Saying that Rockstar Games is working on a new Grand Theft Auto game isn't exactly a bold prediction. However, sources close to the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary have confirmed to GameSpot that the next installment in the blockbuster series is "well under way" and is already having final touches such as minigames being applied to it. The sources said a 2012 release was "pretty likely," adding that the game's scale was vast.

"It's the big one," they said.

Development of the next GTA is "well under way."

Unfortunately, the sources would not divulge any further details on the project, which is already the subject of much speculation. A recent set of casting calls from a talent agency point to the game as being set in a Los Angeles-like metropolis, with a motley crew of California characters being filled for a voice-over session. Prior rumors had the game being set in the Miami clone Vice City.

As of press time, Rockstar reps did not have any comment on casting calls, the game's setting, or whether a new GTA was even in development.

Wherever the next GTA is set, it will have some big shoes to fill. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto IV, was a massive success for Rockstar and Take-Two. As of March 2011, the game had sold nearly 20 million copies, placing it among the top-selling games of all time. Its forebearer, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, sold more than 12 million units globally, with its domestic 9.8 million-unit haul putting it in NPD's top 10 US best sellers of the 2000s.