GTA IV makes Xbox 360 sales jump 125% in UK

by Alexander Sliwinski { May 7th 2008 at 5:30PM }

Microsoft is apparently quite happy with the hardware sales boost it received with the release of GTA IV in Europe. GameDaily reports that a representative for Microsoft Europe said, "Today is has become clear that consumers are finding Xbox 360 the best way to experience Liberty City." Microsoft stated that Xbox 360 console sales jumped 125% in the UK, "reflecting the popularity of this franchise on the platform."

Not to rain on Microsoft's parade, but the company didn't actually reveal a sales number to go with that 125%. So, for all we know, the week before GTA IV released the company sold 10 consoles in the UK, and the following week it sold about 23. Let's put an end to the war of percentages! We know victory is 200% sweeter when fought that way ... but we believe that's true only 33% of the time.

Tags: grand-theft-auto-iv, grandtheftautoiv, gta-iv, gtaiv, microsoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

noskillbassist @ May 7th 2008 5:35PM

60% of the time, it works EVERYTIME.

j.howlett @ May 7th 2008 5:44PM

i heard 73% of of statistics were made up. who to trust?

Mr.ESC @ May 7th 2008 5:46PM

You can prove anything with statistics.
40% of the people knows that.

Benny @ May 7th 2008 6:11PM

These jokes are 100% unfunny.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 7th 2008 6:12PM

70% of the time, there's a 35% chance that 90% of the statistics are bullshit.

arrrgh @ May 7th 2008 6:25PM

it's ok. we get it. statistics. you can stop now

Zeus.:God @ May 7th 2008 7:36PM

No, only 87.4% of all Joystiq readers understand these are all statistics.

Also note that there are body parts lining the entry-way. May want to clean that up...

Sean @ May 7th 2008 7:49PM

Every time statistics are brought up, some jackass makes a joke about how a certain percentage of statistics are made up.

Stop stealing jokes from your grandparents.

JJ Rooster @ May 7th 2008 8:33PM

oh come on, that only happens like 10% of the time!

Curtis the Claw:XBL - supapaypamawio @ May 7th 2008 5:39PM

Every puzzle has an answer.

Curtis the Claw:XBL - supapaypamawio @ May 7th 2008 6:01PM

Ya, I have no idea why I said that.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ May 7th 2008 6:16PM

Critical thinking is the key to success.

AirIntake @ May 7th 2008 5:40PM

It must be the extra 80p, right?

Bellerophon @ May 7th 2008 5:43PM

"So, for all we know, the week before GTA IV released the company sold 10 consoles in the UK, and the following week it sold about 23."

Microsoft PR Rep: "Err... yeah, actually."

BTW that GTA IV console sure is purty.

Phranctoast @ May 7th 2008 5:56PM

This is the UK..not Japan ;)

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ May 8th 2008 1:19PM

i have to admit, that is a quite sexy 360. it must be that PS3-esque color scheme thats doing it for me.

pavs @ May 7th 2008 5:55PM

Thats good. Means MS didn't waste its money.
"It should come as no surprise that the impending Grand Theft Auto IV is going to have a marketing campaign that rivals the absolute onslaught that accompanied Halo 3's launch last year. What may surprise you, though, is that much of that marketing push will be coming from Microsoft, not publisher Take-Two or developer Rockstar."
Source: Joystiq. you can find the article yourself.

Haggard @ May 7th 2008 6:02PM

Well, if I were Take Two I wouldn't be complaining - $50 million from MS for the exclusive deal, free advertising from them because they want to push the 360 hardware: T2 would have had it pretty sweet even if they'd just sat on their arses for the launch.

ViagraFiend @ May 7th 2008 6:01PM

This is stupid as hell. The PS3 saw a rapid increase in sales too. Thats what happens when a huge game releases that everyone has been waiting for.

Meanwhile, the Wii released Furby Village Fun Fun Power and beat them both combined.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 7th 2008 6:14PM

Yeah, but nobody cares about PS3 :P

MASTUR CHEEF (Yes I pay for Xbox live you cheap ass scrub) @ May 7th 2008 7:00PM

Yeah but everytime that the PS3 gets sales Sony thinks that they won the console wars and that this is the year for the PS3 etc,etc,etc.

David @ May 7th 2008 6:23PM

Spin it to the limit!!!

Sony did the same thing last winter (christmas/holiday).
These guys are artists really..."PLAYSTATION brand", "gaming ecosystem"...GENIUS!!

The Bush administration could've used the marketing people from MS and Sony...they really know how to spin the facts. Everything ends up sounding completely awesome after they say it.

arrrgh @ May 7th 2008 6:29PM

well spike is awesome

Drake @ May 7th 2008 6:46PM

Unfortunatly, many people are too stupid to see through the Microsoft crap. We know there are at least 17m idiots, there could be even more out there, WATCHOUT...

Benny @ May 7th 2008 6:53PM

You heard it here first kids: it's cool to hate on Microsoft!

Seriously though, the 360 is being outsold "in one of its strongest territories"? There aren't THAT many territories, to be fair. America is definitely number one, and I would hazard a guess at Australia being number two. After that you only have... what? Europe and Japan. I don't think there are many other areas that buy enough consoles to really land a place on the video games map.

Besides, Europe is by and large Sony's strongest territory. It hasn't been doing amazingly well in the US, and in Japan it lags waaaay behind the three freight trains that are running away with the innards of consumer wallets (the Wii, DS and PSP).

Benny @ May 7th 2008 6:54PM

*pictures freight trains running away with a load of Yen*

Don't you just love mixed metaphors? ;)

name123 @ May 7th 2008 7:00PM

PS3 sales up 127% in the UK.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/30468/360-outselling-PS3-in-GTA-software-battle

And it was already outselling the 360 at a much higher price.

Drake @ May 8th 2008 2:13PM

Looks like Joystiq don't want to report that thou, and are actively censoring posts pointing that out.

How does it fell America to be brainwashed by the media, as that is what AOL networks are doing to you, corporate money is what buys "news" articles here.

Leobebes @ May 7th 2008 7:39PM

I hate to say it but its unfortunate that Sony brand whores are too stupid to see that the 360 offers more and will offer more on the entire GTA IV experience but they will not see it because they are blinded by their own brand stupidity.

I don't care if I get buried for this, but its hard to argue against.

MASTUR CHEEF (Yes I pay for Xbox live you cheap ass scrub) @ May 7th 2008 7:45PM

thank you sir. 1+

somebody had to say it

el serpiente @ May 7th 2008 7:56PM

WAH I HATE SONY CUZ IT SMELLS AND IF U GUYZ CAN'T SMELL IT ITS CAUSE U IS SO STUPID YOUR BRAIN IS BROKEDED.

Leobebes @ May 7th 2008 8:05PM

@el serpiente

Yea I know I come off as a whiny bitch. But if someone asked me, hey I want a console that plays a lot of quality Japanese titles, or I want a console so i caa play Metal Gear again, or I want a high def movie player I do not hesitate to play a PS3.

My objection is for guys I run into a daily basis who want to buy a console just for GTA and opt for the PS3 because they have no friggin clue its on the 360 and have no friggin clue what LIVE offers for your overall GTA experience. They are brand whores plain and simple and I will not cow tow to that type of consumer ignorance. Sorry.

GTA IV is a better experience on the 360 and thats fact jack!

el serpiente @ May 7th 2008 11:07PM

Get help dude. Seriously. There are so many more important things to get upset about in life, like hangnails or rainy days, than what some person is buying to play GTA4. It's kind of creepy.

p.s. it's 'kow-tow'. The cow tow was largely abandoned in the 1920's after several thousand cows were dragged to their deaths, coating the streets with delicious carpaccio.

Leobebes @ May 7th 2008 8:06PM

"I want a high def movie player I do not hesitate to play a PS3."

*I do not hesitate on recommending a PS3.

Mikezula @ May 8th 2008 3:18AM

Does this mean there'll be an 80% increase in RROD activity in the UK? Zing! I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Way to go, MS, I guess. Though didn't Sony have a similar % spike with GTA4's release?

TheHuntIsOn @ May 8th 2008 4:32AM

And there's me thinking 360 sales would plummet!

el serpiente @ May 8th 2008 9:21AM

That's, like, totally crazy yo.

Tim The Enchanter @ May 8th 2008 11:15AM

My thoughts? None. I mean of course there will be an increase in sales. But likely the PS3 is seeing the same if not similar. It's just good to see the XB doing better in a territory that hasnt been all that receptive to it. Competition is good anyday, no matter who's fanboy train you're on.