Tijdens de nachtelijke verkoop van Grand Theft Auto V is er een hoop gebeurd dat nu pas naar buiten komt. Zo dacht het Franse Micromania er goed aan te doen om wat mensen als gangster (inclusief airsoft wapens) te verkleden en in de winkel rond te laten lopen. Alleen dacht de politie dat er een overval gaande was en rukte met veel gewapende agenten uit naar de winkel, waar ze er al snel achter kwamen dat het een verkoopstunt was.

Within minutes of the call, around fifteen armed policemen from the anti-crime brigade surrounded the shop, some waving submachine guns, ready to do whatever was needed to prevent the anticipated armed robbery.

However, thankfully it became clear in a matter of minutes that it was all a harmless misunderstanding and luckily before any shots were fired.

An embarrassing conversation no doubt ensued, in which the owner of the Micromania video game store had to explain to the officers that their mobster-style garb - including replica guns and bandanas - was in fact just a fancy dress costume to publicize GTA 5.

Needless to say, the police were not amused, with one officer telling La République, that it was lucky no one was hurt.

"It could have ended very badly," he said.

Released on Tuesday in France, Grand Theft Auto 5 has been dubbed the most eagerly-anticipated release this year by the French press.

Originally created by programmers David Jones and Mike Dailly, the series - which allows players to take on the role of murderers and car thieves in an open-world environment - is one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time.

But it is unlikely the officers who were called out in Montargis would have been thinking about the release of GTA 5. What would more likely have been on their minds is a recent string of real armed robberies that have become the focus of debate in France.