GTA V Makes $800 Million In 24 Hours

An anonymous reader writes "The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V was released at midnight yesterday, and to no surprise has managed to break the record for highest sales in 24 hours. Distributors Take-Two Interactive have announced that the game has managed to achieve a staggering $800m (£490m) worth of sales within the first day, and is certainly going to break the forecasted $1 billion within the week. The record was previous held by Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops which made $500m within 24 hours in 2009. The game also holds the title for the quickest entertainment product to achieve $1 billion in sales as they hit the mark by day 15."

Comments

No PC yet

[phizi0n]

Those numbers would be even higher if they stopped shunning their roots by delaying PC releases and turning PC into a shitty port from consoles.

Re:No PC yet

[phizi0n]

You can have a refined, bug-free, well-performing PC release after the console versions are done, or you can have a crappy, poorly optimised version day-and-date with the console release, but you can't have both. Rockstar North favour the former.

How do you explain GTA4? It was delayed a year and performed like shit on PC when it was released. GTA was originally a PC game and they have been treating PC as a second class citizen lately.

Re:No PC yet

[DrXym]

GTA plays far better on a PC with a mouse and keyboard than with a controller and I'm quite certain that lots of PC owners would appreciate the mindless entertainment of playing it. It's not like the PC is lacking its share of first person shooters, sandbox games etc. demonstrating there is a market. Saints Row 4 just came out on the PC for example.

A more likely reason is that PC games typically retail for less, suffer higher rates of piracy and must cope with a wider variety of hardware which must all be developed and tested for with higher resolutions and assets to boot. I assume that all these reasons play their part in consoles taking over from PCs in the last few years. Perhaps with digital download services like Steam and wannabes taking off that the PC market is more attractive than it was a few years back.

Re:No PC yet

[dingen]

GTA was originally a PC game and they have been treating PC as a second class citizen lately.

If by "lately" you mean "since 1999", then I suppose you're right. GTA hasn't been a PC game for a looooong time.

Re:No PC yet

[aiadot]

I disagree with that and for two reasons. First, while there is a chance the total sales of PC+PS3+360 may be bigger than PS3+360 alone, that doesn't always hold true, as sometimes the only thing you succeed in is in shifting the console sales to the PC(not even talking about piracy). Also actively supporting PCs increase the development and marketing and post sale supporting costs. Yes I know that console games are developed on PCs and most likely Rockstar has a working build of GTA5 for their PCs, but, as you said yourself, they are not optimized and most likely will require monster PCs to run well (see GTA4). Second, and IMO most important reason, marketing 101 dictates that you should milk the cashcow as much as possible. If you release such an overhyped mainstream game on a limited selection of platforms such as current gen consoles you WILL attract people from other platforms such as the PC and the people waiting for the next gen consoles regardless. Then you re-release the game on the next gen consoles with better graphics and performance, inducing a lot of people to rebuy your game. Then, finally, you release your game on the PC, inducing a final third wave of sales. You must remember that Rockstar just like the overwhelming majority of game companies, publishers or "indies", are not "for-gamer" but for-profit corporation. It's part of their mission to minimax their losses and profits above anything.

Re:No PC yet

[Tukz]

It did NOT perform "fine" if you had a quad-core.
It performed extremely bad on my i7, until the patch.

Re:No PC yet

[CastrTroy]

I Seriously wish the consoles would just get on with it, and encourage everybody to use a keyboard and mouse. Or at least something that gives a similar level of control, but can still be used on a couch, like a trackball, and a boatload of buttons/keys. Some custom controller with a trackball with about 4 buttons, plus about half a keyboard's worth of keys, could easily sit on your lap, and would allow much better control in most first person games than we currently get with gamepads. To this day, the only first person game I really enjoyed on console was Metroid Prime (GC), because it was mostly about exploring, and not fast reflexes. Still, I didn't ever finish it, because later in the game, it becomes pretty difficult, and the distance between savepoints is too far. The part where I quit was when I was 45 minutes from the previous checkpoint, following a walkthrough (because I was convinced I was going the wrong way), only to die because of an onslaught of enemies. Probably still about 20 minutes from the next save point. After a couple times doing that, I just stopped playing. I never understood why anybody enjoyed first person games on consoles. The love everyone seems to have for GoldenEye just blows my mind.

Re:No PC yet

[Anonymous Coward]

Which requires advanced modifications to the console including soldering. Little bit more difficult than copying a cracked .exe. You and richy freeway are both being disingenuous and you know it.

Re:No PC yet

[hairyfeet]

I've been a PC only gamer since the late 90s and to GTA V I have a big old...meh. After GTA IV and the whole "take me bowling" bit and comparing it to the batshit crazy fun of flying down the street on a broomstick or sucking up gangbangers in what looks like a giant Hello Kitty mobile (if the kitty went on a 3 day crack binge) and launching the gangbangers from the attached cannon several blocks into enemy vehicles?

I don't know about anybody else but when i play a sandbox i want total batshit balls to the wall FUN with a capital F made from fire and awesome and until another Just Cause comes out so I can grapple pursuing cars to the street and recreate the scene from T3 again I'll take the Saints Row series. The action is more extreme, the missions are often challenging without being frustrating, I just find the Saints games to be more FUN. From what I have seen so far it looks like GTA V has gone even further into that whole "dark, depressing, and gritty" feel and real life has enough of that already, thanks. What GTA needs is another Vice City so I can do 140+ MPH in a Hawaiian shirt and jump what feels like miles while Flock of Seagulls blasts on the stereo, now THAT was FUN.

It deserves every sale it gets

[AbRASiON]

The game is incredible, if you're a fan of the GTA series, they've really addressed many issues with the game. The storyline is told better and more compelling than previous ones (that includes Gay Tony, which was quite good)

The graphics / environment / effects - god knows how they achieved this, I do not know. Yes some things like Uncharted look nicer but they are a very linear closed environment. For an open world game, it's utterly staggering. I'm playing on PS3 and the resolution seems higher than GTA4, there's more detail and there's more you can do AND the draw distance is further. The frame rate while not a flawless 30 all the time seems honestly better than GTAIV at most times.

The humour, satire, writing in general is utterly tip top. I am not cringing at lines or groaning at character decisions. As usual the commercials (billboard, radio, TV) are just fantastic, some of the random one liners amazing. The stuff they've added like the random mission encounters are awesome. I really can't complain about this at all in any way.
I'm about 35 hours into it (picked it up midnight Monday night) and about 2/3 of the way through it I'd say. It's just brilliant, it really is.
If you want to wait for the PC or oft wished for PS4 editions, go for it - but posting in reply here how inferior this is, pointless - the game is great, you can play it right now. If you want to complain that it's crap because "it doesn't do XYZ that Saints Row does" - good for you, hit up Saints Row!
This world blends together so many immersive things, it's just incredible. I love the shit out of this game.
$89 AUD? In hindsight I think I would've gladly paid $189 AUD. Just brilliant.

Re:It deserves every sale it gets

[Anonymous Coward]

Movie ticket: $10, 2 hours entertainment –$5 per hour.
Pub: $20, 4 hours entertainment – $5 per hour.
Typical AAA game: $40, 30 hours entertainment –$1.33 per hour.
GTA: $60, 100 hours entertaiment – $0.60 per hour.

I'd say GTA is pretty well priced already.

Re:It deserves every sale it gets

[DragonTHC]

Typical AAA game: $60, 8 hours entertainment - $7.50 per hour

There, FTFY

Re:It deserves every sale it gets

[captainpanic]

Movie ticket: $10, 2 hours entertainment –$5 per hour.
Pub: $20, 4 hours entertainment – $5 per hour.
Typical AAA game: $40, 30 hours entertainment –$1.33 per hour.
GTA: $60, 100 hours entertaiment – $0.60 per hour.

I'd say GTA is pretty well priced already.

That just says that the movies and beer in pubs are way too expensive.

Re:It deserves every sale it gets

[KozmoStevnNaut]

8 hours? I've played GTA5 for about 10 hours by now, and according to the game itself, I'm around 16% through with the story missions, never mind all the optional side missions and activities, gun smuggling, races, random events, treasure hunts and collectibles. Or the fact all of the heists can be played through multiple times with different approaches. Or the random dicking around that a GTA game always lends itself so well to, thanks to the wonderfully detailed world and enormous possibilities for outright mayhem they put in your hands.

Some AAA games are linear and more like semi-interactive movies than actual games, true. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. A 100% slick, well-produced, well-told and immersive story has a value of its own, even if it is linear. Do you complain that your movies and books are too linear, as well?

Re:Sure

[mwvdlee]

And some people are both stupid and arrogant.

Is it really surprising ?

[Thanatiel]

Here at least, I've heard about the game in the "News" again and again. (Belgium)

Such or such shop exceptionnaly opened at 22:00 so people could queue and buy the game at 00:00 (here shops are usually closed at 18:30).
Such or such "expert" speaking about the influence on the children of such "an incredibely well done game, so realistic and with such an incredible level of freedom ...".

Is it so amazing that, with so much coverage, people not knowing anything about games would have an incentive, an urge, to put their hands on that "phenomenon" ?

I only remember that GTA IV was so boring, so repetitive and so identical to the previous ones that I put it aside for some other game.
Still, GTA IV was also highly rated and heavily advertised/covered by "journalists".

History repeats itself. Deal with it.

The Onion's take on 'GTA V'

[SternisheFan]

'GTA V’ A Sophisticated Gaming Experience, Says Man Who Spent 3 Hours Running Over Homeless People With Fire Truck

http://www.theonion.com/articles/gta-v-a-sophisticated-gaming-experience-says-man-w,33893/

Re:Sure

[Joce640k]

Most people are stupid and like shallow entertainment.

You don't have to be stupid to enjoy shallow entertainment.

Young men impersonate cops to buy GTA V, arrested

[argStyopa]

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/young-men-impersonate-cops-buy-gta-4-article-1.1459299

"Young Staten Island men impersonate police officers to skip line to buy Grand Theft Auto V
Kirolos Abdel Sayed, 19, Matthew Kirshen, 20, and Frank Santanastoso, 19, drove to the Staten Island Mall in what appeared to be an unmarked car complete with lights and sirens only to have their fun ended by real police officers."

Re:Sure

[somersault]

GTA is shallow and boring.

Compared to what? GTA is one of the most free-form and detailed virtual worlds there is. It's filled with beauty, technical awesomeness and humour. Are you just not a fan of games in general? What did you think of Red Dead Redemption?

Re:Incredible.

[dingen]

Your pretty dumb.

God I love this line. I can't stop laughing.

But but but, the PIRACY!!!!

[Lumpy]

Wait, so this means they also lost $2.2Billion to piracy then? I keep forgetting their fake numbers they keep trotting out on how much the companies lose to piracy.

Re:Sure

[RaceProUK]

Most people are stupid and like shallow entertainment.

Even emeritus professors occasionally laugh at fart jokes.

Re:Sure

[Lithdren]

Just because you dont enjoy something doesn't mean people who do are 'sheep'. You sound like a jerk, because you are.

60 dollars for a few hundred hours of entertainment isn't a bad deal. Its not entertainment if you dont like the game, which you clearly are dead set to not like. Good for you! So dont buy it.

Not buying something doesn't make you smart, it means you know what you like. That may sugest some wisdom but when your reason is "Because you're all SHEEP!" that more or less shows you're neither wise or smart. You just want to have something to hold over people to try to feel superior because you're not. When the best you can do is not doing something, it only shows how truly pitiful you are. I'm almost sorry for you.

Re:Sure

[interkin3tic]

Do tell, what entertainment do YOU like? Wait really? You like THAT? LOL! Well, fine if you like it, but that's (pick all that apply):
Overrated, Shallow, Stupid, technically flawed, Pretentious, communist, capitalist, feudalist, colonialist, neocolonialist, imperialist (I guess like storm troopers?), mysoginist, hipster, racist, elitist, too mainstream, vulgar, liberal, conservative, unamerican, something sheeple would do, libertarian, classist, immoral, gluttonous, lewd, vain, arrogant, environmentally unsound, unsustainable, disrespectful to native americans, disrespectful to african americans, disrespectful to moon men, culturally insensitive in some other way, fanboish, stupid, homosexual, (some insult based on heterosexuality), effete, too macho, lame, overrated again (because somehow other people liking it is somehow a really big insult), too mainstream, Too popular, not popular enough, Lame, Whiney, left, Right, transgendered, cis-gendered, no-gendered, triple-gendered, Supports DRM, Unrealistically does not support DRM, closed-source, M$, Fandroid, Apple fanboi, Linux insult, nerdy, Lamp,

Okay, I'm out of steam now. I think that should sufficiently cover whatever it is you do for entertainment and why it's bad and I'm better than you.

Re:Sure

[interkin3tic]

They "lack depth?" In what aspect? They're sandbox style games. GTA has some of the biggest maps with the most you can do in them. It's quite deep compared to other games in that reguard.

If you're talking about "it has a shallow plot" then you need to realize you aren't reading a book. You are playing a sandbox style game.

If you are complaining about shallow driving, shooting, and dart minigames, then you need to realize you aren't playing a driving simulator, a shooter, or a dart videogame. You are playing a sandbox style game.

Why not just say "overrated?" The hipsters do it for a reason: no one can argue with overrated, and it shows your disdain of the vulgar pleasures of the commonfolk. If you find one guy who says "I LUV GTA! IT'S THE BEST!' then you can accurately say that the game is overrated. If you make more specific picks about a popular game you hate simply because it's popular, you could be wrong.

Re:Sure

[Gilmoure]

I am not paying $60 to sit in some stuffy restaurant where they serve little bits of food on big plates. I'm also not paying $60 for some musical stage thing where all they do is sing show tunes. Definately not paying $60 to go deep sea fishing just so I can sit out in the hot sun, stink, and drink cheap beer.

I'll probably pay $60 to sit in the sun and watch a bunch of cowboys get bucked Oof of horses and bulls. And would pay $60 for a pile of comics at the comic book store. I'd even pay $60 for Elder ScrollsVI and waste a lot of hours there.

I any of y'all like or dislike stuff that is different from me, y'all are fools but if you do like the same things as me you're all posers who are trying to muscle in on my groove and now I hate the stuff I used to like.

Remember, nothing is any good if other people like it -and- nothing is any good if other people like stuff I don't.

So there!