'GTA 5' PC Release Date Nears? Listing Appears On Amazon In Germany And France

“Grand Theft Auto 5” may be reaching the PC sooner than you think – more evidence has surfaced that Rockstar Games’ 2013 action-adventure title will be accessible to PC gamers this quarter. Amazon France and Amazon Germany both listed a PC version of “GTA 5” as available for pre-order. Though Amazon’s French site removed the listing, Amazon Germany still shows the title for sale. The site does not give buyers a specific release date.

Rumors of a PC version of “GTA V” have been circulating for some time now. And leaked footage of the alleged game may have appeared online last week. User warrockteam1 posted the clip, claiming it showed gameplay from a PC version of “GTA V.” The video was quickly removed, with YouTube claiming copyright infringement from NYC-based Take-Two Interactive, the publisher that owns Rockstar.

While some users suspected the clip was fake, others wondered if the gameplay could be an early version of a PC edition of “Grand Theft Auto V.” Thiago Diniz, CEO of Rio de Janeiro-based electronic distributor Nuuvem, confirmed that the title was coming to the PC in March. "I see no problem talking. I think until now been confirmed. Is scheduled for March on PC, if I'm not mistaken, for the 12th," he told Brazilian site Condigo Fonte.

An additional “GTA V” PC rumor began when a retailer in Norway stated that the game would be released on March 18 this year and was already available for pre-order. The same launch date was mentioned by an Amazon rep, who promised Rockstar would make an announcement by the end of 2013. When the game developer remained tight-lipped, many fans began to doubt the rumored launch date.

A leaked 150-page bug log for Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto V” also appeared on Tuesday, allegedly showing more than 170 references to a coming PC version of the title, with several resources dating back to June 2012. The bug log details issues arising from hundreds of “GTA V” tests completed from April 2009 to August of last year, with allusions to a PC version of the game from more than two years ago.

The document discussed more than 170 references to developmental errors, several notes on DX11 support and a possible “smog” weather setting, mention of a “lastgen” toggle designed during development, and glitches relating to 64-bit system testing.

The log also conveyed the date of each primary control system rebuild, even displaying deadlines that lead up to press events. There are also notes from Rockstar game developers like senior designer Kenneth Ross and programmer Robert Schmitz, alongside references to the developer’s management systems.

Demand to bring the game to PCs is high. Recently, a petition to make the title available to PC gamers garnered more than 650,000 signatures. Mike Julliard, who created the petition, is hoping to eventually reach 1 million signatures.

“Grand Theft Auto V" launched last October for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and is an open-world action game developed by Scotland-based Rockstar North and published by NYC-based Rockstar Games. “GTA V,” which received highly favorable reviews, was the 15th installment in the “GTA” series and the first game since 2008’s “GTA IV.” The Spike Video Game Awards gave the title the Most Anticipated Game award in 2012. Following its release, the game received the Game of the Year award at the 2013 Golden Joystick Awards. Only three days following its release, IGN listed “GTA V” as second on its list of “Top 25 Xbox 360 Games.”

Within just 24 hours of its release, “GTA V” generated more than $800 million in revenue, equating to around 11.21 million copies sold. Three days after its release, the title had surpassed $1 billion in sales. By Oct. 7, three weeks after the game’s Sept. 17 release, “GTA V” became the largest digital release in the PlayStation Store for the PS3. The game also received a score of 8/10 on Gamespot.com.

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