'GTA IV' breaks U.K. records

Game grosses $78 million in first week

By ARCHIE THOMAS

Take-Two Interactive’s 'Grand Theft Auto IV,' from its Rockstar vidgames label, has smashed first-week sales records in the U.K., the world’s third-biggest market for vidgames after the U.S. and Japan.

Take-Two Interactive’s “Grand Theft Auto IV,” from its Rockstar vidgames label, has smashed first-week sales records in the U.K., the world’s third-biggest market for vidgames after the U.S. and Japan.

According to London-based compiler Chart Track, “GTA IV” sold 926,000 units in all formats in its first five days, grossing £39.9 million ($78 million).

“GTA IV” becomes the seven-day sales record holder, passing franchise predecessor “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” which sold 677,000 units in just two days in November 2004 for PlayStation 2 only.

Vidgames are traditionally released on Friday in the U.K. and charted for the “week” after the first two days. “GTA IV” was released on Tuesday, April 29, giving it five days to break records.

“Approximately half of U.K. vidgame sales are through pre-sales, so it is entirely reasonable to compare the first five days of ‘GTA IV’ with the first two of ‘San Andreas,’ “ said Chart Track director Dorian Bloch, adding that “day one sales are the culmination of three months’ frenzied pre-ordering with a game like ‘GTA IV.’ “

Chart Track, which receives data from some 90% of the U.K. market, bases figures on electronic point-of-sale information provided by traditional stores and e-tailers.

Boffo week-one result was widely anticipated by industry insiders after “GTA IV” posted U.K. all-time day-one unit sales records on April 29.

“GTA IV” did 55% of its biz on Xbox 360, 45% on PlayStation 3. Sales of both hardware options shot up this week, as those intrigued by the “GTA IV” vidgame phenomenon bought the needed components to play.

PS3 hardware sales rose 127%, and Xbox 360 sales headed north by 125%. Outstanding reviews and splashy features in the national press helped tweak the interest of lapsed or new gamers.

Take-Two Interactive estimates that “GTA IV” sold 6 million units worldwide in its first week, raking in more than $500 million (Daily Variety, May 7).