A conference call with analysis last month indicated that the grand-daddy of all console games may be heading in improved form, to the Xbox!

Take 2, the parent company of Rockstar Games, hosted an analyst Q&A where Take 2 CEO Jeffrey Lapin revealed that ... "We said that there will be an Xbox SKU from Rockstar in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2004 [Nov. to Jan.], but we're not going to comment on what it is at this point."

This was in response to an analyst's direct question regarding the existence of an Xbox version of Grand Theft Auto For those of you who keep animals out of your dank home at night with a giant bonfire, we should point out that Grand Theft Auto is not only one of the most compelling and violent freeform adventures ever conceived, but it's the game that single-handedly propelled the PS2 to its once-unassailable lead.

An Xbox version of the stunningly addictive crime-caper would look an awful lot like it's PC counterpart. It's unlikely that Rockstar would do too much with the graphics engine of GTA, but there are plenty of other options to consider. The game relies heavily on a brilliantly conceived radio station for atmosphere and music, and that would remain intact, but perhaps taking advantage of Xbox soundtracks to include a new radio station. Loading times, which approach the nightmarish on PS2, would be vastly improved on Xbox almost automatically.

In short, even if Rockstar "phoned-in" a conversion of GTA 3 & GTA: Vice City, or perhaps a combination of both, it would be a pretty compelling reason for even the most jaded PS2 fan to pick up an Xbox, and current Xbox owners naturally wouldn't need telling twice