I think originality in games was thrown out the window a few years ago, more or less by the time mainstream consoles started appeared.
(Not that I have anything against consoles, but it is a fact that both events happened roughly at the same time)

GTA is a pretty decent francise.
- GTA 1, GTA 3, GTA: SA, GTA 4 are the most noteworthy.
- GTA Mission Pack 1 & 2, GTA 2, GTA: LCS, GTA: VCS felt a bit like milking the cow. Not that they were bad, they just added little substantial stuff.
- GTA Vice City had some advances, but to few to be more than GTA 3 with new skins.
- Never played any of the GTA incarnations on Gameboy.
- GTA: China Town looks like the first GTA fail to become a reality.

As much as I love GTA I have to say that I also hated the inclusion of the friend system. It just makes you waste time over and over again on the same ridiculous activities.
The unlocking of islands was not as annoying as in earlier incarnations of GTA. The game opens up rather fast imo.
The thing that disappoints me the most after all the GTA's, is that enemies will remain enemies and friends will remain friends. You have little influence on the game world itself. It doesn't really make me enjoy the game less, but it certainly makes the the experience more restricted.

Oooh yes, like in GTA3 here you did NOT drive anywhere near salvatore's mansion after the mafia were a bit miffed with you, those shotgun guys patrolling the area could shoot at a speeding car going too fast to really see much less hit and not only did they hit but they killed you in one freakin shot...

Only one solution remained: Tank 'Em Down

Ideally using the ridiculous-super-speed-cannon-afterburner technique where you overcome the inertia by firing the cannon backwards as you drive. I cleared most of the unique jumps in the tank doing that...

The Sims and all expansions. EA must stop this.

I think we need another video game crash. There's too much crap nowadays and I think a crash would clean out all the detritus while leaving only those companies who do not fail in the worst ways behind.

I think we're getting it, with places like Midway, Free Radical, and many other companies going under.

If Atari isn't dumping off millions of discs somewhere in a Mexican landfill, then it is not a crash. A few companies going under is business as usual.

No, but Tabula Rasa is getting dumped.

An MMO dying off is not quite news to me. That's one MMO out of how many that are dying or close to their own death throes? I can't wait to see what happens once WoW dies....in the year 3050 by my estimates....

Darkfall Online will feast on its grave then

If it doesn't die first. Besides, it's not even out and I am sure all of the grandiose promises made about the game will be stripped away to reveal ............yet another loot-and-grindfest.

Well the Open Beta has started since yesterday.