Rumors have indicated that the next Grand Theft Auto title will be located in San Andreas, the series’ fictional version of Los Angeles. Now, according to Kotaku, sources close to the development team have confirmed these rumors to be true.

In addition, these sources have also revealed that Grand Theft Auto V will feature multiple playable characters, a first in the series. With that said, the option for multiple characters is something that fits within the series’ natural evolution — because the cities have always been detailed with the stories of multiple characters.

This game is sounding better and better each time. Ben Feder, president of Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive, believes that Agent could achieve the same level of success as their Grand Theft Auto series, given its development is being overseen by Rockstar North founders Sam and Dan Houser.

“We think this has the potential to be yet another great Rockstar North franchise title….It’s the Houser Brothers and Rockstar North. It’s the A team working on an AAA title. I think the subject matter, the characters, the story, the environment, the background–all the elements are there. It’s such a rich environment to play in.”

When speaking with GameSpot on the Electronic Entertainment Expo show floor, Feder explained the decision to develop the game solely for Sony’s console.

“The trade-offs a publisher will typically make is, if you’re platform-agnostic, you get a larger installed base,” he said. “You’re platform exclusive when you get the right kind of support from first parties.”

Take-Two believes Sony will offer the same kind of support which made Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – all initially PlayStation 2 exclusives – three of the top 10 selling games of all time.

At this phase in the cycle, when you’re trying to launch a new franchise, exclusivity can really help you launch the franchise. It can give you the kind of platform that you need to start exclusive, start in the right kind of way with the right kind of partner. Exclusivity does work,” Founder continued.

“I have a lot of confidence in Sony. I have a lot of confidence in their ability to lead the market, as they always have,” declared Feder. “Their console is a terrific platform to be developing for, and Agent is a great testament as to our belief in what that platform can do, and what they can do with us as part of a partnership.”

In the current issue of GameInformer, in their Loose Talk section, it reveals that they think that RockStar North are working hard on the next Grand Theft Auto installment and they have set an release date for this holiday 2009.

“We’re not talking about new DLC or a collection of previously available DLC, we’re talking about a full retail game,” explains Game Informer. “We expect this title to follow the suit of previous GTAs and use a subtitle such as GTA: San Andreas, etc. Tokyo might be a possible setting for the game, but details are non-existent currently.”

While this intelligence is massive for many,  if you look back down the road we may remember that when Grand Theft Auto 3 was released RockStar Games did managed to get GTA: Vice City in as little as 12 months. Rockstar Games also loves holiday release dates an they have released about eighth games launched in the holiday gaming schedule. A October 2009 release would allow around six months longer than was required for Vice City.

If your are like me and you haven’t even finished San Andreas on the Playstation 2 or you haven’t even gotten the chance to even finish a Grand Theft Auto game all together, and you own a 360, I have some news for you because you may want to download this. According to Gamersplatform, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is heading to the Xbox 360 as a downloadable Xbox original game. You will be able to download the game for 1200 Microsoft Points which the is equivalent of $15(US). The game will be releasing on Monday and will be available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace.

According to a Chart-Track estimate, Grand Theft Auto 4 has "eclipsed the record of 501,000 units set by GTA: San Andreas in 2004" with 609,000 units sold.

"GTA IV also set a record for first day sales Xbox 360 software, with 335,000 units. The prior record, set last September by Halo 3, was 266,000 units.

GTA IV easily eclipsed the first day PS3 sales record previously held by Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, which had day one sales of 80,000 last month. The PS3 version of GTA IV sold 274,000 units in the UK on day one."

[GTA IV sets UK day one records via GamesIndustry.biz]

Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), the author of California’s law attempting to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors, today urged parents to avoid purchasing the latest graphically violent video game – Grand Theft Auto IV – scheduled for release on Tuesday, April 29. GTA IV, the newest in the ultra-violent video game series, is expected to be the year’s most popular game despite its rating of M for adult audiences.

"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing," said Yee, who is also a child psychologist. "Unfortunately, the makers of Grand Theft Auto have a history of deceiving the ratings board and the public on the true content of their games. Parents beware: this game undoubtedly glorifies violence, is extremely realistic and designed for adults only."

In June 2005, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and GTA’s creator Rockstar, were involved in a multi-million dollar scandal called "Hot Coffee," in which Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a game originally rated M by the ESRB, was found to have hidden animations allowing players to watch graphic scenes of oral sex, nudity, and simulated intercourse. The scandal resulted in the game being pulled from most store shelves, a $2.75 million class-action settlement, and the stocks of the Rockstar’s parent company (Take Two Interactive) losing nearly half their value.

The ESRB rates a game based solely on a short video clip and information supplied by the game’s maker and does not actually play or review the full content of the game. While M-rated games are designed for adults, there is no prohibition to selling such games to children. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can successfully purchase M-rated games.

In addition, a recent report by the National Institute on Media & the Family found complacency among retailers, parents and the gaming industry regarding video game rating awareness, enforcement and usage. Among the report’s highlights was a retailer grade of C-, with national retailers receiving a D and rental stores collecting a failing (F) grade. The game industry as a whole received a C and the ESRB received a C+.

Please note: this is a press release