Analysts: $400 million GTAIV sales in the first week

by Dustin Burg on Apr 16th 2008 11:30AM

Whoever doesn't believe that Grand Theft Auto IV is going to bring Take-two and Rockstar bags and bags of cash should be locked up in a mental hospital, because it's a fact that is guaranteed. But exactly how much cash is the big question and buzz on the streets is pointing towards GTAIV becoming the biggest money making entertainment launch in history.

Variety is reporting that sources close to Take-two have come out and said that the company expects first week sales to reach upwards of $400 million as 6 million copies get gobbled up in seven days. A number that Take-two probably forecasted to be pretty accurate after an analysis of pre-orders. A number that, if true, would eclipse Master Chief's record $300 million haul. And a number that makes us realize how painfully poor we are and how gleefully rich some business execs can be.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Source

Tags: grand-theft-auto-iv, gtaiv, rockstar, rockstar-games

Reader Comments (15)

I personally contributed $90 of that $400 million as i have a pre-order on the special edition from target with the 360 skin.....i need more GTA IV!

We all do! When will the gameplay video leak that is the question...Im thinking over the weekend.

It helps that GTAIV is on two consoles instead of one. But yeah, this is pretty doable. The attach rate for this game alone will probably be between 30% and 40%.

Indeed. Halo 3's sales are all the more impressive as there were less 360 owners at the time AND it was released for just one console. If GTA IV doesn't beat Halo 3's record then it's almost an embarrassment.

I completely agree with you erivera...If GTA IV, with all its hype, does NOT beat Halo 3's record, that'll be really, really sad. I'm going to a midnight launch to pick up my Special Edition. w00t w00t!

I still think it won't live up to the launch legacy of Halo 3 though. $300 million in the first week on a console that had been out for less than 2 years? That's pretty damn sweet...

Never been a fan of GTA, but this one has my attention. Hope it lives up to the hype. Oh and as stated earlier, multy console release, while impressive not as impressive as Halo on just the 360.

$400 million is sales doesn't equate to wealth. There are an awful lot of people responsible for getting that game on the shelves that have to be paid. People who wrote the software, designed the cover art, pressed the label to the disc, manufactured the disc, manufactured the cases, supplied the plastic fiber to manufacture the cases, drove any of the delivery vehicles for any of these materials, refined the fuel used in any of these vehicles, supplied the plastic wrap for the cases, stacked the cases onto pallets, loaded the pallets onto trucks, stacked them at the store.... and on and on and on.

I'm sure a couple of guys at the top of this chain will make a nice return on the investment of their capitol like the producers but $400 in "sales" isn't making anyone rich. What it is doing is giving a lot of people skilled unskilled some good jobs. Most likely a bunch of Korean or Indian people but jobs none the less.