2007: Life Without Grand Theft Auto IV and Manhunt 2

Tough luck for Rockstar and Take 2 Interactive, makers and distributors of some of the most controversial video games on the market. It just announced a delay in the release of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Originally scheduled for an October 2007 release date, Grand Theft Auto IV has been pushed back until the following February. The company says it needs more time to develop the title because of the power and complexity of the new platforms. Grand Theft Auto III sold more than 20 million copies, despite the fact that parents and media web sites condemned the game as raunchy, inappropriate,violence-filled and said it glorified the criminal's role.

Last month the company  had to postpone the launch of its Manhunt 2 game for Nintendo Wii indefinitely. Manhunt was banned in the UK and given an M rating in the U.S., posing serious sales challenges for the gamemaker.

Does that mean it'll be a violent game-free holiday season? Doubtful.

According to the IGN GamerMetrics group there are 10 Xbox 360 and 10 PlayStation 3 titles expected to benefit from the absence of the notorious Rockstar games and Grand Theft Auto.

The IGN survey reports that Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a first person shooter set in the 21^st century, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, set during the third Crusade, take the top slots.

Both of these games have ratings pending from the ESRB, the gaming industry's voluntary rating system. My guess is that they'll both receive "T" for "teen." Grand Theft Auto IV is also likely to get a T rating. Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto III, the two products from Rockstar, both got an "M" for "mature." An M rating means that kids under 17-years-old should not be playing the game, and that stores like Wal-Mart won't sell them. An M rating severely limits your audience.

Here's the full list of games that IGN GamerMetrics predicts as the big winners, by platform. The majority are first person shooters. Technology and game play have improved considerably with the new gaming platforms. Content remains pretty much the same.

Xbox 360

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2. Assassin's Creed
3. Mass Effect
   
4. Rock Band
   
5. Halo 3
   
6. Army of Two
   
7. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
   
8. Burnout Paradise
   
9. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box
   
10. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
    

PlayStation 3

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
   
2. Assassin's Creed
   
3. Heavenly Sword
   
4. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
   
5. Haze
   
6. Lair
   
7. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction
   
8. Unreal Tournament 3
   
9. Army of Two
   
10. Folklore