Microsoft's GTA IV spend to match Halo 3

Microsoft has said that its marketing push for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV is going to match that of last year's Halo 3 release.

"Our campaign is the same sort of scale as our Halo 3 campaign last year so you can expect to see and hear a lot about GTA IV on Xbox 360 over the coming weeks," commented Stephen McGill, head of gaming for Xbox UK.

"The campaign starts this week with lifestyle press advertising and hits the TV screens this weekend, running through and beyond launch and we’re confident this will help drive awareness of GTA IV and Xbox 360 with a very wide audience.

"We're naturally very excited about GTA IV coming to Xbox 360, we know pre-orders are going fabulously well and we know consumers are extremely excited about all the great things the Xbox 360 version offers," he added.

Rockstar's title is of course going to be released on Sony's PlayStation 3 at the same time, but Microsoft is keen to point out it has additional and exclusive downloadable content for the game due this Autumn.

"Reviews of the game are now coming in and it’s getting a fantastic response, and the press are highlighting how massive the Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content will be and how easy and great it is to play multiplayer with friends over Xbox Live," continued McGill.

The game is released on April 29 in Europe. Retailers have indicated that demand for the game could outstrip supply on day one.