Developer:
Rockstar North
Publisher:
Rockstar Games (Parent Company: Take-Two Interactive)
Platforms:
To Be Announced
Multiplayer:
Multiplayer confirmed; details to be announced.
Website:
www.rockstargames.com/V
Release Date:
2012 (likely)

Story
Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos, San Andreas, and its surrounding hills, countryside and beaches. Money is a major theme in GTA V, with the official trailer emphasizing the stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor. The game takes place in the present day.

The Unveiling of GTA V
GTA V was announced on Rockstar's website on October 25, 2011, just a few days after the tenth anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III. Every web page on Rockstar's website (even the old Vice City and San Andreas pages!) was replaced with a page containing the GTA V logo and a release date for the upcoming debut trailer. The page also promoted the Twitter hashtag #GTAV.

The following week, the trailer revealed that the game is set in the Los Angeles-inspired city of Los Santos. Shortly after, Grand Theft Auto V was officially announced in a Take-Two Interactive press release. In it, Rockstar confirmed that "Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created." Furthermore, they stated that GTA V is "a bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer [..] focusing on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California."

Release Date
GTA 5 will be released in 2012, assuming there are no delays. After Rockstar announces a game, they tend to market it for 7-8 months, which means that GTAV is likely to be released during the summer of 2012. If not, it will probably be released in September or October.

Platforms
There have been no reports of a new Xbox or PlayStation console arriving any time soon. It is therefore likely that the new GTA will be developed for the current generation of consoles, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PC version will hopefully be developed in addition to this. Grand Theft Auto was born on the PC in 1997, but in recent times the console versions have taken priority, with the PC versions typically arriving 8 months after the original release date.

After the troubled release of GTA IV PC, however, Rockstar may opt not to develop a PC version of GTA5. Hopefully that isn't the case, but only time will tell. The great thing about PC versions is the ability they give players to modify the games' content, which extends their lifespan considerably. The PC version of San Andreas is still incredibly popular, 6 years after its release, thanks to all the awesome cars, weapons, multiplayer mods and mission mods generated by fans.