Ben Schachter of Broadpoint AmTech is an analyst, and he reckons that Rockstar Games' mega franchise has past its zenith, well sort of.

He cites the underperformance of DLC and smaller GTAs like Chinatown Wars, though they're not "true new GTA titles" admits Schachter.

"...has the Grand Theft Auto franchise peaked? Given the strength of GTA IV in 2008, the question may seem misplaced, but our concern is that the very highly rated new GTA content for Xbox as well as PSP and DS did not perform up to expectations in 2009," noted analyst person Schachter, reports IndustryGamers.

"Now, we very clearly understand that these do not represent 'true' new GTA titles. However, the fact is that these were compelling titles, attractively priced, and reasonably well-promoted, yet they fell relatively flat," he added.

"We do not mean to pour salt on an open wound, but this does raise questions about the strength of TTWO’s crown jewel. It is an issue we will monitor closely (we also note that we expect increased competition in the open-world action genre in 2010 and beyond)."

Blood in the action-sandbox water? Sure downloadable content and low calibre offerings like Chinatown Wars won't stand up against a full blown release, like from GTA: San Andreas to Grand Theft Auto IV, but has the franchise really 'peaked'?

I guess we'll find out after the next $100 million gets spent on GTA V...