Sony: We don't need no GTA

There's no denying the Grand Theft Auto series' astonishing stranglehold on the general gaming population. In fact, such is the popularity of GTA, many have attributed a significant part of the PS2's success to Sony's exclusivity deal with Rockstar. Now, in the face of a simultaneous Xbox 360 and PS3 release for GTA4, SCEA's co-chief operating officer Jack Tretton has denied that the loss of exclusivity will be detrimental to Sony's next-gen success.

Speaking to TheStreet.com, Tretton argued, "There's no question that having the Grand Theft Auto franchise helped us a lot and helped us sell some units, but I don't think the battle would be any different with or without Grand Theft Auto." In fact, Tretton went on to confidentally state that, thanks to Sony's "formidable" first-party offerings, the lack of GTA4 exclusivity is unlikely to effect the company at all: "No, I don't think it hurts us. No, I really don't."