GTA IV to sell 6 million copies

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 April, 2008

And make USD 400m in one week.

Grand Theft Auto IV is set to rack up USD 400 million in its first week and sell 6 million copies, according to a Variety report.

The article quotes "sources close to publisher Take-Two" as having supplied those predictions. "Though they rarely release the data, videogame publishers are able to accurately predict early game sales based on what retailers order," apparently.

Halo 3 previously enjoyed the biggest launch of any videogame in history, with USD 300 million made in its first week on sale and 5 million units shifted. But as Variety points out, that was an Xbox 360 exclusive - while GTA IV is coming out on PS3 too. On April 29th, in case you'd forgotten.

If Rockstar's latest effort does break the USD 400 million barrier, it could go on to beat the biggest grossing film of all time - Pirates of the Caribbean, which made USD 404 million at the box office.

In case you were wondering, 21.5 million copies of previous instalment Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas have now been sold.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • space_ace #1 4 years ago

    h3 = pwnd

  • Cider86 #2 4 years ago

    Whats grand theft auto?

  • peteb #3 4 years ago

    i dunno, H3 did pretty well for a game on one console

  • Buztafen #4 4 years ago

    Its a crime and its WRONG!!

  • anomagnus #5 4 years ago

    @ space ace

    halo was a single platform launch and did 300 million

    GTA 4 is multi platform and expected to only do 400 million

    If the two, the H3 performance is the stronger.

    If GTA 4 were to actually pwn H3, it would need to do something like 650 million.

    Reasons for 650 million - 300 million to match the Xbox perfmoance, plus an extra 50 million to surpass it in a way which could classify it as a pwning, plus another 300 million from the PS3 crowd to balance it out

    jesus, what is it with the halo 3 haters, christ, ready to shoot their mouths off without even thinking

    Edited by 1 at 16/04/08 @ 10:18

  • abcd #6 4 years ago

    I feel sorry for the work experience kid loading up the DVD burner 6 million times.

  • alimokrane #7 4 years ago

    Well if Halo 3 did 5 million in ONE console, I dont see 6 million for GTA4 on Two consoles being a surprise. I'd be very interested to know the breakdown by console! is it going to be 3 on each platform ? I doubt it given the instaled base of the 360 in the US.
    Edited by 1 at 16/04/08 @ 10:29

  • PiranhaUK #8 4 years ago

    anomagnus - I dont think there are many genuine H3 haters out there, just with so many H3 fanboys out there its just too easy to wind them up!

  • Ghost_Dog #9 4 years ago

    Biggest grossing film of all time - Pirates of the Caribbean?

    That would be Titanic, no?

    Those Halo figures are impressive for a game which is exclusive to one console that is apparently selling badly. Or so we are told.

    If GTA4 was a film, the 18 rating would effect sales. So its a good job all those irresponsible parents can buy it for their little Johnny and keep those sales figures high.

  • Olemak #10 4 years ago

    Bah, forget about little johnny. I'm getting this for myself.

  • gingerlink #11 4 years ago

    I think it's referring to first week sales. Of which halo's were very strong (and have tailed off quickly afterwards).

    I wonder what smash bros. would've acheived in one week if it had had a proper worldwide release date. Although it's still only single format, they, they do get an extra region, Japan... I would've geussed 4 million...I geuss you could get a rough figure of what it would've been by adding all the first weeek sales from each region

  • lost_soul #12 4 years ago

    "Biggest grossing film of all time - Pirates of the Caribbean?

    That would be Titanic, no?"

    I think they're talking about first wee takings.

    Pirates took more in the first week, but Titanic took far more over its lifetime.

  • lost_soul #13 4 years ago

    I can't wait to see how well Live copes with GTA's launch.

  • zuljin #14 4 years ago

    @anomagnus
    Your maths is wrong, its not taknig into account people that have both consoles.

  • Lebowski #15 4 years ago

    The servers are going to spin around and shoot steam 'Metal Mickey' style when this fecker drops on Live.

  • Ghost_Dog #16 4 years ago

    GTA:SA > 21 mil units, but thats on PS2, XBOX and PC.

    H3 selling what it did on a console which has shifted (currently) 18 mil is still impressive.

    I have no doubt that GTA4 will top that easy, but it is a older franchise and on multi platform.

  • Xerx3s #17 4 years ago

    "anomagnus - I dont think there are many genuine H3 haters out there, just with so many H3 fanboys out there its just too easy to wind them up!"

    Ah, haven't wandered into a random H3 thread/comment section then? The H3 review section was for 90% filled with haters. Haters hiding behind the 'oh I'm just winding them up' banner are still haters btw.

  • Rash' #18 4 years ago

    Got to love those GTAIV ads on the front page of EG. Promoting DLC with the version of the console that won't be able to download the content. :)

  • anomagnus #19 4 years ago

    @ zuljin

    didnt consider that, anyway, my figures are just my guess, at what it would take to classify GTA4 as a pwning title.

    on the topic in general

    The industry probably doesn't care, once it hits a certain amount of dollars.

    But as one guy pointed out, it'll probably never touch titanic, a travesty of a movie that turned the worst maritime disaster into a love story about an english bint and yank scoundrel.

    Never mind the hundred sof poor irish people that drowned, looked in their cabins by the crew.

    /rant off

  • JonFE #20 4 years ago

    I guess that's music to the ears of T2 shareholders...

  • IneptPercy #21 4 years ago

    Didn't know there was that many children who play games...

  • ViralNinja #22 4 years ago

    Well if you move your release date forward to the day after the charts are compiled you get a whole week to have as your "first week" of sales, as opposed to a weekend like every other game that's released.

    Of course, with a release on Tuesday they'll get stock in before the weekend so all we need to do is have some indies break the street date and BAM, they won't have the biggest launch ever afterall, that'll learn em

  • WinterSnowblind #23 4 years ago

    @Rash'

    I think you're a little confused, the ads all over the site are promoting the 360 and the DLC, not the PS3 :)

  • Rash' #24 4 years ago

    WinterSnowblind: LOL! Touché!

  • Khanivor #25 4 years ago

    I get annoyed when comparisons are made to film takings and game takings.

    A game cost 60 bucks, a cinema ticket around 10.

    When a game does 2.4 billion in one week than its sales numbers are equivalent to PotC

  • Triggerhappytel #26 4 years ago

    However many it sells, I only hope it is enough to keep Take Two afloat, and keep those bastards at EA from the door.

  • captainrentboy #27 4 years ago

    [link url=http://youtube .com/watch?v=AF95c1QPIT8
    ]http://youtube .com/watch?v=AF95c1QPIT8
    [/link]
    If that's genuine, Microsoft must be laughing.