Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

GTA IV has sold 8.5 million units

With 11 million shipped.

Grand Theft Auto IV sold 8.5 million units between 29th April and 31st May, with shipments to retail now at 11 million, Take-Two said in its latest round of financials, which announced a USD 98.2 million Q2 net profit.

It took Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games just a fortnight to surpass one million units sold in the UK alone, as part of six million sales in its first week on the shelves worldwide - worth USD 500 million according to Take-Two's figures.

However, the publisher also revealed yesterday that the much-anticipated GTA IV downloadable content for Xbox 360 has been put back a bit and will now appear in the company's November-to-January quarter.

And while 8.5 million is a bloody lot of videogames, GTA IV still has some way to go if it's to eclipse its predecessor, San Andreas, which NPD Group data this week pegged as the biggest-selling US release of all time with 9.43 million units sold in that region.