There is lots of hullabaloo when a big film – your Avatar, say, or your Avengers – makes big money in a hurry at the box office. But given how the market for games has grown in the last decade or so, the most anticipated titles now make those figures look like small change. Take Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V, which has announced a staggering $800 million in worldwide sales on its first day.
Yes, you read that right… $800 million. It helps that the game is released around the world pretty much on the same day, but that’s still an impressive number. For comparison, The Avengers was considered a huge hit with a $207 million opening weekend in the US last year. Admittedly games cost more than cinema tickets, but that's still what's technically known as a shedload of dosh.
The fifth GTA sold 18 million copies on the first day, and has quickly blown past the previous record holder, Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, which brought in $500 million for Activision in its first 25 hours. That title went on to make $1 billion in 15 days, which itself beat The Avengers to the same total by four days. Grand Theft Auto V is expected to reach that figure much more quickly. And they say crime doesn't pay...