Crowds of fans waited in line on Tuesday at midnight for the release of Grand Theft Auto V, one of the most anticipated games of the year. In its first 24 hours, the game earned over $800 million in revenue, twice what some analyst had projected.
“All of us at Take-Two are thrilled with the initial response to Grand Theft Auto V. Once again, the team at Rockstar Games have outdone themselves, setting the entertainment industry’s new standard for creativity, innovation and excellence,” Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick announced in a press release. “Beginning at midnight on Monday, consumers around the world gathered in anticipation to be among the first to experience the evolution of this remarkable series. In North America alone, more than 8,300 stores opened their doors atmidnight to welcome fans whose loyalty and enthusiasm were rewarded with what The New York Times called ‘the most immersive spectacle in interactive entertainment’.
GTA V’s take puts its predecessor to shame. When GTA IV was released in 2008, it broke the record for highest first-day sales with $310 million. Until yesterday, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 held the record with $500 million in a day. Now, GTA V is on track to become one of the largest releases in the history of entertainment.
The price for the top spot didn’t come cheap. It took over $265 million and years of tedious work to develop and market the game. For Rockstar however, the hard work paid off. The company earned back three times the cost to develop the game on its opening day.
Have you bought Grand Theft Auto 5? What do you think of the new game?
