If there's anything the gaming world needs right now is more GTA. I don't usually praise sequels, as they have a tendency to offer more of the same and take a gamers money without offering much value, but there are sequels and sequels. There are a few franchises out there that really impress in the way they manage to stay fresh and relevant through an entire decade, and I am talking about the Command & Conquer series, about GTA, about Unreal. But today, GTA is the main attraction. And my desire to see more GTA might be fulfilled earlier than expected.

Recently, Sam Houser, who is the founder of Rockstar, has talked about the future of the GTA brand in an interview with EGM. It's clear that currently Rockstar has no real plans of creating a GTA MMO, but Hauser said that something along those lines "is very, very doable and is a very, very compelling proposition." As the interview progressed, he once referred to a subscription-based MMO that is targeted at consoles as being "the Holy Grail [of the industry]."

A GTA MMO could push the boundaries of gaming and of on-line gaming. Imagine the controversy of having a game where missions result in vicious PvP play or the buzz that a game focused on gang life will create. Jack Thompson is going to be all over it. And that's good for games. Media exposure, even if biased, is a good indicator of importance. And a GTA MMO could make gaming even more mainstream, with the people that shun World of Warcraft because it's "cheesy and for children" going for a ride in a GTA open world.

Of course, such an endeavor is monumental. And the task is compounded by the need to create a world where people are actually living, as opposed to grabbing the nearest weapon and shooting everyone in sight. It's anyone's guess right now where Rockstar will take the GTA series next, but I'm personally hoping for an MMO. Oh, and make it more about wheeling, dealing and scheming rather than shooting.

Oh, and if gang-based on-line persistence is your thing, you might want to check out All Points Bulletin, an MMO launching later in 2008. It might offer a sneak peek at what Rockstar could do with the GTA MMO.