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Grand Theft Auto IV Hits: A Few Facts and Figures
I've got bad news for any Halo fan-boys who actually thought their favorite game series was a heavyweight: It's not even a contender. The first cracks appear late last year, when Call of Duty 4 quickly overtook Halo 3 as the most-frequently played game on Xbox Live. But the recently released Grand Theft Auto IV might be even more problematic. When Halo 3 shipped last year, Microsoft touted its $170 million in first day sales, comparing it to "Spider-Man 3" opening day receipts of just $151 million--a record for the movie industry. Well, GTA4 puts them both to shame: Preorders for GTA4 hit $400 million, or 6 million units, over two times Halo 3's opening day take. These sales help explain why gaming giant EA recently undertook a $2 billion takeover bid for GTA maker Take Two. And there's little doubt that GTA4 will be the best-selling game of the year. It all makes me wonder if the game is any good. I grabbed a copy and have to say my initial reaction tends toward negative, and this certainly isn't a game for kids. But I'll give it a shot, of course. You never know.
This should be an interesting watch. I am also waiting for the stats to come in this year and see GTA4 lives up to all the buzz and hypes.
ReplyDeleteI guess many are like us waiting for the realization of a huge marketing buzz in the gaming world thus far.