Despite its overt violence and sexism, Grand Theft Auto V became the biggest entertainment launch in history by racking up more than $1 billion in its first three days of release. To put this figure in perspective, sales of this internationally acclaimed video game from Take Two Interactive have more than doubled the all time movie box office record, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opening weekend pulled in $483 million.
Within the first 24 hours of release, Grand Theft Auto V also set the single day record on Tuesday by taking in more than $800 million as countless fans lined up outside stores nationwide, hoping to become among the first to claim their prize. The $800 million in sales obliterated the previous single day record for a video game when Activision’s Call of Duty Ops 2 earned $500 million last year. That video game crossed the $1 billion mark on its 15th day of release, a day faster than the its previous version, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Priced at $60 a pop, Grand Theft Auto V is available only for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. An updated version is rumored for a November release, around the same time the next generation of game consoles, the xBox One and PlayStation 4 are expected to arrive on store shelves.
