News: It's recordbreaking time!
Everyone knew it would be a hit, but now we know exactly how much of a hit it is. Rockstar has announced that Grand Theft Auto IV sold six million copies worldwide in its first week. 3.6 million of those copies were sold on April 29th alone. Both numbers are new records and the six million figure is in line with what industry analysts predicted.
Rockstar did not reveal what the platform breakdown of GTA4's sales were, but a retailer poll conducted by Microsoft reveals that the Xbox 360 version is outselling the PS3 version by a ratio of at least two to one. Sony hasn't challenged this, so its probably close to the truth. We'll find out for sure when the NPD releases official sales numbers in the next few weeks.
"We knew Grand Theft Auto IV would break new ground in terms of the player's experience, with its compelling story line, extraordinary gameplay and action that ranges over a broad urban canvas. Now, it has broken sales and rating records as well. Grand Theft Auto IV's first week performance represents the largest launch in the history of interactive entertainment, and we believe these retail sales levels surpass any movie or music launch to date. We congratulate the entire Rockstar team on creating a must-have experience that takes the legendary Grand Theft Auto franchise to a new level," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two.
We'll have more soon.