Most likely, they're delaying the game to polish off the integration of 19 different kinds of DRM. They can't use GFWL anymore so they're probably going to keep the DRM systems they used previously but replace GFWL with 15 other DRM options because well... they can. They could literally put out GTA5 with 19 different DRM on it and probably sell $500M in profit on release day even if they told the world in advance it will have 19 types of DRM. :)

People do vote with their wallets, but apparently not in large enough numbers to have any real world impact on big game devs like Rockstar anyway. That's my gut feelings on it anyway after bad DRM experiences with their previous games.

I prefer a delayed game with no major bugs over an earlier released game with major bugs.

Definitely, stable reliable games beat buggy games any day. It can be disappointing when a game delay announcement happens to some game you're highly anticipating, but personally I'm pretty patient these days and realize the game is likely to be more complete, more stable when they're delayed and I'd rather have that. Plus I have 103423423 games in my library to tide me over anyway. If there's one thing I have learned in the world of software development, if a product isn't going to be ready on time, you either delay the release, or you lower the quality or drop features to meet the release date, or some combination of the 3. I favour stable feature-full games released later than the other two options. ;)

And nothing of value was lost...

Pre-order quota only at 87% of projected total sales? Delay a bit more.

Everything (in gaming industry/market) is possible! :))

RELEASE CANCELLED! :D
Okay, okay, just kidding.
Rockstar should delay it till original release date on past-gen consoles, what was it, September? Then they'll be able to sell right down "anniversary edition", and wouldn't even be lying about it. :D There is even secondary title -" Lost and found"... No, wrong one. "Lost and Damned"... Bah, wrong again... Ah, "Delayed and forgotten".

Though recent screenshots left me wondering: what exactly they are "optimizing" - game doesn't look stellar, and they couldn't juice it up to modern PC standards.
On the other hand, we have famous "optimizers", like, ehm, X-rebirth, Alien:Colonial Marines, and, of course, everyone's favorite - Duke Nukem Forever (alone). Not to mention GTA IV, PC version of which was.far from optimized, to put it mildly.

What I'm really worried is Witcher 3, seriously, whether it'll be delayed (again (for third time)), or it will be released in time, yet we still have to wait nine months (judging by Witcher 1 and 2 experience) till CDPR will finally roll out "enhanced edition". *sigh* February 2016?

Well if it's any comfort, it is generally safe to assume that game companies don't delay their games to purposefully add bugs, destabilize them or make them less playable - at least not intentionally, but rather to stabilize, fix bugs, make them more playable, optimize them etc. Delaying a game is a black eye to a developer, it might be a small black eye as I feel it is to a company like CDPR, or it might be a big one depending on the company and their past reputation etc. so it is not something a developer will do lightly without a good reason because it is an automatic black mark on the game and a bit on their name as well. So they're only likely going to make such a tough decision if they are certain that they will be able to put out a better product to the end customer as a result, even if it goes through several delays.

There may be examples that do not clearly match this from less than stellar companies or other corner cases, but I think that most companies will follow this line of logic and make good choices to delay and at least try to put out a better product - even if they end up failing in the end.

In this paradigm of thought about the issue of delays, I think game delays if they occur are probably for the better because it is ultimately the developer admitting to themselves and the rest of the world that they did not allocate themselves enough time to complete their project to the particular level of quality they wish to be known for, and also that they feel highly enough about the quality to risk the black eye of the delay in order to give their customers a better product hopefully.

So while I hope a game I'm anticipating does come out on time, I hope much more that the developer delay a game to polish it off than to release it on time to meet a deadline and compromise on quality instead or removing planned content or other consequences. In my eyes, no matter how painful a delay is, it is the least of the potential evils any software developer can put on their customers generally speaking. :)

If CDPR delays again, everyone will sigh, but some of us will just be thinking how much more stable the final release will be when it does eventually come out, and hoping that new GPUs start raining from the sky magically. :)

People still play GTA on PC? If there was ONE company that does so much to encourage piracy and then claim they're doing to stop piracy, its the retards at R*. Quadruple-layer DRM? Yes please!

You be surprise at the modding scene with people actually recreating the whole GTA 5 map in GTA 4.

I am. Is the GTA modding scene creative and active? Any non GTW mods with the map as well?

I don't follow the GTA modding scene. I am just aware of it.

I am curious how they are going to handle GTA 5 when it does come out for PC.

Man, where have you been? GTA's modding scene is the most creative and active thus far. U haven't heard of Icehancer yet?

This is GTAIV, yes GTAIV with Icenhancer 3.0 mod:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQQErh_X4Fc

This is Ironman in GTAIV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXKZo9uWCMM

You can play Watchdogs in GTAIV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH5aF2h_ZWQ

Modding was big even during the Morrowind days?