Sales show UK still likes GTA more than Halo

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 2nd 2007 at 1:28PM }

Although Halo 3 took the top spot in the UK charts for sales, according to Chart Track, GTA: San Andreas was still the fastest-selling game in UK history. We're sure the Master Chief is utterly devastated. GI.biz reports Xbox 360 sales doubled in the UK due to Halo's release. FIFA '08, Europe's pseudo-Madden, released over there as well last week and entered the charts at number two. Another interesting bit is that Forza Motorsport 2 saw strong sales from the Halo 3 release, jumping 22 places on the charts. Apparently Halo is helping sell Xbox 360s and games. Only a couple more weeks before the NPD gives the North American numbers for September.

Tags: gta, halo3, sales, uk

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:37PM

I predict the 360 will take September. Then people will start to claim that 360 will be on top forever, just how they say they PSP now rules Japan.

They, of course, will be wrong.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:40PM

I concur, sir. It will be amusing. It won't last.

TwistedBishop @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:57PM

The Wii is still selling out at a good clip, right? So unfortunately, unless Nintendo really ramps up production, the Wii won't be able to take advantage of the upcoming holiday sales spike. Meanwhile the 360/PS3 definitely don't have a supply problem, which makes it entirely possible they could outsell the Wii during November/December.

Even October isn't certain for Nintendo; we have that $400 PS3 rumor going around, and Halo 3 will have a significant spillover effect from releasing so late in September.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:08PM

@ TwistedBishop

You're starting a bit too early. Give it a couple weeks.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:09PM

@ TwistedBishop

You're starting a bit too early. Give it a couple weeks.

License to ill @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:21PM

Yeah because we all know that 360 line-up is limited to the halo's, forget cod4, mass effect, rock band, kane and lynch, assassin creed and the list goes on and on.

I just wish the third party support the wii enjoys was just as strong on the 360...

YourSlay3r @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:39PM

Well obviously there are less 360s than PS2s making Halo 3 not sell as fast. We will however have to see which game has sold more after a 6 month period.

Stubby Boardman @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:40PM

the problem is the 360 has too many good games coming out. Halo will be old news in 6 months. I hate to amdit it but it's true

YourSlay3r @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:45PM

True... But Halo 3 is... Halo 3 and some of the other games don't have the recognition Halo has. I don't think any other games will stop people from buying Halo 3. If you own a 360 you should own Halo 3.

Spartacus @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:40PM

Eh, multiple reasons for this.

1. PS2 had a larger install base
2. Halo is most popular in the States
3. Fifa released same week
4. UK citizens are banned from firearms, so GTA was a channel for angry mobs to vent ;-)

LAboy @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:45PM

lolz @ #4

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:51PM

Huh? WTF? Is this why you think the English did not buy into Halo? Seriously???

GRANTED @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:22PM

most of england doesn't give a f--- about fifa.

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:50PM

UK people haven't taken to Halo 3 too well, that could also be down to marketing, I saw only one Halo 3 ad before release, thats it, no more. The game sits on the shelves screaming out for loving, and while there are people showing interest, a majority of the people that walk into the game store I work at walk straight past it and pay it no mind, almost as if it never existed. They would much rather pick up a copy of San Andreas after all this time then Halo 3. Then again, Halo is most popular in America, its an American game, it promotes America, there is no real reason for non American's to want to run out and buy the game in a hurry, nothing against American's, but its just the same way that if we tried to sell you a soccer game or anime game, you'd turn it down over Halo.

My question is this, what would happen to the Halo franchise if it did a GTASA on us and MC took off his mask to reveal he was a black man? I'm sure sales would drop, black as I am, this is a somewhat humorous concept.

Going back to the point, a majority of the friends I have either have PS3 or Wii, so I doubt Halo 3 would come as any interest to them.

Cutty @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:41PM

So Halo becomes one of the best-selling games in the UK on a machine with a smaller base compared to GTA and it's not doing too well?

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:54PM

GTA4 is coming out soon, I doubt Halo will overcome the sales of GTA4, Halo may be an A class game, but GTA always had more to it in my opinion, given a choice, I'd pick GTA4 over Halo without thinking for a second. Its not that I dislike Halo, but its more so to do with game play and the fun element, there is only so much shoot to kill I can take before it gives me a headache. I'd much rather play GTA4 with mates and mess about, then go into multiplayer over and over in Halo and just shoot.

Alexander @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:46PM

same here GTA IV ALL DAY

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:58PM

I wonder why they like GTA:SA that much,It sucks,Seriously it has the worst soundtrack I ever heard.

Ska Oreo @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:00PM

meh, some of the old school rap and rock was allright, but everything else was crap.

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:05PM

GTASA had more to it personally then Halo did, I can always look back and say I've honestly had more fun playing GTA then any Halo game, thats just my opinion, okay, maybe Halo 3 exceeds previous installations of the game, but its still the same old halo, just improved upon.

The music may have sucked, but at least it had a variety of music to choose from, much like a radio. I doubt a theme song like the one in Halo would suit the game.GTA is a classic, full stop, from the very moment that game first released on PSX and PC, it has been a hit, so no wonder it excels.

GTA4 will continue on that legacy. You can call it brainless, but then, its no more brainless then Halo is, so theres no real difference in that sense.

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:34PM

I didn't call GTA brainless o-O

The thing with GTA SA is that the story in my personal opinion sucked, the ending was complete crap and it was just a spin off I liked more GTA VC than SA but I still like Halo 3 more than any of those games. I don’t think Halo 3 is brainless, especially in legendary the enemy AI is pretty good and I have to say is one of the best games I have played basically it delivers a good shooting experience also it liked more Halo 3story, in the case of GTA well I wanted to know what was all the buzz about I mean AAA in Gamespot I thought it was going to be good but it was sort of repetitive and the driving sections were frustrating.

I have to say GTA SA had some parts that were good but it didn’t deserve that score at all. I don’t see myself playing GTA IV I rather buy Rise of a Ninja.

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:14PM

Yeah, but I could easily say the same about Halo, exactly what you said there, but replace the good points you made on Halo with GTA, see where I'm coming from, you can't understand, but you're the American, correct me if I'm wrong, I'm just assuming, if you're not, I apologise, either way, from an outside America point of view, such as mine, Halo is a mind numbing shooter, with great scores I believe are often biased, I thought Halo 2 was a dissopointment, if it were not for multiplayer, I would have sold the game within a few days, probably even the day after I played it.

The aliens look naff and are often not worth killing in my opinion, I like action and real drama, so I'm more likely to pick up Gears or Crysis (I hope) then Halo where the aliens look kiddy and come across more playful then aggressive. Its a good game, don't get me wrong, but for me, after playing the first two levels of Halo, the rest pretty much follows the same pattern, except new guns and cars are thrown in, I never feel a sense of variety poking its head in, with GTA I was given the chance to shoot, fly, jump from planes, play snooker, crash a boat into the shore, get chased by police, the fun never ends, then you stick cheats on and go haywire.

If GTA4 is anything like its predecessors, it will crush all opponents without a doubt. There is so much to look forward to in GTA, and while the story sucked, it sucked because there is no REAL story, you pretty much decide the fate of your character, so it feels more real, more down to earth, rather then the SAVE THE WORLD routine. American's love that, thats why games like Halo and Graw sell millions over there, any game highlighting the fact that one man can take down all his enemies is great other there, which is why all the heros, spiderman, batman, superman etc etc are all American, unfortunately, that idea does not cut it with the rest of us.

I'm not saying your favourite games are crap, I'm just trying to show you how views and opinions are different, so that what you could not understand you now can. Which is probably why Japanese would pick up a FF game over Halo any day and visa versa.

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:15PM

Funny one would think Americans would like more GTA anyway talking about GTA you know for a free roamer there isn’t much liberty story wise, I mean if you are really supposed to choose the fate of your character you would think there would more than 1 ending I mean Dungeons and Dragons Temple of elemental Evil really let you do whatever you want in fact there were a lot of endings you could be a powerful villain ,an Epic Hero or a Gay pimp..yeah a gay pimp now that’s liberty.

I would like more games like GTA if there was a good story to follow and decide your path to become a Criminal Mastermind or some sort of Anti-Hero.

In the case of Halo well is your opinion I still think is great but I agree Gears of War is awesome, I just wish the online achievements weren’t so damn hard to obtain. It takes ages to get 10,000 especially with leaderboard whores leaving the match, seriously WTF with that.

Ska Oreo @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:42PM

ok but it isn't really fair to compare GTA with Halo. They are both completely different games. of course GTA will have more to it since it's a sand-box game while Halo is only an fps.

Slaziman @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:10AM

I'm European and I think GTA sucks ass. Messing about in the city is only fun for so long, and most of the missions are almost as boring as World of Warcraft quests. Go pick up the hoe and drive her here zomg, go to some landfill and shoot some niggas, yay

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 3rd 2007 12:58PM

GTA isn't versatile in terms of story, but it does at least feel as if you can change things slightly, no matter how many times you play the game, the missions you do will never be the same twice except set missions, one time you may decide to fly to the destination, the next time drive, the next time sail, so theres lots to do.

And while some may feel the idea of being a gangster etc is generic, many just hated the fact that the main character was now black, which is what I had an issue with. Tommy was not of the Mafia, but everyone liked him, but as soon as the gangster idea rears its ugly head as much as the mafia, everyone who loved GTA VC hated SA. Lost? Not saying this includes any of you, its just the general idea.

True, you cannot compare the two games, GTA is more generalized, while Halo is strictly FPS, so if you hate FPS, then Halo isn't your thing, for someone such as I, the last FPS I enjoyed playing was Timesplitters, mainly because it was hilarious. I just didn't think Halo fit into my 'fun' category, the first was original, the second was a mega disappointment with a few ideas cloned from Half Life 1 (the intro with the tram/train thing) and the third is great, but by now, I'm bored of the whole series, it doesn't seem to change.

I just hope GTA4 allows more freedom, with more freedom comes more fun. With Halo, while it's great and levels and sections are open and wide, you still feel as if you are forced to follow one particular path, no alternatives, no changes, you play the game on a harder setting, its still the same, just harder :S

ThornedVenom @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:12PM

It's only in the US (don't know about the other North American territories) where the Halo3 hype was built up THAT much.

Heck, dudes who don't even PLAY videogames know about it.

Dale Massey @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:12PM

The only reason Forza sales are booming is because in the UK we sell Wireless Controllers for £32.99, and the games for £399.

Current going rate of a 360 is £249 for the premium.

Most places are doing the 360 for £249 with Forza and an extra wireless controller included FREE.

(We get boxes with Wireless pads and forza bundled together to put with the machines, hence the cheap price,s and hence the increase in sales)

n_revolution9 @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:17PM

GTA was, is, and will always be better and bigger than Halo. Nah, it doesn't even have to be bigger, just better.

Remember only in the UK...

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:23PM

Don't think that by liking GTA over Halo its being fanboyous, because GTA is making its way to 360 with exclusive content (not that that will really suade people's decision to buy the game over the competition).

If anything, I believe GTA will be more of a system seller on a global scale then Halo ever will be, even if Halo was multiplatform, let alone it being exclusive. I'm overwhelmed with excitement to get my hands on GTA4, I can tell you, the moment I get that game, I'll be playing it endlessly.

The thing with GTA, is due to the fact that the levels don't change like Halo does, the game is not short, it takes ages to complete, even the PSP ones took time to my horror, as I expected worse gfx, and less playtime.

JanJan @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:32PM

The UK has been hating on the US ever since the Revolutionary war(which we won btw). This is their way of getting back at us by buying videogames that simulate killing Americans, instead of buying videogames that simulate killing Brutes

bleh, sounded better in my mind.

maverick_saturn_626 @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:44PM

Right...so I hate all Americans huh? Wait! GTA you kill Americans? I thought it was just anyone in general :S

JanJan @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:50PM

um...sure... racism against Americans by English people

Go America!

Jake @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:51PM

GTA:SA just had a larger userbase. If Halo 3 were sold on PS3 and 360, it would probably sell as many if not more copies than GTA:IV.

Halo 3 sold probably twice as many copies as GTA:IV will on 360.

James @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:43PM

Does this surprise you. Britain is falling into a decline. 65% of the population are now Chavs and most of the youth don't go to school or work. The Queen has even thought about leaving the country to start fresh.

GTA is the true story of the UK.

Marrvia @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:20PM

I think Halo is great, but GTA is far and away much funner in my opinion.

Schuey19 @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:54PM

Don't think it's as simple as saying the UK prefers GTA over Halo, but like others have said it just shows the difference in install bases.
I'd like to see a comparison between the ration of GTA/Halo sales to PS2/X360 owners, because I think it would show a greater proportion of X360 owners bought Halo 3 than PS2 owners bought GTA:SA - at least in the first week anyways.