GTAV likely for March 2013 - Analyst

Grand Theft Auto V is likely to be on store shelves in 12 months, according to Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia.

GTAV could be launched during March 2013, according to Bhatia.

In a statement provided to Gamasutra, Bhatia said the open-world action game is likely to arrive in March 2013. Previously, the firm had expected the title to ship during the 2012 holiday season.

Developer Rockstar Games took the wraps off GTAV in October, but it did not provide a release date or platforms for the sequel to 2008's critically acclaimed game.

A March 2013 launch for GTAV would be advantageous for Rockstar, according to Bhatia, because that window is far from the releases of new entries in the Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty franchises.

The analyst also noted that a 2013 ship date for GTAV would leave open the possibility for a Wii U version of the title. The Wii U is scheduled to launch worldwide during the holiday 2012 season.

Last month, Rockstar said further GTAV details are months away. That time frame lines up with the game industry's biggest information-drop event of the year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo. This year's show will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center June 5-7.

Rockstar has provided brief glimpses at GTAV thus far. The game will be set primarily in present-day Los Santos, a fictional town modeled on Los Angeles. Rockstar has also said that GTAV boasts the largest scope of any installment in the franchise to date.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of GTAV.