‘Grand Theft Auto V’ Earns $800 Million in a Day, More than Worldwide Haul of ‘Man of Steel’

Variety.com ^ | 9-18-2013 | Marc Graser

[servo1969]

The release of Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto V” generated $800 million sales in 24 hours around the world, a record for any game from Take-Two Interactive, and the “GTA” franchise itself.

Success of the game bodes well for other tentpole game releases debuting this fall including the next “Call of Duty,” “Assassin’s Creed” and “Battlefield” sequels, as well as “Batman: Arkham Origins” and newcomer “Watch Dogs.”

The release of “GTAV” is certainly impressive, especially when compared to film releases.

The top three earners at the box office this year are Disney’s “Iron Man 3,” which generated $1.2 billion; Universal’s “Despicable Me 2,” at $840 million; and Warner Bros.’ “Man of Steel,” at $663 million.

“GTAV” boasted a budget just as lofty as most tentpoles, with Rockstar spending around $115 million to make the game and Take-Two another $150 million to market it throughout the year.

Of course, games are more expensive than movie tickets: “GTAV” is priced at $59.99 for the standard edition, $79.99 for a Special Edition and $150 for an exclusive GameStop edition.

“We are incredibly proud of Rockstar Games’ creative achievement and could not be more pleased with the success of this launch,” said Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick in a statement of the game which has generated high scores from game critics. It has a 98 on Metacritic.

Activision’s bestselling “Call of Duty” franchise earned $500 million in a day when “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” was released in the U.S. last year.

It went on to earn $1 billion in 15 days, setting a record for the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise and the videogames biz. That figure was a record for the franchise, one day faster than 2011′s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.”

The results of “Grand Theft Auto V” don’t come as a surprise and follow reports from several analysts that predicted the game would make $1 billion in its first month of release, and move 20 million copies by Take-Two’s fiscal year that ends March 2014. The first “Grand Theft Auto IV” shipped nearly 25 million units after its release in 2008.

However the final numbers blew away even some analysts’ expectations, with hundreds of people waiting in lines in cities around the country to get their hands on the first copies of the new game on Tuesday.

“We see potential for worldwide day-one sell-through of 6.5 million units [and] $400 million for GTA V,” said analysts Arvind Bhatia and Brett Strauser of Sterne Agee.

The fifth installment of the “Grand Theft Auto” series has yet to launch in Japan and Brazil.

Game revolves around a trio of criminals as they pull off heists in a fictional version of Los Angeles, known as Los Santos. Appeal of the franchise over the years has been the ability to veer off and explore the city, stealing cars and causing mayhem.

[servo1969]

Once again for those who are skimming-

This is a new video game.

It cost $115 million to make. (Yes, Million.)
Take-Two spent an additional $150 million to market it throughout the year.
Total - $265 million before launch day.

Every cent invested in this game was made back in the first 8 hours of its release.

In the first 24 hours it was available(that would be Monday) there were $800 million in sales.

Like the game, hate it, don't care... either way, that's pretty damn impressive.

*********************
TENTPOLE (entertainment)

The term tentpole refers to a broadcast programming or motion picture expected to hold up (as is the function of a tent pole) and balance out the financial performance of a movie studio or television network. In the movie business, tentpoles are sometimes widely-released initial offerings in a string of releases and are expected by studios to turn a profit in a short period of time. Such programming is often accompanied by larger budgets and heavy promotion. An example of this strategy in television is to schedule a popular television program alongside new or unknown programming, in an attempt to keep audience viewers watching after the flagship program is over; a prominent example is the long-running Star Trek franchise.

[Crazieman]

Us PC gamers got shafted by the console-exclusive release. Totally unfair.

[DirtyPigpen]

When are people gonna start crying over the profits the gaming industry makes like they do about oil?

[Moose4]

And not only are the sales impressive, from everything I’m reading, it’s a very well-done game as well...although the dialogue drops more f-bombs than Gordon Ramsay and the body count approaches the first day on the Somme by the time it’s all over, so it’s not for everybody.

I just wish they’d put it out for PC. Can’t fathom why they didn’t when they did for GTA IV. It’d be the first GTA game I might actually buy.

}:-)4

[Crazieman]

I was reading an article about even small, intricate details, like giving the 3 different protagonists carefully designed parody phones consiting of the iPhone, Galaxy, and Windows Phone.

[1010RD]

Movies are so 20th Century.

[Wurlitzer]

Great, millions of new minds to warp for mass murders that the left can blame on guns.

Seems violent video games are becoming a common thread in mass murders.

The NRA are wimps compared to the Entertainment Mafia and their co-conspirators in government.

[Crazieman]

Yes, millions of mass murders are proof video games are behind it. Therefore, ban guns.

Nice way to out yourself, you liberal jerk.

[Wurlitzer]

Nice! Alynski name calling! That is all the facts you have?

I make most conservatives look like liberals.

I guess you like your entertainment scum video producers, rap crap singers, drug pushing dopers more than the 2nd Amendment.

If you had enough intelligence to read just how many of the recent mass murderers were hooked on violent video games you might have a chance at posting something of value.

Her is just a sampling of numerous mass murders by lovers of violent video games which contribute NOTHING to civilization.

Evan Ramsey Alaska
Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik
Seung-Hui Cho, Virginia Tech University
James Holmes, Jared Lee Loughner, Aurora, Colo.
Breivik, who killed 77 people in Oslo
Adam Lanza- school shooting in Connecticut
Devin Moore, Alabama

And by the way send me a freeper mail so we can meet and I will show you what a conservative being called a liberal jerk can do or will you have to put on more than your underwear while sitting in your mommy’s basement playing like a man with your game controller.

[Crazieman]

Again, genius, where’s the millions of mass murders?

They also all breathed air and drank water.

[Wurlitzer]

Boy you are incapable of reading comprehension.

The point is millions of minds exposed to violence AND there is documented proof of causality between these violent games and SOME individuals going off the rails and committing mass murder.

But go ahead and protect your useless violence and let your fellow liberal travelers continue to go after our 2nd Amendment protected rights.

Should be obvious to fellow Freepers who the liberal is and who made 2 Saul Alinsky type posts without an single fact.

Waiting for your freepmail and your address.

Must be your screen name describes you perfectly.

[Night Hides Not]

Heads up! Two Freepers are about to get violent!!! lol

Or should I say, the enmity is increasing in leaps and bounds.

[morphing libertarian]

I knew the game was over when I went to the box office and asked for one ticket to Superman. The millennial behind the window said, which one is that.

[Wurlitzer]

Perfectly willing to take this off FR and handle it elsewhere so no need to going running to daddy!

[Crazieman]

Lets see, willing to trade one type of ban or restriction for another, check.

Unable to think critically regarding the concept of lone nuts, check.

Ignoring the concept of personal responsibility, check.

Threatening a classically laughable internet “say it to my face” confrontation, check.

Who’s the fascist here?

I’m against the idea of banning both. I’m consistent, you’re hypocritical.

You’re as disgusting as the gun grabbers.

[Wurlitzer]

All you have to do is send me an address.

[Wurlitzer]

Look, putting the vitriol aside, we have a Constitutionally protected Creator given right, spelled out in unambiguous terms of “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” (hard to find a more unambiguous phrase in the constitution) which the left, including Hollywood and the entire Entertainment industry, is using every crisis to eliminate.

Now we also have a link, or causality, and some rather disturbing data to show that SOME people seem to be driven off the deep end by violent games.

If you had not spent your time trying to call me names you might have noticed I NEVER called for a ban on violent video games.

Maybe, we as a society, can look at the current causality data and determine if there needs to be some restrictions.

I am not willing to sit by and see the 2nd Amendment violated even further by the Hollywood, Entertainment, and ruling elites while they turn a blind eye to something which MAY, may, may, may... be a negligible, small, significant, or major contributing factor into these insane killings.

[Crazieman]

What I’m trying to point out, is that your premise that these are contributory are just as ridiculous as the left assertations that guns are the cause.

What we need to focus on is individual and personal responsibility. Period.

I apologize for my vitriol as well, but nothing frustrates me more than our side so quick to jump on First Amendment rights regarding entertainment.

The main issue is the identification and isolation of the mentally deranged. This has fallen completely by the wayside in the last 40 years, in favor of victimization mentality. Its not their fault, you know. So let them roam free.

[discostu]

Millions of minds exposed to video games AND the violent crime rate keeps on dropping.
http://gamepolitics.com/2008/04/12/comparing-violent-crime-to-violent-game-releases#.Ujsjnj9tGNE

[Raymann]

Yeah, can’t believe its not out for PC. Makes it the second game this year I would have bought if it came out for PC. The first is The Last of Us, a ps3 exclusive.