Mainly Raves for Grand Theft Auto IV

The latest Grand Theft Auto doesn't disappoint its fans.

What does it say about us as a society that a game like Grand Theft Auto IV, with its violence and sex, is a certain smash hit? It says a lot of people like an action-packed video game with great graphics.

The game reviewers are heaping praise on Grand Theft Auto, which went on sale at midnight. It's sure to be the biggest thing in games this year. The only question was if the new offering from Take-Two Interactive and its Rockstar subsidiary would set a new record for entertainment sales. The movie Spiderman 3 reportedly holds the first-weekend record at $380 million. Some analysts are predicting that GTA IV could hit $400 million.

And it's early, but the outcry from critics appears muffled this time. Sure, the Parent Television Council called for retailers to keep the game away from children. And a few minor politicians and gadflies issued harsher condemnations. But so far, and maybe because it's an election year, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is staying quiet—after having been one of the loudest critics of Grand Theft Auto III, reports Daniel Terdiman at CNet.

Sony and Microsoft, meanwhile, are counting on the game to drive new sales of their game consoles, perhaps helping them make up ground against Nintendo's Wii, which was left out of today's launch.