Grand Theft Auto IV Steals Sales Records

Nick Gillespie | May 9, 2008

It's a bona fide grand slam, despite some mixed reviews and moralizing attacks:

Grand Theft Auto IV has claimed two entertainment industry sales records, posting the best ever single-day and seven-day sales totals for a computer game.

The highly-anticipated, and highly-controversial, game is the latest instalment in Rockstar Games' flagship franchise.

Take Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar, said that GTA IV sold more than 3.6 million copies on its first day of availability, garnering $310m in sales.

Over the course of the first week, that total grew to six million units and $500m in sales.

More here.

Comments

|5.9.08 @ 8:36AM|#

But but but... now teenage boys will associate sex with violence and kill their partners!

Ska|5.9.08 @ 8:38AM|#

And they'll focus on drunk driving with their internet dates.

And leave terrible voice mails in poorly done eastern European accents!!

Episiarch|5.9.08 @ 8:41AM|#

I am going to build a super badass machine for this when it comes out for PC. Dual SLI nVidia cards, 64 bit processor, the works. I can't wait.

BakedPenguin|5.9.08 @ 8:43AM|#

It's going to be fun to watch the would-be presidential assholes trip over themselves to denounce the game.

Or perhaps "annoying" would be a better word.

BakedPenguin|5.9.08 @ 8:44AM|#

Pandasting Reinmoose - only those who aren't getting drunk and running over prostititutes.

|5.9.08 @ 8:45AM|#

Episiarch -
In line with Ska's comment
Are you sure those "models" you're "dating" aren't over the internet? Have you actually met any of them in person? ;) ;) ;) ;)

|5.9.08 @ 8:54AM|#

It's actually a fun game to play; seems Rockstar took all the criticism to heart, grinned, and then smeared on a couple more layers of slime. The funniest thing so far is the fact that pedestrians in the game seem to be afflicted with Tourette's. Walking down the road, you'll hear a random "FUCK SHIT FUCK" for no obvious reason.

I'd trade every game I own, though, if Valve would hurry up with the next episode of Half-Life.

Dormouse|5.9.08 @ 8:54AM|#

Mixed reviews? It has a 99 on Metacritic.

Episiarch|5.9.08 @ 8:56AM|#

No more models, moose. I've had it with them. Now just European psychologists. With great bodies.

|5.9.08 @ 9:07AM|#

There were a few 5 stars mixed in with the 100%s and A pluses.

Taktix®|5.9.08 @ 9:25AM|#

Mixed reviews? It has a 99 on Metacritic.

Is this twice that Reason referred to this game and said it had mixed reviews?

Hello?!?

If you need to hire someone for the video game beat, I'll send in my resume...

D.A. Ridgely|5.9.08 @ 9:36AM|#

I hear there isn't enough about hookers and blow to suit some tastes.

tijjer|5.9.08 @ 9:38AM|#

Guys, Nick is probably just lumping Jack Thompson's review in there with all the 100%s, 5/5, 10.0s, and A+ reviews.

That must be what he's factoring in when he said that MADD had to get in line to pan the game and that it's gotten mixed reviews.

|5.9.08 @ 9:50AM|#

I know what I'm buying my stimulus check.

|5.9.08 @ 10:03AM|#

I believe "mixed reviews" refers to the political welcoming this game has had, not the gaming side of it, where it just kicks ass.

If it is indeed about the game, I think my resumé will outshine Taktix's for new reason.com gamer at large =p

Guy Montag|5.9.08 @ 10:10AM|#

Is this twice that Reason referred to this game and said it had mixed reviews?

I think it is more than twice, but it is 100%.

Rhywun|5.9.08 @ 10:25AM|#

The PS3 version is at 100, the Xbox 99. What am I missing out on?? :)

Ska|5.9.08 @ 10:31AM|#

If you're anything like me, a lot of sleep.

Rhywun|5.9.08 @ 10:42AM|#

Heh, not yet. Got it the day before yesterday; all I've done so far is leave the safe house and walk around a little bit. I'm amused that the safe house is located almost at the same spot in "Broker" as I am.

Ska|5.9.08 @ 10:48AM|#

I live in, uh, Dukes, and also like some of the scenic touches.

I also love how Radio Broker makes fun of the hipsters. If you're not familiar with this sort of stuff you probably miss out on a lot of jokes.

Guy Montag|5.9.08 @ 10:55AM|#

I gotta dig out Lazlow Jones' e-mail and congratulate him on this one. Sounds like he kicked ass, even without my voice ;)

Does anybody know who the 2600 personality in this version is?

|5.9.08 @ 11:50AM|#

As much as Jack Thompson makes an ass out of himself and fails in his legal efforts over and over, it's that headline that has to really prove to him that he has totally wasted his life in fruitless pursuit of an unattainable, pointless goal.

I love it. He's getting precisely what he deserves.

Taktix®|5.9.08 @ 1:31PM|#

As much as Jack Thompson makes an ass out of himself and fails in his legal efforts over and over, it's that headline that has to really prove to him that he has totally wasted his life in fruitless pursuit of an unattainable, pointless goal.

I doubt it. He'll chalk up the sales to us god-less, pot smoking non-Republicans and our elite professors who brain-washed us into buying it. Somehow, the terrorists are winning too...

|5.9.08 @ 1:35PM|#

Over the course of the first week, that total grew to six million units and $500m in sales.

I won't buy it or play it, but that is a super, extra large, colossal, gargantuan number. Some perspective - Iron Man, a blockbuster hit, took in ~25% of that its first week.

Nash|5.9.08 @ 2:32PM|#

"I won't buy it or play it, but that is a super, extra large, colossal, gargantuan number. Some perspective - Iron Man, a blockbuster hit, took in ~25% of that its first week."

It is impressive. I'm curious how the total sales numbers will play out for both. Can Iron Man catchup when you include the remaining weeks at the box office and then the rest of the properties tied to it? The Video Game, the DVD sales? Pay TV? Etc...

Andy|5.9.08 @ 2:48PM|#

I'm worried for all of you. I have it on good authority (James Dobson) that playing these games makes you kill people, do drugs, and beat up hookers. Judging from the sales, we can expect a murder/hooker beating/drug use rate increase of around 1,000% by next week or so. I'll be waiting for your apologies when it comes true. But more importantly, Jesus will be waiting.

Guy Montag|5.9.08 @ 3:20PM|#

and beat up hookers

If they would just get out there and make some monety this wouldn't happen, now would it?

Andy|5.9.08 @ 3:32PM|#

Yeah the hookers have only themselves to blame fo getting beaten. I mean all they have to do is go to the cops and complain...

|5.12.08 @ 11:49AM|#

The numbers don't make sense. $310M (first day sales) divided by 3.6M (first day # of copies) = $86.11 per game. Seeing as how every store I saw was selling it for $59.99, I'd sure be curious where they got the other 95 million dollars from. (Thin air?)

Nate|5.12.08 @ 4:11PM|#

Matt, isn't it €59.99 in the eurozone?