Company cofounder Dan Houser explains why new action game is coming to current-gen consoles instead of future platforms.

With new consoles from Microsoft and Sony reportedly being readied to ship as early as late next year, some may wonder why Rockstar Games is releasing Grand Theft Auto V on current technology instead of future platforms. According to company cofounder Dan Houser, 2013 is a perfect time.

"Rockstar is a content company, not a hardware company," Houser said in the latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (via Polygon). "We use the technology we have to create content, and we try not to let ourselves get beholden to the hardware. The fact that hardware's so mature right now is exactly why we're able to go on to the next level."

Houser added that 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV was Rockstar's first try at development for high-definition visuals, and he called part of this development "seriously difficult." Now, Rockstar understands what the technology is capable of, and the company only stands to benefit, Houser said.

"All the best games for a console come out at the end of the life cycle, right?"

"GTA: San Andreas came out at the peak of the PlayStation 2's cycle, and we put out a really good game thanks to that. All the best games for a console come out at the end of the life cycle, right? So now's the best timing of all," he said.

Rockstar Games has confirmed that GTAV will ship for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 during spring 2013. Preorders for the game opened last week at select retailers in the United States and Europe. The game's second trailer will arrive today.

For more on GTAV, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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