'GTA 4' debut may be most lucrative ever

"Grand Theft Auto IV"Grabs $500 million in first-week global sales

By David Ward

SAN DIEGO -- Take Two Interactive is touting "Grand Theft Auto IV" as the richest launch in entertainment history on the strength of a record $500 million in first-week global sales.

All told, more than 6 million "GTA IV" games have been sold since the game's April 29 launch, including a staggering 3.6 million units on the first day alone, generating $310 million in revenue just in the initial 24 hours.

The numbers easily surpassed projections from analysts who already expected record revenue, not to mention the $300 million in global sales achieved by the previous first-week record holder, Microsoft's "Halo 3," which bowed last fall. However, that game was only available on Microsoft's Xbox 360, while "GTA IV" is available on both Xbox and Sony's PlayStation 3.

" '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," said Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick.

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