A lot of people look forward to dates like Thanksgiving and Christmas to visit family, catch up with friends and act inappropriately with that extra special, extra cute co-worker you’ve had a crush on for, like, ever.

Then there are those that have been waiting for the day when Grand Theft Auto IV will be released—and for those people, that day has finally been announced.

Take-Two Interactive has announced an April 29, 2008 release date for the highly anticipated fourth installment of the mega-selling, mega-controversial franchise. The game will have a simultaneous release on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles.

Originally slated for an October 2007 launch, GTA IV was delayed by Take-Two in August due to development issues. The game team cited that more time was required to refine the title to the level of high quality the franchise is known for. The “time intensive nature” of dual-platform development was also blamed for the delay.

The latest title in the GTA franchise follows an Eastern European gangster’s arrival in the fictional, crime-ridden Liberty City, and his search for an enigmatic presence from his past. Don’t worry though—we’re sure the usual baseball bat bludgeoning, bullet-spraying goodness will be in full effect, too!

Besides making all your anti-social/passive-aggressive dreams come true, critics are pegging the title to possibly outsell current sales champ Halo 3, as well as get singled out during the height of the US presidential race near the end of 2008, where video game violence will most likely become a hot button election issue.

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