrane: Yo! Which Gamestation do you work in. I was the manager of Bolton, but left for pastures new.

@Kazzahdrane:I still use the 360 controller for windows =p

@Herman Gatevold:

I want a PS3, but it is still way too expensive for what you actually get. A piece of plastic that barely plays any good games.

Internet memes and worn out loyalists tripe are the sure sign of a weak mind and poor rationalization skills.

Anyway...

I'm sure this will sell by the shit load. I think GTA belongs on the sony consoles. And this is a winner of a bundle

@GOD: Dundee, games industry wannabee central. Sadly I'm graduating soon so will probably be leaving for a proper grown-up job where I don't get so much good banter :-( Nice to see you're still into games despite previously managing a store - you guys don't get the credit you deserve for your hard work most of the time.

P.S. have you got that angel of darkness mate? how much will you give me for my copy itstotallyhardlyplayedatalllike.

pass

@Herman Gatevold:

I want a piece of plastic! Oh wait I got 3. One that plays Halo 3 (only) one that plays nintendo games and one that is a blu-ray player and plays warhawk! YAY!

@Josh*: ditto

@Kazzahdrane: Ha ha! I still run a games shop, but it's my mates company. Sooooo much better than working for some faceless company. I'll never use my philosophy degree, so it's a life in video games retail for me!

@TitillatedOcelot: because the 360 is getting the benefit of marketing the future DLC as a selling point. which i don't think is a real selling point since it's "buying on hope" the PS3 bundles will help the PS3 sales until the DLC on the 360 comes out. and i've said this so many times: PS3 WILL get their own DLC at some point. it might not be the same as the 360, but come on. rockstar likes money as much as anyone else. they aren't going to cut out a growing market.

@Herman Gatevold: really? still too expensive? still no games? 2006 called and they want you back...... please find a new way to rag on the PS3 because those are feeble as best at this point.

@PapaBear434:

Gotta lova ya Papabear ;). Btw its been a long while since Ive seen you on PSN.

Hope I'll see ya around the MGO beta :).

So, is there anyone who knows this Shopto store? I would be more convinced if this were a more famous e-shopp like play.com or amazon.co.uk

@dionion: Yeah, I meant shop there. Ye olde e-shoppe...

Amazon have bundle options too

[www.amazon.co.uk]

DO WANT.

@dionion: I've only used them once but their prices are often really good, and their postage is free and quick. Well worth checking there for games as well as the usual suspects as I saved about £5 over any other online retailer on a new game a while back.

@luxusa:

I didn't pre-order it, so not likely. I will, however, be on GTA.

Sony is just making their statement - GTA is still a Playstation branded game.

w/ the SIXAXIS?! really, sheesh. All controllers in new bundles/consoles should be DS3. Seems like Sony is trying to push the old stuff on us.

@TitillatedOcelot: it sure seems that way.

@Herman Gatevold: omg you've cracked the case! are you prof. layton or something? cause if you did some real investigating, you would find that for 400 bucks, you are getting alot in that box. and there are games out there to play. im just playing Watson to your Sherlock.

@Herman Gatevold: just curious, why do you want a PS3 then?

Hmm, no DS3 in this makes it an annoying deal but for £300 I might be swayed...

@nolifedopestar (PSN: noliferuin): Because, you know what, I don't know (like the guy from the PS3 launch video).

Well actually I have played all the GTA games in the past, most recently GTA3, Vice City and San Andreas on the PS2, so there is definitly a "do want" down the pipe, but not at the moment.

I'll probably run out and buy one once Little Big Planet comes out.

Coming out in AUSTRALIA on April 29th, for a RRP of $749.

And for those interested, Dual Shock 3 will also be out April 24th, for $99.95.

That is all :)

@