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rand Theft Auto V has shipped nearly 29 million units, according to Take-Two Interactive’s second quarter earnings report.
Take-Two – publishers of such franchises as GTA, NBA 2K and the Bioshock series – released their second quarter earnings report on Tuesday and revealed that the critically acclaimed GTA V has exceeded its predecessor, GTA IV, in copies shipped just six weeks following its launch.
Grand Theft Auto V launched on September 17th and quickly became the biggest entertainment launch ever, breaking an astonishing 7 Guinness World Records, beat Naughty Dog’s PS3 exclusive The Last of Us and earning $1 billion in sales just 3 days after release.
Rockstar Games’ action-adventure game also achieved worldwide critical acclaim and was awarded Game of the Year at the recent Golden Joystick Awards.
In their report, Take-Two said: “The title received extraordinary reviews, including over 160 perfect scores worldwide, and already has sold-in nearly 29 million units, exceeding the lifetime sell-in of Grand Theft Auto IV on console in less than six weeks after launch.
“We believe Grand Theft Auto V is the fastest-selling entertainment release in history, grossing over $800 million in retail sales during the first 24 hours after launch and over $1 billion in only three days.
“Grand Theft Auto V became available for digital download through the PlayStation Network on the day of release and became the biggest release ever on the platform. In addition, the Games on Demand release of the title on Xbox Live became the highest grossing day 1 and week 1 release in the platform’s history,” it concluded.
Chairman and CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick said that demand for the game still remains. In an earnings conference call he commented on the immense success of the game.
He said: “We’re immensely proud of and grateful to the team at Rockstar Games, who consistently re-define what can be achieved in interactive entertainment. I’d like to congratulate them all on delivering an unparalleled experience and superbly marketing Grand Theft Auto V in a way befitting a cultural phenomenon. I’d also like to thank our sales team for their critical role in making this launch one for the record books.”
In the report – labeled “strong” by the company – Zelnick also revealed that the company currently “has more than ten unique titles planned for next-generation consoles, including multiple releases slated for fiscal 2015”.
One of the releases is a game called “Evolve”, a title purchased by Take-Two from THQ back in January, and will be developed by Left for Dead creators Turtle Rock Studios. Take-Two also opened a brand new studio called Bay Area Studios which will also be developing an “exciting” next-generation console game.
They said that further details about upcoming releases will be forthcoming over the next few months.
Sources: Take-Two Interactive