Tomorrow April 29, one of the most anticipated video games of the year, Take Two Interactive (NSDQ: TTWO) and Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto IV," will hit store shelves. Analysts predict that it will top last year's record-breaking $300 million first-week sales of Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) and Bungee Studios' first-person shooter "Halo 3", according to the Associated Press. GTA IV is also widely expected to beat the total sales record held by the previous "GTA" console game that sold over 9 million copies when it was released for the Sony (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 2 in 2004.

IGN was first to review the game on Friday and gave it a 10 out of 10, but other media outlets were quick to comment on the objectivity of that review (embedded above) since it looks like IGN was the only one to get an advance copy of the game in time to review it on Friday (there was an embargo until Sunday on other reviews): "...how can we trust a videogame review when the outlet running it has been given a major commercial favor -- one that's worth money -- from the publisher of the game?" Either way, looks like the video games industry is set for rather good spring sales season:

"I would expect April to be a monster sales month for the video game industry, one that is likely to break all sorts of previous records," says Anita Frazier, video game analyst for NPD Group, to the AP. "We release our April sales data on May 15, and I get goosebumps thinking of the numbers we'll see on that day."

Poll: Will GTA IV Sell More Copies Then Halo III In Its First Week On The Shelves?

If you are interested in finding out more about GTA iV and what constitutes a killer game these days of connected entertainment, don't miss our upcoming LA Games conference on May 21-22.