GTA 5 Announced, Possible 420 Theme, Trailer Coming, Life is Good

Grand Theft Auto 5

It is fair to say that there are staples in the video game world, and for better or worse, the Grand Theft Auto series is that sort of game. It has major props to its credit, starting with the fact that it single-highhandedly established the genre in which it sits upon the throne for -- oh sure, there were other games that were sort of like GTA, but when someone wants to describe a game in that genre the first thing that you hear is "it's like GTA" but then, you still have to guess which GTA they are talking about, right?

The rumors that have been circulating online -- and there have been a lot -- almost make it a natural reaction to be skeptical when you read that the game has been announced, and a trailer is coming, but the proof (as all good proof usually is) can be had directly from the source! A quick visit to Rockstar's website tells all (see the image embedded below): goodness and great excitement will be returning to the world of gaming!

The cool thing about rumors is that some of them turn out to be true. Not enough for us to start relying on them, but still, some do. For example there was a rumor that specific characters were being cast for the game, and it turned out to be true -- a post was placed on the actor's information website www.actorspages.org calling for auditions for five different roles, among them being that of James Pedeaston, "a man-boy love activist who just got released from an Indonesian prison."

The other four roles were for Anthony (10-15 Male United States) "a young, fast-talking boy fighting for the right of young boys to drink alcohol and have sex;" Jose (30-40 Male United States) "a white creepy man who thinks that technology is a poison against the wilderness;" Matthew (18-25 Male United States) "a liberal young male who believes in a conspiracy made by republicans to undermine America;" and Samantha (20-25 Female United States) "a young female obsessed with sex parties, always dreaming of being a Hollywood celebrity.

If not for the inclusion of the Pedeaston character of course there would have been no way to know for sure if it was a casting call for GTA 5, but as that is a character from GTA 4 it is a sure bet, but the descriptions of the characters being cast certainly confirms that the next GTA will retain the edginess that the series is known for!

420 focus in GTA 5?

Another casting call that was posted in November 2010 appears to also be for GTA 5, though this has not been confirmed. The casting call, published online via the website The Agency, includes a number of iconic characters for a project that has been codenamed "Rush" that, in addition to adding even more flavor that is completely consistent with the GTA world, very heavily implies that the next GTA will be set in LA and Hollywood, will be set in the Internet-era, and implies that the 420 Initiative may appear in the game, and how cool is that?

The popularity of the cable TV show Weeds, combined with the constant and riveting ongoing drama of the opening and closing of "Coffeeshops" that are also known as "Medical Marijuana Dispensaries" makes it not only a current event but a likely one to be covered in the game if it indeed is returning to San Andreas/Los Santos, and we strongly suspect that it is.

Gaming Update will be keeping an eye on this as more information develops, and will keep you informed, so check back often!