Analyst: 'If Housers leave GTA sales will suffer'

Predicts 'bidding war' when contracts expire in Feb 2009.

Sam and Dan Houser, fathers of the Grand Theft Auto series, may be the subject of a bidding war early next year when their contracts with Take-Two expire, analysts have predicted.

As reported by Edge, analyst Michael Pachter said that he expects a "bidding war" for the brothers' services in February 2009, and that if they do leave for another publisher, then sales of future GTA titles "would suffer".

Pachter backed up his claim by referencing the decline of the Medal of Honour series, which dipped 40 per cent following the departure of key developers from EA. They went on to found Activision-owned Infinity Ward, responsible for the brilliant Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

According to Pachter, the Housers currently enjoy around a 15 per cent "internal royalty" of sales, which, given how stupendously well GTA has done at retail, will be an incredible amount of money. Pachter predicts a rise to 20 per cent when the Housers renegotiate their contracts.

Do you think the GTA series will suffer if the Housers leave Take-Two? Let us know in the comments section below.