It seems like everybody in the world already has a copy of GTA IV, finding someone without the game right now would be kind of akin to finding the Missing Link. Obviously the game is selling exceptionally well, with over 8.5 million units shipped already, but what does the future of GTA hold?

Well, according to Hudson Square Research Analyst Daniel Ernst, we’re only to the halfway point. Ernst believes that while we will likely see a lull in sales soon, things will "re-accelerate in the latter part of the year in conjunction with the seasonal holiday period," ultimately culminating in a total of 15 million copies sold. That’s quite an impressive figure, and if it turns out to be accurate then we can rest assured that everyone at Rockstar will be literally rolling in big piles of money.

Ernst had some other insights as well, claiming that he believes Gran Turismo 5 will be a "no show" this year, that Final Fantasy XIII is "off the table" for a 2008 release, and that Metal Gear Solid 4 "won’t be enough to materially accelerate the PS3 this year." So with all those projections, Sony had better hope that the bulk of those remaining GTA sales come their way, otherwise it may be a rough year.