Excitement ahead of GTA V game launch

It cost more to make then many Hollywood blockbusters and, in certain circles, it has generated a similar hype.

Now the gaming world is preparing for what it has dubbed the 'most exciting' event in the entertainment calendar - Grand Theft Auto V will finally go on sale.

The video game reportedly cost around STG170 million ($A292.15 million) to make and market - more than films such as Avatar - and has sparked so much interest that stores will open their doors at midnight on Monday for special launch events.

Experts are tipping the game to smash sales records and estimates suggest it could generate one billion during its first year on sale when gamers are predicted to snap up some 25 million copies.

Tom Butler, social media editor of gaming site IGN.com, said thousands of workers have taken the day off for the launch or plan on calling in sick.

'Grand Theft Auto V will be the biggest entertainment launch of the year and possibly all-time with levels of consumer anticipation outstripping Harry Potter and Twilight,' he said.

'With gamers queuing at midnight to be among the first to play and the developer boasting thousands of hours of game play, there's no surprise that we're likely to see an outbreak of GTA flu this September.'

The gaming site polled 10,995 readers to ask whether they would take time off work on Tuesday when the GTA V goes on sale.

According to its findings, 5,059 readers said they booked the day off as holiday.

Another 2012 (19 per cent) said they would phone in claiming to be unwell while 3,884 (35 per cent) said they would wait to get their hands on the game.

Fans are expected to start queuing outside stores stocking the game tomorrow when a handful of shops will open their doors for night-time launches.

The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series - which sees players buy virtual prostitutes - has accumulated sales of 135 million copies since its 1997 debut. GTA IV has reportedly sold more than 25 million copies since its 2008 release.

source: bigpondnews.com

How to get debt free

If you’re like a lot of people, the goal for the coming years is to be debt-free, or at least, on top of debt. I’m with you, if there’s one thing in life that hangs over me, it’s debt.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a mortgage or a couple of thousand in consumer debt, if it’s causing you to lose sleep, now is the time to start conquering it. A fresh start, a fresh approach. Onwards and upwards to a debt-free existence.

Here are some tips to get you on the way.

Know What You Owe

Want a good credit report? What better way than to pay off your debts more quickly than minimum, eliminate high interest credit cards and pay your bills on-time or early?

Sit down and start working out dates. This is the first step. When are your bills due? Write it down in your diary and put a coloured Post-It next to it so you don’t forget.

When are your repayments due, and what’s the minimum you can pay? Write down how much you owe in total, and keep a progress report.

Get Organised

Pay your bills on the same day every month. That way, you’ll never be incurring late fees or being threatened with any utility being turned off. Pay your bills with cash, not credit.

The last thing you need to be doing is paying off debt on one hand, and increasing it on the other. Then organise to pay off your debt on the same day of every month (or with a credit card, paying off a little every week). The routine makes it easier, and makes it unlikely you’ll forget and get yourself a nasty late fee.

Know What You Can Change

How can you start to pay back your debt faster? Is there an expense you can eliminate, or some extra income you can channel towards repayments? Start thinking about how you can get rid of chunks of your debt. Maybe start with eliminating credit card debt, or paying off your higher interest cards. Choose one debt you are going to aggressively attack. Once you’ve gotten control of that debt, move onto the next one.

The Bare Minimum


Paying the minimum on your credit card isn’t going to cut it. If you want to get on top of your debt, you need to be repaying over the minimum repayments. It doesn’t have to be an astronomical amount, just enough to get a handle on your debt within a sensible timeframe.

Once you start getting somewhere, you’ll start feeling in control and finding it easier to control your debt.

Budget

You need a budget if you are going to get on top of the beast. Work out expenses, and some savings. There will always be a couple of variables, so ensure that you’ve left some space for them. Then budget everything else into your debt repayments.

Rewrite your budget once a month to make sure it’s completely realistic and has taken account of all the changes in your income or expenditure. This is your decade. Make it a debt-free one, or at least, a decade that’ll make the decades after that much more pleasant.

source: bigpondmoney.com.au