Some folks can’t wait to give their money away, and if early estimates are to be believed, GTA 6 has already taken in well over a quarter-billion dollars. It’s no secret that Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be the biggest launch of the year, and perhaps decade, but seeing the cash flowing like water over Niagara Falls to hit record levels nearly six months before its release is another story altogether. Analytic firm Newzoo has been keeping tabs on pre-order sales figures and using that data to forecast trends for the actual launch as well.
According to its research (via VGC), over $180 million was spent in the U.S. and the five biggest European markets alone during the game’s first week of pre-orders, which began on June 25. The research firm then used a player distribution model for Grand Theft Auto V to estimate a global total, which it estimates to be in the $260 million range. According to Newzoo, this represents the largest pre-order campaign ever recorded. Even as outlandish as this estimate may seem, it shouldn’t come as a surprise given that other analysts predict total sales to exceed $3 billion.
Newzoo states that the first week’s sales are usually thought to occur as one of three potential scenarios. The first being titles that are brand new IPs where pre-orders start slowly, and sales pick up after positive reviews produce more interest. The next being for a sequel release with “performance uncertainty” when there’s a risk players are unsure if a follow up can meet expectations and thus hold off buying until more is known about the actual release and then lastly a proven sequel where fans feel confident that the developers are on track to deliver a game everyone wants and will happily pre-order like what is being seen with Rockstar’s long awaited release. It’s estimated that another 51 million units will be sold during the first actual week of release, with sales figures on track to exceed $4 billion. Given the horrible stories about recent industry-wide layoffs, the question will then be how many Rockstar or publisher Taketwo plan to cut once Grand Theft Auto VI launches.
Discussion (2 replies)
Join Discussion →GTA San Andreas was the last GTA game I tried to play seriously. It had the same issues. Aiming/shooting gameplay was lackluster. The mafia/gangster story was a turn off for me. Wanted to try GTA 4 but never got the chance even though I have the sealed PS3 disc. And never got the chance to play GTA V either. I don't think they changed anything too drastically. Correct me if I'm wrong. I just don't understand how this game got so many sales. Are people desperate to be on the wrong side of the law?
Because ... a "quarter billion" sounds so much more than a mere "250 million". :rolleyes: