Rockstar Games’ hugely popular Grand Theft Auto IV is set to enter the PLAYSTATION 3’s (PS3) budget range, known as “PlayStation Best”, in Japan next month. Historically, Grand Theft Auto titles have failed to live-up to expectations in the East, seen by many as the embodiment of Western gaming, but Grand Theft Auto IV has bucked that trend, and a drop in retail price could very well aid that course.

            Published in Japan by Capcom, the game is set to drop its Recommended Retail Price to 3,900 Yen, approximately £24, on August 27th, 2009. There’s no word about a drop in price for the Xbox 360 release currently, but with the game performing far better on Sony’s console – outstripping many of Sony’s own first-party PS3 releases – it comes as little surprise that this version remains a priority in the East.

            Although many retailers have begun heavily discounting Gran Theft Auto IV in the UK, the title is yet to be realigned in either the PS3’s Platinum or Xbox 360’s Classics budget ranges. Rumours persist that upon release of the forthcoming Downloadable Content (DLC), The Ballad of Tony Gay, the price structure of the title is sure to be addressed to maximise the new software’s potential audience, however, nothing on the subject is likely to be mentioned until much closer to the intended release. Electronic Theatre will of course keep you updated.

-END-