Actually the point most people are missing is that Sony won't have GTA as an exclusive anymore to drive console sales. GTA3 was, without question, the title that drove more PS2 sales than any other. Thought MS was able to obtain the title later, the lack of GTA was a factor that tipped the mainstream balance of opinion. Remember the PS2 launch library was weak, and part of the reason GTA sold as well as it did was a lack of other titles to choose from. Console features aside, from a business perspective, MS just took away a tentpole from Sony.
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Actually the point most people are missing is that Sony won't have GTA as an exclusive anymore to drive console sales. GTA3 was, without question, the title that drove more PS2 sales than any other. Thought MS was able to obtain the title later, the lack of GTA was a factor that tipped the mainstream balance of opinion. Remember the PS2 launch library was weak, and part of the reason GTA sold as well as it did was a lack of other titles to choose from. Console features aside, from a business perspective, MS just took away a tentpole from Sony.